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2 Then this Daniel was preferred came near, and spake before the king above the presidents and princes, concerning the king's decree: Hast because an excellent spirit was in thou not signed a decree, that every him; and the king thought to set man that shall ask a petition of any him over the whole realm. But the God or man within thirty days, save presidents and princes sought to find of thee, O king, shall be cast into the occasion against Daniel concerning den of lions? The king answered the kingdom; but they could find and said, The thing is true, accordnone occasion nor fault; forasmuch ing to the law of the Medes and as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the 3 Then said these men, We shall king, That Daniel, which is of the not find any occasion against this children of the captivity of Judah, Daniel, except we find it against regardeth not thee, O king, nor the him concerning the law of his God: decree that thou hast signed, but so they assembled together to the maketh his petition three times a king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever: All the presi- 6 Then the king, when he heard dents of the kingdom, the governors, these words, was sore displeased with and the princes, the counsellors, and himself, and set his heart on Daniel the captains, have consulted to- to deliver him and he labored till gether to establish a royal statute, the going down of the sun to deliver and to make a firm decree, that him.

day.

whosoever shall ask a petition of 7 But these men assembled unto any God or man for thirty days, the king, and said unto him, Know, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast O king, that the law of the Medes into the den of lions. Now, O king, and Persians is, That no decree nor establish the decree, and sign the statute which the king establisheth writing, that it be not changed, ac- may be changed. Therefore the cording to the law of the Medes and king commanded, and they brought Persians, which altereth not. Where- Daniel, and cast him into the den of fore king Darius signed the writing lions; and a stone was brought and and the decree. laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

4 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

5 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God: so they

8 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him: and he arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions: when

the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him.

he came to the den, he cried with a they should take him up out of the lamentable voice unto Daniel and den. So Daniel was taken up out of said, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from 10 Then king Darius wrote unto the lions? Then said Daniel unto all people, nations, and languages, the king, O king, live for ever: my that dwell in all the earth; Peace be God hath sent his angel, and hath multiplied unto you: I make a deshut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

cree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom shall not be de

9 Then was the king exceedingly stroyed, and his dominion shall be glad for him, and commanded that even unto the end.

A SELECTION FROM THE BOOK OF JONAH.

Showing that mercy is better than ven

geance.

4 And the king caused it to be proclaimed and published through

AND the word of the LORD came Nineveh by the decree of the king

unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

2 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey and as he entered into it, while yet a day's journey, Jonah began to cry, and to say, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

3 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them: and word was carried to the king; and he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered him with

sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: let them be covered with sackcloth: and cry ye mightily unto God: yea, and let every one turn from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

5 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and he repented of the evil, that he had said he would do unto them, and did it not.

6 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry: and prayed unto the LORD, and said, O LORD, was not this my prediction, when I was yet in my country?

Therefore I fled unto Tarshish: for day, it smote the gourd that it

I knew that thou art a gracious withered.
God, and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and repentest
thee of the evil. Therefore now, O
LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life
from me; for it is better for me to
die than to live.

9 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to

7 Then said the LORD, Doest die than to live. And God said to thou well to be angry?

Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

8 After that Jonah went out to the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it IO Then said the LORD, Thou in the shadow, till he might see what hast had pity on the gourd, for the would become of the city: and the which thou hast not labored, neither LORD prepared a gourd, and caused madest it grow; which came up in a it to come up over Jonah, that it night, and perished in a night: might be a shadow over his head, to Should not I then spare Nineveh, deliver him from his grief. So Jonah that great city, wherein are more was exceeding glad of the gourd. than sixscore thousand persons that But God prepared a worm, and cannot discern between their right when the morning rose the next hand and their left hand?

A SELECTION FROM THE BOOK OF MALACHI.

Showing the judgments of God upon silver, that they may offer unto the the wicked, and his favor to the righteous. LORD an offering in righteousness. 3 I will come near to you to judg

BEHOLD, I will send my messen

ger, and he shall prepare the ment; and I will be a swift witness way before me: and the Lord, against the sorcerers, and against whom ye seek, shall suddenly come the adulterers, and against false to his temple, even the messenger of swearers, and against those that opthe covenant, whom ye delight in: press the laborer in his wages, the behold, he shall come, saith the widow and the fatherless, and that LORD of hosts. turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and

4 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

But ye say, Wherein shall we re- LORD, and that thought upon his turn? Will a man rob God? Yet ye name: They shall be mine, saith the have robbed me. But ye say, LORD of hosts, in that day when I Wherein have we robbed thee? make up my jewels; and I will spare tithes and offerings. them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

In

5 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

8 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

9 Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith

6 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much the LORD of hosts, and shall leave against thee? Ye have said, It is them neither root nor branch.

vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked with selfdenials before the LORD of hosts?

10 But unto you that revere my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall; ye shall tread down the wicked; they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that

7 They that revered the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written I shall do this, saith the LORD of before him for them that revered the hosts.

CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.-GOSPELS.

SELECTION I.

Traditions of the birth and childhood of Jesus.

NOW when Jesus was born in

saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and did him homage: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto

him gifts: gold, and frankincense,

Bethlehem of Judæa in the days and myrrh. of Herod the king, behold, Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born to be King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to do him homage.

5 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night: and, lo, a vision of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

2 When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and 6 And an angel said to them, all Jerusalem with him. And when Fear not: behold, I bring you good he had gathered the chief priests tidings of great joy, which shall be and scribes of the people together, to all people: for unto you is born he demanded of them where the this day in the city of David a SavMessiah should be born. And they iour, who is Messiah the Teacher. answered, In Bethlehem of Judæa: And this shall be a sign unto you: for thus it is written by the prophet. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in 3 Then Herod, when he had privily swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. called the Magi, enquired of them 7 And suddenly there was with diligently what time the star ap. the angel a multitude of the heavenly peared: and sent them to Bethlehem, host praising God, and saying, Glory saying, Go and search diligently for to God in the highest, on earth peace, the young child; and when ye have good will toward men. found him, bring me word again, that 8 And it came to pass, as the anI may come and do him homage also. gels were gone away from them into 4 When they had heard the king, heaven, the shepherds said one to they departed; and, lo, the star, another, Let us now go even unto which they had seen in the east, con- Bethlehem, and see this thing which tinued before them, till it stood over is come to pass, which the Lord hath where the young child was: when made known unto us. And they they were come into the house, they came with haste, and found Mary,

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