They said<n id="1" /> to King Nebuchadnezzar, &#8220;O king, live forever!<n id="2" />

They again replied, &#8220;Let the king inform us<n id="1" /> of the dream; then we will disclose its<n id="2" /> interpretation.&#8221;

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar,<n id="1" /> &#8220;We do not need to give you a reply<n id="2" /> concerning this.

<p class="bodytext">The wise men replied to the king, &#8220;There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king&#8217;s secret,<n id="1" /> for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, &#8220;Wasn&#8217;t it three men that we tied up and threw<n id="1" /> into<n id="2" /> the fire?&#8221; They replied to the king, &#8220;For sure, O king.&#8221;

Then they said to the king, &#8220;Daniel, who is one of the captives<n id="1" /> from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Then those men came by collusion to the king and<n id="1" /> said to him,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Recall,<n id="3" /> O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed.&#8221;

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;