18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar(A) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.(B) 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;(C) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.(D) 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,(E) he was deposed from his royal throne(F) and stripped(G) of his glory.(H) 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign(I) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.(J)

22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son,[a] have not humbled(K) yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against(L) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives(M) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.(N) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life(O) and all your ways.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 5:22 Or descendant; or successor

18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

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