Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,^(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.^(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.^(A)

¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^(A)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a](A) coming^(B) with the clouds of heaven.^(C) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority,^(D) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.^(E) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom^(F) is one that will never be destroyed.^(G)

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) 24} Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^(W) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^(X)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(Y) king^(Z) of the Babylonians,^[e] was slain,^{(AA) 31} and Darius^(AB) the Mede^(AC) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.^[f]

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open^(A) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^(B) is called Faithful and True.^(C) With justice he judges and wages war.^(D)