13 The third young man, Zerubbabel, had answered that women and truth were the strongest, and he said: 14 Men of Media and Persia, I agree that the king is great, that there are lots of men, and that wine is strong. But who rules them all? Women, that's who! 15-16 Women give birth to kings and to all those who rule the land and sea. And women raise the little boys who become men and plant the vineyards that produce wine. 17 Women make the clothes men wear, and they tell men how great they are. Men could not live without women. 18 A man might have a lot of gold and silver and other valuable things. But if he sees a beautiful woman, 19 he will leave his wealth and stare at her. He would rather have her than silver or gold! 20 A man will abandon the father who raised him and even leave his own country, just to be with his wife. 21 He will spend the rest of his life with her, without ever thinking of his father or mother or country. 22 Don't you men realize you are controlled by women? You work long and hard, then what do you do with your wages? You give them to women. 23 A man takes his sword and goes out on the roads, the rivers, and the seas, robbing and stealing. 24 He is in danger from wild animals, and he has to travel at night. But everything he takes, he brings home to the woman he loves. 25 A man loves his wife more than he loves his father and mother. 26 Lots of men have gone crazy because of women, and many others have become slaves 27 or criminals, their lives ruined or even destroyed, all because of women. 28 It is the truth, isn't it? 29 But I have seen him with his wife 30 when she took the crown off his head and put it on her own. And she kept slapping his face with her left hand. 31 But all the king did was to stare at her with his mouth hanging open. 32 Men of Media and Persia, if women can do all these things, I say they are very strong!

33 The king and his officials just stared at each other. Then Zerubbabel began to speak again—this time about truth: 34 Men of Media and Persia, women are strong, the earth is huge, and the heavens are high above it. The sun moves quickly and finishes its path in the heavens in one day, then returns to its starting point again. 35 God must be extremely strong to have created these things. But truth is the strongest of everything he created. 36 Everyone on earth asks for truth, and it has the blessing of God in heaven. 37 Many things do cause injustice, for example, wine, kings, and women. As a matter of fact, we humans are dishonest and deceitful and cause injustice in everything we do, and so we will die. 38 But truth will live and last and be strong forever. 39 Truth always does what is fair and right, never what is evil. Everyone likes truth 40 because its decisions are always fair. Truth will rule as a powerful and glorious king forever. Praise God, the source of all truth!

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ®. Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Used by permission.