Daniel 2

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

3 he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.

9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”

10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.

11 What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

12 This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.

15 “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

18 urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

20 and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

25 Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”

26 The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”

27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:

29 As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

30 And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

31 As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

33 its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.

34 As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36 This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.

38 Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

39 But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.

41 And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

45 And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

46 At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

49 And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

1 ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.

8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, [there is but] one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11 And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise [men] of Babylon.

13 And the decree went forth that the wise [men] should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

14 ¶ Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon:

15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew 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 fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king's matter.

24 ¶ Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise [men] of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.

25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but for [their] sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

31 ¶ Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.

32 This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 This [is] the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

37 Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.

39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

42 And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon.

49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king.

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and was troubled, and awoke.

2 And he commanded all the astrologers, and the wise men, and the magicians, and the Chaldeans, to come together, and tell the king his dream. And they came and stood before the king.

3 And the king said unto them: I have had a dream, and it troubled me: and I desired to know what dream it was.

4 And the Chaldeans said unto the king in the Chaldean tongue, O king, may God grant thee long life. Tell thy servants the dream, and we will interpret it.

5 And the king answered and said unto the Chaldeans, It hath slipped my mind. If ye will not tell me the dream, and interpret it, ye shall perish utterly, and your houses shall be shamefully destroyed.

6 But if ye shall tell me the dream, and interpret it, ye shall have gifts, and offerings, and great honour from me. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.

7 And they answered again, and said: Let the king saw his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.

8 And the king answered and said, Verily I perceive that ye seek respite, because ye see that it hath slipped from me.

9 But if ye will not tell me the dream, then the judgment shall be upon you, as ye have purposed to speak lies and poems before me, until the time be past. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye have the interpretation.

10 And the Chaldeans answered before the king, and said unto him, There is not a man upon earth that can say what the king requireth. Neither is there any king, no matter how great or powerful he may be, who can ask this of any astrologer or wise man or Chaldean.

11 For that which the king requireth is too high, neither is there any that can speak it before the king, save the gods, which dwell not with men.

12 And the king was very wroth, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.

13 And the sentence came to pass, that the wise men should be put to death. And Daniel and his companions were sought to be put to death.

14 And Daniel heard the sentence and the commandment of the king's chief judge, which went out to slay the wise men of Babylon.

15 And he began to say unto Arioch the king's reeve, Why is such a stern judgment gone forth from the king? And Arioch shewed it unto Daniel.

16 Then Daniel went up, and besought the king to give him time, that he might tell the interpretation unto the king.

17 And Daniel went home, and shewed these things unto his fellows, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

18 That they would ask mercy of God from heaven for this hidden thing, that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Then was this hidden thing revealed unto Daniel by a vision in the night.

20 And Daniel praised the LORD from heaven, and began to say, Blessed be the name of the LORD for ever and ever: for his is both wisdom and strength.

21 He changeth the time and the hour; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and understanding unto them that have understanding;

22 He revealeth that which is deep and hid; he knoweth that which is in darkness: for with him is all light.

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O God of my fathers, that thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast now revealed unto me that which we have asked of thee; that is, thou hast revealed unto us the king's cause.

24 Then Daniel went up to Arioch, which had a commandment from the king to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said unto him thus, Thou shalt not destroy the wise men of Babylon; but bring me up to the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.

25 And Arioch hasted and brought Daniel up before the king, and said unto him, There is found one of the captives of Judah that can give the king an interpretation.

26 And the king answered and said unto Daniel, whom they called Belteshazzar: Art thou he that can show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

27 And Daniel began before the king, and said, The secret thing which the king requireth of the wise men, and of the learned, and of the astrologers, and of the soothsayers, is not in their ability to tell the king,

28 But GOD from heaven, who is able to reveal hidden things, who revealed to Nebuchadnezzar the things that were to come to pass in the days to come.

29 Thy dream and thy vision, when thou wast asleep, were because thou, O king, wast thinking in thy bed how it would be afterward: and he that revealeth hidden things hath shewed thee how it would be.

30 Thus is this hidden thing revealed unto me, not by my wisdom, as though it were greater than all that live; but that the interpretation might be made known unto the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart.

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a very great and high image stood before thee, terrible to behold.

32 His head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his loins of brass;

33 His legs were iron; his feet were part iron and part clay.

34 These things thou sawest, until a stone was brought down without hands, which smote the image upon his feet, which were iron and clay, and brake them in pieces.

35 And the iron, and the clay, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, were broken in pieces together, and became as the chaff of the summer threshingfloor; and the wind wove them together, that they were nowhere to be found. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. Thirty-six: this is the dream. Now let us say the interpretation before the king.

37 you, O king, are a king of kings, to whom GOD has given from heaven kingdom, power, strength and honor

38 And all that dwell in the midst of men, and the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, have he delivered into thine hand, and given thee dominion over all things. Thou art the golden head.

39 After thee shall arise another kingdom less than thine. After the third kingdom, which is ancient, which shall reign over all the earth.

40 The fourth shall be hard as iron. For as iron breaketh and bruiseth all things; yea, as iron breaketh all things, so shall it break and bruise all things.

41 And when thou hast seen the feet and toes of part of clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom: but the plant of the iron shall remain in it, as thou hast seen iron mixed with clay.

42 And the toes of his feet being part iron, and part clay, it shall be part strong kingdom, and part weak kingdom.

43 And when thou hast seen iron mixed with clay, they shall be mixed together after the blood of men, but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron cannot be mixed with clay.

44 But in the days of such kingdoms God shall set up from heaven a kingdom that shall never be destroyed; and his kingdom shall come upon no other people. It will crush and destroy all these kingdoms, but it will remain forever.

45 As thou sawest a stone torn down from the mountain without hands, which brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. So the great God showed the king how things would be afterward; and this is certainly the dream, and the interpretation is right.

46 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king fell on his face, and worshipped before Daniel, and commanded that they should offer him meat offering and incense.

47 And the king answered Daniel, and said, There is no doubt that your God is a God above all gods, and a Lord above all kings, who can reveal hidden things, because thou hast been able to reveal this hidden thing.

48 And the king exalted Daniel, and gave him great and many gifts, and made him ruler over all the land of Babylon, and set him over all the wise men of Babylon.

49 And Daniel desired of the king that he would set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the coasts of Babylon: and Daniel stayed with the king in his court.