⁹ if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the ^[a]time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can ^[b]give me its interpretation.”

¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into ^(A)the inner court to the king, who has not been called, ^(B)he has but one law: put all to death, except the one ^(C)to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been ^(D)called to go in to the king these thirty days.”

²⁸ PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the ^(A)Medes and ^(B)Persians.”^[a]

¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(A)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(B)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

^6 (A)They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has ^(B)not sent them; yet they hope that the word may ^[a]be confirmed.