Daniel 2
1 In the second year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodonosor had a dream, and his spirit was terrified, and his dream went out of his mind.
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he had dreams. His mind was troubled, and he could not sleep.
2 Then the king commanded to call together the diviners and the wise men, and the magicians, and the Chaldeans: to declare to the king his dreams: so they came and stood before the king.
Then the king summoned the magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead. He also called the sorcerers and wise men. He wanted them to tell him about his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
3 And the king said to them: I saw a dream: and being troubled in mind I know not what I saw.
The king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my mind is anxious to know what the dream means.”
4 And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac: O king, live for ever: tell to thy servants thy dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.
Then the wise men spoke to the king in Aramaic, “King, live forever! Tell the dream to us, your servants, and we will reveal the meaning.”
5 And the king answering said to the Chaldeans: The thing is gone out of my mind: unless you tell me the dream, and the meaning thereof, you shall be put to death, and your houses shall be confiscated.
The king replied to the wise men, “This matter has been settled. If you do not reveal the dream to me and interpret it, your bodies will be torn apart and your houses made into rubbish heaps.
6 But if you tell the dream, and the meaning of it, you shall receive of me rewards, and gifts, and great honour: therefore tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
But if you will tell me the dream and its meaning, you will receive gifts from me, a reward, and great honor. So tell to me the dream and its meaning.”
7 They answered again and said: Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation of it.
They replied again and said, “Let the king tell us, his servants, the dream and we will tell you its meaning.”
8 The king answered, and said: I know for certain that you seek to gain time, since you know that the thing is gone from me.
The king answered, “I know for certain that you want more time because you see how firm my decision is about this.
9 If therefore you tell me not the dream, there is one sentence concerning you, that you have also framed a lying interpretation, and full of deceit, to speak before me till the time pass away. Tell me therefore the dream, that I may know that you also give a true interpretation thereof.
But if you do not tell me the dream, there is only one sentence for you. You have decided to prepare false and deceptive words that you agreed together to say to me until I change my mind. So then, tell me the dream, and then I will know you can interpret it for me.”
10 Then the Chaldeains answered before the king, and said: There is no man upon earth, that can accomplish thy word, O king, neither doth any king, though great and mighty, ask such a thing of any diviner, or wise man, or Chaldean.
The wise men replied to the king, “There is not a man on earth able to meet the king's demand. There is no great and powerful king who has demanded such a thing from any magician, or from anyone who claims to speak with the dead, or from a wise man.
11 For the thing that thou askest, O king, is difficult; nor can any one be found that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.
What the king demands is difficult, and there is no one who can tell it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
12 Upon hearing this, the king in fury, and in great wrath, commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.
This made the king angry and very furious, and he gave an order to destroy all those in Babylon who were known for their wisdom.
13 And the decree being gone forth, the wise men were slain: and Daniel and his companions were sought for, to be put to death.
So the decree went out that all those who were known for their wisdom were to be put to death. Because of this decree, they searched for Daniel and his friends so they could be put to death.
14 Then Daniel inquired concerning the law and the sentence, of Arioch the general of the king’s army, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon.
Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch the commander of the king's bodyguard, who had come to kill all those in Babylon who were known for their wisdom.
15 And he asked him that had received the orders of the king, why so cruel a sentence was gone forth from the face of the king. And when Arioch had told the matter to Daniel,
Daniel asked the king's commander, “Why is the king's decree so urgent?” So Arioch told Daniel what had happened.
16 Daniel went in and desired of the king, that he would give him time to resolve the question and declare it to the king.
Then Daniel went in and requested an appointment with the king so that he could present the interpretation to the king.
17 And he went into his house, and told the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias his companions:
Then Daniel went to his house and explained to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
He urged them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and they might not be killed with the rest of the men of Babylon who were known for their wisdom.
19 Then was the mystery revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven,
That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven
20 And speaking he said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from eternity and for evermore: for wisdom and fortitude are his.
and said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and power belong to him.
21 And he changeth times and ages: taketh away kingdoms and establisheth them, giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding.
He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and places kings on their thrones. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He revealeth deep and hidden things, and knoweth what is in darkness: and light is with him.
He reveals the deep and hidden things because he knows what is in the darkness, and the light lives with him.
23 To thee, O God of our fathers, I give thanks, and I praise thee: because thou hast given me wisdom and strength: and now thou hast shewn me what we desired of thee, for thou hast made known to us, the king’s discourse.
God of my ancestors, I thank you and praise you for the wisdom and power you gave to me. Now you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the matter that concerns the king.”
24 After this Daniel went in to Arioch, to whom the king had given orders to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and he spoke thus to him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will tell the solution to the king.
Then Daniel went in to see Arioch (the one the king appointed to kill everyone who was wise in Babylon). He went and said to him, “Do not kill the wise men in Babylon. Take me to the king and I will show the king the interpretation of his dream.”
