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 Nebuchadnezzar's reign the king had dreams that upset him so much that he found it difficult to sleep.
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 summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood before him.
3 And the King sayde vnto them, I haue dreamed a dreame, and my spirite was troubled to knowe the dreame.
“I've had a dream that has really upset me,” he told them. “I need to know what it means.”
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.
The astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “May Your Majesty the king live forever! Tell us your dream and we your servants will interpret it for you.”
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.
“I can't recall it,” the king told the astrologers. “If you can't reveal the dream to me, and its meaning, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be totally destroyed!
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 can tell me the dream and its meaning you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means!”
7 They answered againe, and sayde, Let the King shewe his seruantes the dreame, and wee will declare the interpretation thereof.
Again they said the same thing: “If Your Majesty the king would tell us his servants the dream, we will explain what it means.”
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.
“It's obvious to me that you're just trying to buy time!” said the king. “You can see that I can't remember the dream.
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 can't reveal the dream to me, you will all receive the same punishment! You have conspired against me, telling me lies, hoping things will change. So tell me what my dream was and then I'll know that you can explain what it means.”
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 could tell the king what he dreamed! Never before has a king, however great and powerful, demanded 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 Your Majesty is asking is impossible! No one can tell Your Majesty what you dreamed, except the gods, and they do not live among us mortals.”
12 For this cause the king was angrie and in great furie, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babel.
This made the king extremely angry, and he ordered all the wise men of Babylon executed.
13 And when sentence was giuen, the wise men were slayne: and they sought Daniel and his fellowes to be put to death.
The decree was issued. The wise men were about to be executed, and the king's men went looking for Daniel and his friends.
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.
Daniel approached Arioch, the commander of the imperial guard, whom the king had put in charge of the order to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Wisely and tactfully
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.
Daniel asked him, “Why would the king issue such a harsh decree?” So Arioch explained to Daniel what had happened.
16 So Daniel went and desired the king that he woulde giue him leasure and that he woulde shewe the king the interpretation thereof.
Daniel immediately went to see the king and asked for more time to explain the dream and its meaning to him.
17 The Daniel went to his house and shewed the matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions,
Then Daniel went home and shared with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on.
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.
He told them to pray to the God of heaven, asking for help regarding this mystery, so that he and his friends would not be killed along 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.
That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised 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,
“Praise the wonderful nature of God forever and ever, for he is wise and powerful.
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 is in charge of time and history. He removes kings, and he sets kings in place. He gives wisdom to make people wise; he gives knowledge to people so they can understand.
22 Hee discouereth the deepe and secrete things: he knoweth what is in darkenes, and the light dwelleth with him.
He reveals deep, mysterious things. He knows what lies in darkness, and light lives in his presence.
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.
I give thanks and praise to you, God of my fathers, for you have given me wisdom and power. Now you have revealed to me what we asked you; you have revealed to us the king's dream.”
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.
So Daniel went to Arioch whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon and told him, “Don't execute the wise men of Babylon! Take me to see the king and I will explain to him his dream.”
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 immediately took Daniel to the king and told him, “I've found one of the captives from Judah who can tell Your Majesty what your dream means.”
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 asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you really able to tell me what my dream was, and what it means?”
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.
“No wise men or enchanters or magicians or diviners can explain the mystery Your Majesty wants to know,” Daniel replied.
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 revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came to your mind as you were lying in 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 Your Majesty lay there, your thoughts turned to the future, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what would take place.
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.
It's not because I have any more wisdom than anyone else that this mystery has been revealed to me, but to explain to Your Majesty what you were thinking about so you could understand.
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.
Your Majesty, as you looked, there before you stood a great statue. The statue standing in front of you was huge, and blazingly bright. It looked terrifying!
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 gold, the chest and arms were silver, its middle 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 iron and baked 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.
While you were watching, a stone was quarried, but not by human hands. It struck the iron and clay feet of the statue and smashed them to pieces.
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 rest of the statue—the bronze, the silver, and the gold—broke into pieces like the iron and clay. The wind blew them all away like chaff from the summer threshing floor, so that no trace of them could be found. But the stone that 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, and now we will explain what it means to the king.
37 O King, thou art a king of Kings: for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome, power, and strength, and glorie.
Your Majesty, you are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, and 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.
He gave you control over all peoples, as well as the wild animals and birds. He made you ruler of all of them. You are the 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 another kingdom will rise that is inferior to your kingdom and will replace yours. After that a third kingdom that is bronze will rise and rule over the whole world.
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.
The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron and in the same way that iron crushes and smashes everything; it will crush and smash all 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.
You saw the feet and toes made from iron and baked clay, and this indicates it will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron but 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.
As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, the 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.
In the same way that you saw the iron mixed with ordinary clay, so the people will mix but they will not stick together just as iron and clay do not mix.
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.
During the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed or taken over by others. It will crush all these kingdoms, bringing them to an end, and it will last 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.
in the same way that you saw the stone quarried from the mountain, but not by human hands, crush the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to Your Majesty what is to come. The dream is true, and the explanation 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.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down before Daniel and worshiped him, and ordered offerings of grain and incense to be made 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, “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, the revealer of mysteries, for you have been 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 to a high position and gave him many expensive gifts, making him governor over the whole province of Babylon and head of 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.
At Daniel's request, the king placed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the province of Babylon, and Daniel remained at the king's court.
