² “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and ^(A)he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Cyrus, God's Instrument

²³ but you have lifted up yourself against ^(A)the Lord of heaven. And ^(B)the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. ^(C)And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, ^(D)but the God in whose hand is your breath, and ^(E)whose are all your ways, ^(F)you have not honored.

¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, ^(A)all peoples, nations, and languages ^(B)trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. ²⁰ But ^(C)when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, ^(D)he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. ^21 (E)He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^(F)until he knew that the ^(G)Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.

^32 (A)and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, ^(B)until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

^25 (A)that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^(B)to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^(C)seven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^(D)you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

³⁷ You, O king, ^(A)the king of kings, to whom ^(B)the God of heaven ^(C)has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, ³⁸ and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, ^(D)the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are ^(E)the head of gold.

²⁸ but ^(A)there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar ^(B)what will be in the latter days. Your dream and ^(C)the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: