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)

⁵ With my great power and outstretched arm^(A) I made^(B) the earth and its people and the animals^(C) that are on it, and I give^(D) it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant^(E) Nebuchadnezzar^(F) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.^{(G) 7} All nations will serve^(H) him and his son and his grandson until the time^(I) for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate^(J) him.

²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(A)—to nullify the things that are,