⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.

²⁰ But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”^(A)

⁹ Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

²² Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came, and he opened my mouth when the fugitive came in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer unable to speak.^(A)

¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do.^{(A) 16} He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

³⁴ When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me.

³⁶ At that time my reason returned to me, and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and my lords sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.^{(C) 37} Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

³² They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.^{(A) 33} He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.^{(B) 34} Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”^{(C) 35} And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.^{(D) 36} Then Jesus^[a] ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.^{(E) 37} They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

³³ And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.”