Daniel 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.

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, by which his spirit was troubled, and his sleep broke 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.

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to show the king his dreams. So they came 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.”

And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was 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.”

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syrian, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

5 The king answered the Chaldeans, “The thing has gone from me. If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill.

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

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.”

But if ye shall show the dream, and the interpretation of it, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation of it.

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

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

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.

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 you do not 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.”

But if ye will not make known to 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 show me the interpretation of it.

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.

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can reveal the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that hath asked such things of any magician, or astrologer, 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.”

And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can reveal 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.

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

13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and 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.

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone forth to slay 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.

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 Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that 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:

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.

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should 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.

Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision. 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.

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever 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.

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

22 He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth 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.”

I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known to me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now 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: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.”

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus to him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will reveal 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.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus to him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that 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?”

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it?

27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded cannot be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers;

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, cannot reveal to the king;

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:

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 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.

As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass after this: 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 to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

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 mayest know the thoughts of thy 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.

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and its form was terrible.

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,

The head of this image was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

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

His legs of iron, his 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.

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

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 its interpretation before the king.

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation of it 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.

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

And wherever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this 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.

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 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.

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 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.

And though 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 the 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.

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 Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they will not cling to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

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

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 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.”

Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke 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 after this: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation of it sure.

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him.

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

The king answered to Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest 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.

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 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.

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.