2
1 In
the second year
of the reign
of Nebuchadnezzar,
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed
dreams; and his
spirit was
troubled, and his
sleep went from
him.
2 Then
the king commanded
that the magicians,
the enchanters, the
sorcerers, and the
Chaldeans be
called to tell
the king his
dreams. So they
came in and
stood before the
king.
3 The
king said to them,
“I have dreamed
a dream, and
my spirit is
troubled to know
the dream.”
4 Then
the Chaldeans
spoke to the
king in the Syrian
language, “O king,
live forever! Tell
your servants the
dream, and we
will show the
interpretation.”
5 The
king answered the
Chaldeans, “The
thing has gone
from me. If
you don’t make
known to me
the dream and
its interpretation,
you will be
cut in pieces,
and your houses
will be made
a dunghill.
6 But
if you show the
dream and its
interpretation, you will
receive from me
gifts, rewards,
and great honor.
Therefore show me
the dream and
its interpretation.”
7 They answered
the second time
and said, “Let the
king tell his servants
the dream, and
we will show the
interpretation.”
8 The
king answered, “I
know of a
certainty that you
are trying to gain
time, because you
see the thing
has gone from me.
9 But
if you don’t make
known to me
the dream, there
is but one
law for you;
for you have
prepared lying and
corrupt words
to speak before me,
until the
situation changes. Therefore tell
me the dream,
and I will
know that you
can show me its
interpretation.”
10 The
Chaldeans answered
the king and
said, “There is
not a man on
the earth who
can show the king’s
matter, because no
king, lord, or
ruler has asked
such a thing
of any magician,
enchanter, or Chaldean.
11 It
is a rare
thing that the
king requires, and
there is no
other who can show
it before the
king except
the gods, whose
dwelling is not
with flesh.”
12 Because
of this, the
king was angry
and very furious,
and commanded that
all the wise
men of Babylon be destroyed.
13 So the
decree went out,
and the wise
men were to be
slain. They sought
Daniel and his
companions to be
slain.
14 Then
Daniel returned
answer with
counsel and prudence
to Arioch the
captain of the
king’s guard, who
had gone out
to kill the
wise men
of Babylon.
15 He
answered Arioch the
king’s captain, “Why
is the decree
so urgent from
the king?”
Then Arioch made
the thing known
to Daniel.
16 Daniel
went in, and
desired of the
king that he would
appoint him a time,
and he would show
the king the
interpretation.
17 Then Daniel
went to his
house and made
the thing known
to Hananiah,
Mishael, and
Azariah, his
companions:
18 that
they would desire
mercies of the God
of heaven
concerning this
secret, that
Daniel and his
companions would not perish
with the rest
of the wise
men of Babylon.
19 Then
the secret was
revealed to Daniel
in a vision
of the night.
Then Daniel
blessed the God of
heaven.
20 Daniel
answered,
“Blessed be the
name of God
forever and ever;
for wisdom and
might are his.
21 He
changes the times
and the seasons.
He removes kings
and sets up
kings.
He gives wisdom
to the wise,
and knowledge
to those who have
understanding.
22 He
reveals the deep
and secret things.
He knows what
is in the darkness,
and the light
dwells with him.
23 I
thank you and
praise you,
O God of
my fathers,
who have given
me wisdom and
might,
and have now
made known to
me what we
desired of you;
for you have
made known to us
the king’s matter.”
24 Therefore
Daniel went in
to Arioch, whom
the king had
appointed to destroy
the wise men
of Babylon. He
went and said this
to him: “Don’t destroy
the wise men
of Babylon. Bring
me in before
the king, and
I will show to
the king the
interpretation.”
25 Then Arioch
brought in Daniel
before the king
in haste, and said
this to him: “I
have found a
man of the
children of the
captivity of Judah
who will make
known to the
king the
interpretation.”
26 The
king answered
Daniel, whose name
was Belteshazzar, “Are
you able to
make known to me
the dream which
I have seen,
and its
interpretation?”
