Daniel 2
1 And in the seconde yeere of the raygne of Nebuchad-nezzar, Nebuchad-nezzar dreamed dreames wherewith his spirite was troubled, and his sleepe was vpon him.
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
2 Then the King commanded to call the inchanters, and the astrologians and the sorcerers, and the Caldeans for to shewe the King his dreames: so they came and stoode before the King.
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 And the King sayde vnto them, I haue dreamed a dreame, and my spirite was troubled to knowe the dreame.
he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
4 Then spake the Caldeans to the King in the Aramites language, O King, liue for euer: shewe thy seruants thy dreame, and wee shall shewe the interpretation.
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 And the King answered and sayd to the Caldeans, The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make me vnderstande the dreame with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be drawen in pieces, and your houses shall be made a iakes.
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 yee declare the dreame and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receyue of me gifts and rewardes, and great honour: therefore shewe me the dreame and the interpretation of it.
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 againe, and sayde, Let the King shewe his seruantes the dreame, and wee will declare the interpretation thereof.
They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
8 Then the King answered, and sayd, I knowe certeinly that ye would gaine the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final.
9 But if ye will not declare mee the dreame, there is but one iudgement for you: for ye haue prepared lying and corrupt wordes, to speake before me till the time bee changed: therefore tell me the dreame, that I may knowe, if yee can declare me the interpretation thereof.
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 Then the Caldeans answered before the King, and sayde, There is no man vpon earth that can declare the Kings matter: yea, there is neither king nor prince nor lorde that asked such things at an inchanter or astrologian or Caldean.
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 For it is a rare thing that the King requireth, and there is none other that can declare it before the King, except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh.
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 For this cause the king was angrie and in great furie, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babel.
This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And when sentence was giuen, the wise men were slayne: and they sought Daniel and his fellowes to be put to death.
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 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisedome to Arioch the Kings chiefe stewarde, which was gone foorth to put to death the wise men of Babel.
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel replied with discretion and tact.
15 Yea, he answered and sayde vnto Arioch the kings captaine, Why is the sentence so hastie from the king? Then Arioch declared the thing to Daniel.
“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
16 So Daniel went and desired the king that he woulde giue him leasure and that he woulde shewe the king the interpretation thereof.
So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.
17 The Daniel went to his house and shewed the matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions,
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
18 That they should beseech the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his fellowes should not perish with the rest of ye wise men of Babel.
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 Then was the secret reueiled vnto Daniel in a vision by night: therefore Daniel praysed the God of heauen.
During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven
20 And Daniel answered and sayde, The Name of God be praysed for euer and euer: for wisedome and strength are his,
and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 And hee changeth the times and seasons: he taketh away kings: he setteth vp kings: he giueth wisedome vnto the wise, and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand.
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22 Hee discouereth the deepe and secrete things: he knoweth what is in darkenes, and the light dwelleth with him.
He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
23 I thanke thee and prayse thee, O thou God of my fathers, that thou hast giuen mee wisedome and strength, and hast shewed me nowe the thing that wee desired of thee: for thou hast declared vnto vs the kings matter.
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 vnto Arioch, whome the King had ordeyned to destroy the wise men of Babel: he went and sayde thus vnto him, Destroy not the wise men of Babel, but bring me before the King, and I will declare vnto the King the interpretation.
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 Then Arioch brought Daniel before the King in all haste, and sayd thus vnto him, I haue found a man of the children of Iudah that were brought captiues, that will declare vnto the King the interpretation.
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 Then answered the King, and sayde vnto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to shew me the dreame, which I haue seene, and the interpretation thereof?
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 in the presence of the King, and sayd, The secret which the King hath demanded, can neither the wise, the astrologians, the inchanters, nor the southsayers declare vnto the King.
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 heauen that reueileth secrets, and sheweth the King Nebuchad-nezzar what shall bee in the latter dayes. Thy dreame, and the things which thou hast seene in thine heade vpon thy bed, is this.
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 O King, when thou wast in thy bedde, thoughts came into thy mind, what should come to passe hereafter, and he that reueyleth secretes, telleth thee, what shall come.
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 As for me, this secret is not shewed mee for any wisedome that I haue, more then any other liuing, but onely to shewe the King the interpretation, and that thou mightest knowe the thoughts of thine heart.
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 O King, thou sawest, and beholde, there was a great image: this great image whose glory was so excellent, stood before thee, and the forme thereof was terrible.
As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.
32 This images head was of fine golde, his breast and his armes of siluer, his bellie and his thighs of brasse,
The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,
33 His legges of yron, and his feete were part of yron, and part of clay.
its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
34 Thou beheldest it til a stone was cut without hands, which smote the image vpon his feete, that were of yron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
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 was the yron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer and the golde broken all together, and became like the chaffe of the sommer floures, and the winde caryed them away, that no place was founde for them: and the stone that smote the image, became a great mountaine, and filled the whole earth.
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 is the dreame, and we will declare before the King the interpretation thereof.
This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37 O King, thou art a king of Kings: for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome, power, and strength, and glorie.
You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
38 And in all places where the children of men dwell, the beasts of the fielde, and the foules of the heauen hath he giuen into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler ouer them al: thou art this heade of golde.
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 And after thee shall rise another kingdome, inferiour to thee, of siluer, and another third kingdome shalbe of brasse, which shall beare rule ouer all the earth.
But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
40 And the fourth kingdome shall be strong as yron: for as yron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things, and as yron bruiseth all these things, so shall it breake in pieces, and bruise all.
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 Where as thou sawest the feete and toes, parte of potters clay, and part of yron: the kingdome shalbe deuided, but there shalbe in it of the strength of the yron, as thou sawest the yron mixt with the clay, and earth.
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 feete were parte of yron, and parte of clay, so shall the kingdome be partly strong, and partly broken.
And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
43 And where as thou sawest yron mixt with clay and earth, they shall mingle themselues with the seede of men: but they shall not ioyne one with another, as yron can not bee mixed with clay.
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 And in the dayes of these Kings, shall the God of heauen set vp a kingdome, which shall neuer be destroyed: and this kingdome shall not be giuen to another people, but it shall breake, and destroy al these kingdomes, and it shall stand for euer.
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 Where as thou sawest, that the stone was cut of the mountaine without handes, and that it brake in pieces the yron, the brasse, the clay, the siluer, and the golde: so the great God hath shewed the King, what shall come to passe hereafter, and the dreame is true, and the interpretation thereof is sure.
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 Then the King Nebuchad-nezzar fell vpon his face, and bowed himselfe vnto Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meate offrings, and sweete odours vnto him.
At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him.
47 Also the King answered vnto Daniel, and said, I know of a trueth that your God is a God of gods, and the Lord of Kings, and the reueiler of secrets, seeing thou couldest open this secret.
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 So the King made Daniel a great man, and gaue him many and great giftes. Hee made him gouernour ouer the whole prouince of Babel, and chiefe of the rulers, and aboue all the wise men of Babel.
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 Then Daniel made request to the King, and hee set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ouer the charge of the prouince of Babel: but Daniel sate in the gate of the King.
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.
