After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon.

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed, and the visions of my mind were alarming me.

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.

So I issued an order for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

We have not obeyed the LORD our God by living according to his laws that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king’s presence, saying to him, “I have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king.”

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.”

While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

Now the wise men and astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message.

At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies.

I saw a dream that frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me.

Now I will tell you the truth.“Three more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth king will be unusually rich, more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

The king replied to the wise men, “My decision is firm. If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered and your homes reduced to rubble!

What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities.

Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel.

Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay.

I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God; he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed; his authority is forever.

“You, O king, were watching as a great statue – one of impressive size and extraordinary brightness – was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm.

As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright.