But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

“But you, his son ¹  Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, ²  although you knew all this.

He will extend his power ¹  against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape.

But Daniel made up his mind ¹  that he would not defile ²  himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. ³  He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.

I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, “Sir, ¹  what will happen after these things?”

To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving ¹  him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. ²  His kingdom will not be destroyed. ³ 

He will not respect ¹  the gods of his fathers – not even the god loved by women. ²  He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ¹  “We do not need to give you a reply ²  concerning this.

Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. ¹  The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. ²  They will have no strength to prevail.

Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately ¹  be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!”

And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did.

He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again.

We have not obeyed ¹  the LORD our God by living according to ²  his laws ³  that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

And ¹  in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed ²  with one another ³  without adhering to one another, just as ⁴  iron does not mix with clay.

Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically ¹  unharmed by the fire. ²  The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!

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.

You were watching as ¹  a stone was cut out, ²  but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces.

The horn that was broken ¹  and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength.

When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. ¹  He will be responsible for the death ²  of thousands and thousands of people, ³  but he will not continue to prevail.