HISTORY OF THE PROPHETS.
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he is like to die for hunger. Then Zedekiah, the king,
commanded Ebed-melech, saying, Take from hence [or
this place] thirty men; away with thee, and take up
Jeremiah, the prophet, out ofthe dungeon before he die.
And they drew up Jeremiah with cords, up out of the
dungeon. (Jer., chap. 37, 38 and 39.) Jeremiah began
to prophesy 631 years B. C.
Daniel.—The prophet Daniel, the son of David, a
wise man, who was surnamed Belteshazzar, by the king.
He was carried captive to Babylon, in the fourth year of
Jehoiakim, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Dan¬
iel was enabled by God to interpret a remarkable dream
of the king's, in which was made known to him the fate
of his kingdom in after-times; and was exalted by him to
great power and dignity Daniel also explained for Bel-
shazzar, the king of Babylon, the grandson of Nebu¬
chadnezzar, the hand-writing legibly traced upon the
wall by a miraculous hand: Mene, mene, tekel uphar-
sin; which none ofthe wise men being able to interpret,
thus spake Daniel to the king, saying, "Thy days are
numbered; thou art weighed in the balance and found
wanting; thy kingdom is given to the Medes, and Per¬
sians." Accordingly, that very night, the city was taken
by Darius the Mede, [the son of Ahasuerus, an Ethio¬
pian,] and Belshazzar slain. Daniel was highly esteem¬
ed by Darius, who made him first president of the king¬
dom, for his excellent spirit. This exaltation gave great
offence to the princes, governors, counsellors, and cap¬
tains of the realm, who, being unable to make any just
accusation against him, prevailed upon the king Darius
to sign a rash decree, that whoever should offer any
prayer»or petition to either God or man, for the space of
thirty days, [excepting the king] they should be cast into
the den of lions.
The enemies of Daniel observing that as usual he ad¬
dressed his petitions to God, accused him, and insisted
upon his incurring the penalty; but the Almighty pre¬
served his faithful servant, and, to the great joy of the
kino-, Daniel came unhurt out of the lion's den, into
which his accusers were cast, and instantly torn to
pieces. Daniel prophesied about 555 years B. C.
Hosea.—The prophet Hosea was the son of Beeri.
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