25 Then Arioch in haste brought in Daniel to the king, and said to him: I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Juda, that will resolve the question to the king.
Then Arioch quickly brought in Daniel before the king and said, “I have found among the exiles of Judah a man who will reveal the meaning of the king's dream.”
26 The king answered, and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltassar: Thinkest thou indeed that thou canst tell me the dream that I saw, and the interpretation thereof?
The king said to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me the dream that I saw and its meaning?”
27 And Daniel made answer before the king, and said: The secret that the king desireth to know, none of the wise men, or the philosophers, or the diviners, or the soothsayers can declare to the king.
Daniel answered the king and said, “The mystery that the king has asked about cannot be revealed by those who have wisdom, nor by those who claim to speak with the dead, nor by magicians, and not by astrologers.
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth mysteries, who hath shewn to thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, what is to come to pass in the latter times. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
Nevertheless, there is a God who lives in the heavens, who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, what will happen in the days to come. These were your dream and the visions of your mind as you lay on your bed.
29 Thou, O king, didst begin to think in thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth mysteries shewed thee what shall come to pass.
As for you, king, your thoughts on your bed were about things to come, and the one who reveals mysteries has made known to you what is about to happen.
30 To me also this secret is revealed, not by any wisdom that I have more than all men alive: but that the interpretation might be made manifest to the king, and thou mightest know the thoughts of thy mind.
As for me, this mystery was not revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than any other living person. This mystery was revealed to me so that you, king, may understand the meaning, and so that you may know the thoughts deep within you.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue: this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before thee, and the look thereof was terrible.
King, you looked up and you saw a large statue. This statue, which was very powerful and bright, stood before you. Its brightness was terrifying.
32 The head of this statue was of fine gold, but the breast and the arms of silver, and the belly and the thighs of brass:
The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its breast and arms were of silver. Its middle and its thighs were made of bronze,
33 And the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay.
and its legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.
34 Thus thou sawest, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands: and it struck the statue upon the feet thereof that were of iron and of clay, and broke them in pieces.
You looked up, and a stone was cut out, although not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and it shattered them.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer’s thrashingfloor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold at the same time were broken into pieces and became like the chaff of the threshing floors in the summer. The wind carried them away and there was no trace of them left. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof before thee, O king.
This was your dream. Now we will tell the king the meaning.
37 Thou art a king of kings: and the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, and strength, and power, and glory:
You, king, are king of the kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the honor.
38 And all places wherein the children of men, and the beasts of the field do dwell: he hath also given the birds of the air into thy hand, and hath put all things under thy power: thou therefore art the head of gold.
He has given into your hand the place where the human beings live. He has given over the animals of the fields and the birds of the heavens into your hand, and he has made you rule over them all. You are the statue's head of gold.
39 And after thee shall rise up another kingdom, inferior to thee, of silver: and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all the world.
After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze will rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as iron. As iron breaketh into pieces, and subdueth all things, so shall that break and destroy all these.
There will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks other things into pieces and shatters everything. It will shatter all these things and crush them.
41 Arid whereas thou sawest the feet, and the toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be divided, but yet it shall take its origin from the iron, according as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay.
Just as you saw, the feet and toes were partly made of baked clay and partly made of iron, so it will be a divided kingdom; some of the strength of iron will be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
As the toes of the feet were partly made of iron and partly made of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall be mingled indeed together with the seed of man, but they shall not stick fast one to another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.
As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so the people will be a mixture; they will not stay together, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44 But in the days of those kingdoms the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be delivered up to another people, and it shall break in pieces, and shall consume all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever.
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be conquered by another people. It will break the other kingdoms into pieces and put an end to all of them, and it will remain forever.
45 According as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and broke in pieces, the clay, and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath shewn the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is faithful.
Just as you saw, a stone was cut out of the mountain, but not by human hands. It broke the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to you, king, what will happen after this. The dream is true and this interpretation is reliable.”
46 Then king Nabuchodonosor fell on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer in sacrifice to him victims and incense.
King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face before Daniel and honored him; he commanded that an offering be made and that incense be offered up to him.
47 And the king spoke to Daniel, and said: Verily your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of hidden things: seeing thou couldst discover this secret.
The king said to Daniel, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the one who reveals mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
48 Then the king advanced Daniel to a high station, and gave him many and great gifts: and he made him governor over all the provinces of Babylon, and chief of the magistrates over all the wise men of Babylon.
Then the king made Daniel highly honored and gave him many wonderful gifts. He made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. Daniel became chief governor over the wisest men of Babylon.
49 And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago over the works of the province of Babylon: but Daniel himself was in the king’s palace.
Daniel made a request of the king, and the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be administrators over the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.
