Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

Nevertheless, leave the ground of his root still in the earth, and bind him upon the plain field, with chains of iron and steel. With the dew of heaven shall he be wet, and he shall have his part in the herbs of the ground with other wild beasts.

But whereas the king saw a watcher, even a holy angel, that came down from heaven, and said, 'Hew down the tree, and destroy it: yet leave the ground of the root in the earth, and bind him upon the plain field with chains of iron and steel: He shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and his part shall be with the beasts of the field, till seven years be come and gone upon him.'

In the very same hour there appeared fingers, as it had been of a man's hand writing, right over against the candlestick upon the plain wall in the king's palace: and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.

Wherefore the king cried mightily, that they should bring him the charmers, Chaldeans, and the conjurers of devils. The king spake also to the wise men of Babylon, and said, "Whoso can read this writing, and show me the plain meaning thereof: shall be clothed with purple, have a chain of gold about his neck, and rule the third part of my kingdom."