Book excerpt: The Old Testament book of Daniel contains well-known stories: Daniel in the den of lions, his three companions in a fiery furnace, and the strange handwriting on the wall at Belshazzar's feast, which struck terror in the heart of the Babylonian king. However, this book can be difficult to understand. Along with stories about Judean exiles working in the court of pagan kings, it also consists of Daniel's enigmatic visions and prophecies about the future. It is written in two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic, and the language division does not match the subject division. Therefore, Dale Ralph Davis explores the book's background, discusses significant interpretative issues and problems, and offers a lively exposition of Daniel's message, which may be summed up in the words of Jesus: 'the end is not yet... but the one who endures to the end will be saved' (Mark 13:7, 13). The Bible Speaks Today series covers every book of the Old and New Testaments, as well as Bible themes that run through the whole of Scripture. These revised editions are redesigned inside and out and have been sensitively updated with contemporary language and Bible translations to help you follow, study and teach the Bible in today's world.