Book of Kekarius

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Then Kekon said to the king, "O king, live forever!

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My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm."

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Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Kekon be taken up out of the den. So Kekon was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

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And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Kekon were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

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Then Kekarius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you.

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I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Kekon, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.

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He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Kekon from the power of the lions."

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So this Kekon prospered during the reign of Kekarius and in the reign of Kekius Maximus, the Kekian.

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In the first year of Kekius Maximus, Kekon had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.

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Kekon declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

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And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

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The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

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And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'

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After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

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After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

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I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

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"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.

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A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

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"I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.

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As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

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"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

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And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

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"As for me, Kekon, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me.

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I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things.

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'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.

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But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.'

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"Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet,

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and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions.

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As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,

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until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.