- King Nebuchadnezzer II: Israelite? Aren't I supposed to be a donkey now? Or is it a giraffe? Or a crocodile?
- Daniel: I am only a voice for the Lord God.
- King Nebuchadnezzer II: Look, Israelite. Look at my city. The gardens, the marketplaces, the courts! I built Babylon!
- Daniel: As did a million captives, slaves, including my people.
- King Nebuchadnezzer II: No, Israelite! I built it! Only I built Babylon, the greatest city the world has ever known!
- King Nebuchadnezzer II: [to the young trainee magi] I really can't see the point in training you any more.
- Chief Magus: But your Majesty surely...
- King Nebuchadnezzer II: You are now full King's Magi, get them their proper robes Ashpenaz. They'll be teaching you soon Lord Magus.
- [he leaves]
- Chief Magus: [to the magi] Don't think you can get the better of me.
- Belshazzar: [seeing the writing on the wall] Magus! Magus! Read it and you'll have riches beyond man's dreams! Gold, silver, frankincense armies of slaves, anything, yes?
- Chief Magus: I... well... it looks like...
- Belshazzar: You'll be my chief minister, viceroy...
- Daniel: Would Your Majesty care to hear the interpretation?
- Belshazzar: You can read it?... Everything I've offered!
- Daniel: Keep your gifts! Reward someone else. Even your father, proud as he was came to understanding in the end, but not you.
- [reading]
- Daniel: Mene, mene, The Lord God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel, you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting! Upharsin, your kingdom will has been divided amongst the Medes and Persians!
- Chief Magus: How dare he! How dare this foreigner insult the King of Babylon in this way? This is our King! And who are you? An Israeliste, a hostage! Don't listen to him Your Majesty, this is nonsense!
- Ashpenaz: Your Majesty! Your Majesty, look!
- [hundreds of troops are outside]
- Arioch: Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the Medes are inside the city walls! What should we do? Your Majesty?
- Belshazzar: My sword. My shield. We will fight.
- Darius of the Medes: I admire your people Daniel.
- Daniel: Then why keep us all hostage Highness? Why keep us here?
- Darius of the Medes: [laughs] Daniel! If I freed the Israelites, this whole empire would collapse. Let one tribe go free... and it's the end.
- Daniel: And yet you allow us to worship the one true God, who will one day destroy all earthly empires.
- Darius of the Medes: Worship what you want, I don't care. It's order I want.
- Chief Magus: [Daniel is praying] No decree issued by the King can ever be revoked. That is the law of the Medes and the Persians.
- Darius of the Medes: [sighs] Arrest him.