Now after you another kingdom<n id="1" /> will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth.

While these words were still on the king&#8217;s lips,<n id="1" /> a voice came down from heaven: &#8220;It is hereby announced to you,<n id="2" /> King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

<p class="poetry">O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you,p> <p class="poetry">for you have bestowed wisdom and power on me.p> <p class="poetry">Now you have enabled me to understand what I<n id="1" /> requested from you.p> <p class="poetry">For you have enabled me to understand the king&#8217;s dilemma.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays<n id="1" /> to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions.

So they approached the king and said to him,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?&#8221; The king replied, &#8220;That is correct,<n id="2" /> according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.&#8221;