Study Desk

Then Daniel replied and said before the king, "^(F1)Keep your ^(C1)gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.

"^(F1)O king, the ^(C1)Most High God ^(C2)granted ^(F2)sovereignty, ^(C3)greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

"Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ^(F1)languages trembled and feared in his presence; ^(C1)whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.

"But when his heart ^(F1)was ^(C1)arrogant and his spirit became so ^(F2)(C2)overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was ^(C3)deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him.

"He was also ^(C1)driven away from ^(F1)mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the ^(C2)wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the ^(C3)Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

"Yet you, his ^(F1)son, Belshazzar, have ^(C1)not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,

but you have ^(C1)risen up against the ^(C2)Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the ^(C3)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God ^(C4)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ^(C5)ways, you have not glorified.