<p class="bodytext">Because of this the king got furiously angry<n id="1" /> and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time;<n id="1" /> his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, &#8220;Belteshazzar, don&#8217;t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.&#8221; But Belteshazzar replied, &#8220;Sir,<n id="2" /> if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!

The king replied<n id="1" /> to the wise men, &#8220;My decision is firm.<n id="2" /> If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered<n id="3" /> and your homes reduced to rubble!

He inquired of Arioch the king&#8217;s deputy, &#8220;Why is the decree from the king so urgent?&#8221;<n id="1" /> Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.

saying,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Let the name of God<n id="2" /> be praised<n id="3" /> forever and ever,p> <p class="poetry">for wisdom and power belong to him.p>

The king then asked Daniel (whose name was also Belteshazzar), &#8220;Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw, as well as its interpretation?&#8221;

Daniel replied to the king, &#8220;The mystery that the king is asking about is such that no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or diviners can possibly disclose it to the king.

The king uttered these words: &#8220;Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence<n id="1" /> by my own mighty strength<n id="2" /> and for my majestic honor?&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">But Daniel replied to the king, &#8220;Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its<n id="1" /> interpretation.

Daniel explained:<n id="1" /> &#8220;I was watching in my vision during the night as<n id="2" /> the four winds of the sky<n id="3" /> were stirring up the great sea.<n id="4" />

I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him about the meaning<n id="1" /> of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed<n id="2" /> to me the interpretation of the vision:<n id="3" />

The king replied, &#8220;I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm.

The king replied to Daniel, &#8220;Certainly your God is a God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery!&#8221;

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, &#8220;Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don&#8217;t serve my gods and that you don&#8217;t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected?

<p class="bodytext">Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed<n id="1" /> toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders<n id="2" /> to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated.

<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;

He answered, &#8220;But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!&#8221;<n id="1" />

Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, &#8220;Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?

So the king gave the order,<n id="1" /> and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den<n id="2" /> of lions. The king consoled<n id="3" /> Daniel by saying, &#8220;Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!&#8221;