leaped on them and broke their bones in pieces, even before they came to the bottom of the den. Then King Darius wrote to all the people and nations of the earth, saying, "I make a decree that in every part of my kingdom men obey the God of Daniel. For

He is the living God;

one that shall not be

His kingdom is the destroyed, and His

power shall never end. He is the God who can save from danger, who has saved Daniel from the mouths of the lions."

And so Daniel passed the rest of his life in peace and quiet; and one day, when he was praying, the angel Gabriel came to him and touched him. It was in the evening, at the time when the priests offered up lamb for a burnt offering at the temple in Jerusalem. And the angel said, “O Daniel, I am come to tell thee of things

that shall happen. At the beginning of thy prayer I was commanded to come unto thee, for thou art greatly beloved of God. Therefore, understand the words that I shall speak, Even yet the Jews shall go back to their own land and build up Jerusalem; and in five hundred years the one shall be born who shall be a great king over all the earth."

And it came about as the angel had said; for when Cyrus became king, he sent the Jews back to their own land. He made a proclamation and sent it through all his kingdom, saying, Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia: Who is there among the captives from Judah that wishes to go back to his own land? Let him go now and build up the house of the Lord; and let the people of my kingdom help those who go,

by giving them silver and gold, and cattle,

2

nd raiment, to take with them."

Then the chief men of the Jews, and the priests, and the Levites, and all those whom the Lord made willing to go, prepared to start on their journey. And many persons gave them vessels of silver and gold, and cattle, and raiment, as the king had commanded. And king Cyrus brought out the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple, and he counted them, and gave them to the prince of Judah. The prince took the vessels, and carried them to Jerusalem. And there went with him forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty persons of the children of Israel, besides their servants,-seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven more.

And the people built again the altar of