“Then I wanted to know the meaning ¹  of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet.

cargo such as gold, silver, ¹  precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ²  scarlet cloth, ³  all sorts of things made of citron wood, ⁴  all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble,

He removed the city’s residents and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. ¹  This was his policy ²  with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  says, “I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations ²  so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.”’” ³ 

If an iron axhead ¹  is blunt and a workman ²  does not sharpen ³  its edge, ⁴  he must exert a great deal of effort; ⁵  so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax, and mighty Lebanon will fall. ¹ 

whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian. ¹  He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as purple, violet, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your father.

As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’ –

“The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. ¹  He has put you in charge in the Lord’s temple of controlling ²  any lunatic ³  who pretends to be a prophet. ⁴  And it is your duty to put any such person in the stocks ⁵  with an iron collar around his neck. ⁶ 

Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears?

As one of them was felling a log, the ax head ¹  dropped into the water. He shouted, “Oh no, ²  my master! It was borrowed!”

Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods ¹  that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control ²  your very breath and all your ways!

So he saves ¹  from the sword that comes from their mouth, ²  even ³  the poor from the hand of the powerful.

Is my strength like that of stones? ¹  or is my flesh made of bronze?

And now ¹  they are tearing down ²  all its engravings ³  with axes ⁴  and crowbars. ⁵ 

“Is this not stored up with me?” says the Lord, ¹  “Is it not sealed up in my storehouses?

Who can uncover its outer covering? ¹  Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor? ² 

Whoever strikes it with a sword ¹  will have no effect, ²  nor with the spear, arrow, or dart.

May I ¹  live and praise you! May your regulations help me! ² 

For he makes the bars of your gates strong. He blesses your children ¹  within you.