27 Daniel
answered before
the king, and
said, “The secret
which the king
has demanded can’t
be shown to the
king by wise
men, enchanters, magicians,
or soothsayers;
28 but
there is a God
in heaven who
reveals secrets,
and he has
made known to
King Nebuchadnezzar
what will be
in the latter days.
Your dream and
the visions of
your head on
your bed are
these:
29 “As
for you, O
king, your
thoughts came on
your bed, what
should happen hereafter; and
he who reveals
secrets has made
known to you
what will happen.
30 But
as for me,
this secret is
not revealed to
me for any
wisdom that I
have more than
any living, but
to the intent
that the
interpretation may
be made known
to the king,
and that you
may know the
thoughts of your
heart.
31 “You,
O king, saw,
and behold,
a great image.
This image, which
was mighty, and whose
brightness was
excellent, stood
before you; and its
appearance was terrifying.
32 As
for this image, its
head was of
fine gold, its chest
and its arms of
silver, its belly
and its thighs of
bronze,
33 its
legs of iron,
its feet part
of iron and
part of clay.
34 You
saw until a stone
was cut out
without hands,
which struck the
image on its
feet that were
of iron and
clay, and broke
them in pieces.
35 Then
the iron, the
clay, the bronze,
the silver, and
the gold
were broken in
pieces together,
and became like
the chaff of
the summer threshing floors.
The wind carried
them away, so
that no place
was found for
them. The stone
that struck the
image became a
great mountain and
filled the
whole earth.
36 “This
is the dream;
and we will tell
its interpretation
before the king.
37 You,
O king, are
king of kings,
to whom the God
of heaven has
given the kingdom,
the power, the
strength, and the
glory.
38 Wherever
the children of men
dwell, he has
given the animals
of the field
and the birds
of the sky into
your hand, and
has made you
rule over them
all. You are
the head of
gold.
39 “After
you, another kingdom
will arise that
is inferior to you;
and another third
kingdom of bronze,
which will rule
over all the earth.
40 The
fourth kingdom
will be strong
as iron, because
iron breaks in
pieces and subdues
all things; and
as iron that
crushes all these,
it will break
in pieces and
crush.
41 Whereas
you saw the
feet and toes,
part of potters’
clay and part
of iron, it
will be a
divided kingdom;
but there will
be in it
of the strength
of the iron,
because you saw
the iron mixed
with miry clay.
42 As
the toes of the
feet were part
of iron, and
part of clay,
so the kingdom will
be partly strong
and partly brittle.
43 Whereas
you saw the
iron mixed with
miry clay, they
will mingle themselves
with the seed
of men; but
they won’t cling to
one another, even
as iron does
not mix with
clay.
44 “In
the days of
those kings the God
of heaven will
set up a
kingdom which will
never be destroyed,
nor will its
sovereignty be
left to another
people; but it
will break in
pieces and consume
all these kingdoms,
and it will
stand forever.
45 Because
you saw that
a stone was cut
out of the
mountain without
hands, and that
it broke in pieces
the iron, the
bronze, the clay,
the silver, and
the gold, the
great God has made
known to the
king what
will happen hereafter. The
dream is certain,
and its
interpretation sure.”
46 Then
King Nebuchadnezzar
fell on his face,
worshiped Daniel,
and commanded that they
should offer an
offering and sweet odors
to him.
47 The
king answered to
Daniel, and said,
“Of a truth
your God is the God
of gods, and the
Lord of kings,
and a revealer
of secrets, since
you have been
able to reveal
this secret.”
48 Then
the king made
Daniel great and
gave him many
great gifts, and
made him rule
over the whole
province of Babylon
and to be
chief governor over
all the wise
men of Babylon.
49 Daniel
requested of the
king, and he
appointed Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego
over the affairs
of the province
of Babylon, but
Daniel was in
the king’s gate.