Daniel 2

1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar has dreamed dreams, and his spirit moves itself, and his sleep has been against him;

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he had dreams. His mind was troubled, and he could not sleep.

2 and the king says to call for enchanters, and for conjurers, and for sorcerers, and for Chaldeans, to declare to the king his dreams. And they come in and stand 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 says to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is moved to know the dream.”

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 speak to the king [in] Aramaic, “O king, live for all ages, tell the dream to your servants, and we show the interpretation.”

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 The king has answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The thing is gone from me; if you do not cause me to know the dream and its interpretation, you are made pieces, and your houses are made dunghills;

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 and if the dream and its interpretation you show, gifts, and fee, and great glory you receive from before me, therefore the dream and its interpretation you show me.”

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 have answered a second time, and are saying, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we show the interpretation.”

They replied again and said, “Let the king tell us, his servants, the dream and we will tell you its meaning.”

8 The king has answered and said, “Of a truth I know that you are gaining time, because that you have seen 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 [so] that, if you do not cause me to know the dream—one is your sentence, seeing a lying and corrupt word you have prepared to speak before me, until the time is changed, therefore tell the dream to me, then I know that you show me its interpretation.”

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 The Chaldeans have answered before the king, and are saying, “There is not a man on the earth who is able to show the king’s matter; therefore, no king, chief, and ruler, has asked such a thing as this of any scribe, and enchanter, and 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 and the thing that the king is asking [is] precious, and there are no others that show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

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 Therefore the king has been furious and very angry, and has said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

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 sentence has gone forth, and the wise men are being slain, and they have sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

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 has replied [with] counsel and discretion to Arioch chief of the executioners of the king, who has gone forth to slay 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 He has answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why [is] the sentence so urgent from before the king?” Then Arioch has made the thing known to Daniel,

Daniel asked the king's commander, “Why is the king's decree so urgent?” So Arioch told Daniel what had happened.

16 and Daniel has gone up, and sought of the king that he would give him time to show the interpretation 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 Then Daniel has gone to his house, and to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, he has made the thing known,

Then Daniel went to his house and explained to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.

18 and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they do not destroy Daniel and his companions 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 to Daniel, in a vision of the night, the secret has been revealed. Then Daniel has blessed the God of the heavens.

That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

20 Daniel has answered and said, “Let the Name of God be blessed from age even to age, for wisdom and might—for they are His.

and said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and power belong to him.

21 And He is changing times and seasons, He is causing kings to pass away, and He is raising up kings; He is giving wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those possessing 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 is revealing deep and hidden things; He has known what [is] in darkness, and light has dwelt with Him.

He reveals the deep and hidden things because he knows what is in the darkness, and the light lives with him.

23 You, O God of my fathers, I am thanking and praising, for wisdom and might You have given to me; and now, You have caused me to know that which we have sought from You, for the king’s matter You have caused us to know.”

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 Therefore Daniel has gone up to Arioch, whom the king has appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he has gone, and thus has said to him, “You do not destroy the wise men of Babylon, bring me up before the king, and I show the interpretation 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 has brought up Daniel before the king, and thus has said to him, “I have found a man of the sons of the expulsion of Judah, who makes known the interpretation 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 has answered and said to Daniel, whose name [is] Belteshazzar, “Are you able to cause me to know the dream that I have seen, and its interpretation?”

The king said to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me the dream that I saw and its meaning?”

27 Daniel has answered before the king and said, “The secret that the king is asking, the wise men, the enchanters, the scribes, the soothsayers, are not able to show 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 the heavens, a revealer of secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar that which [is] to be in the latter end of the days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your 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 You, O king, your thoughts on your bed have come up [concerning] that which [is] to be after this, and the Revealer of secrets has caused you to know that which [is] to be.

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 As for me—not for [any] wisdom that is in me above any living has this secret been revealed to me; but for the intent that the interpretation to the king they make known, and the thoughts of your heart you know.

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 You, O king, were looking, and behold, a certain great image. This image [is] mighty, and its brightness excellent; it is standing before you, and its appearance [is] 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 This image! Its head [is] of fine gold, its breasts and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze;

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

and its legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.

34 You were looking until a stone has been cut out without hands, and it has struck the image on its feet, that [are] of iron and of clay, and it has broken them small;

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 broken small together have been the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, and they have been as chaff from the summer threshing-floor, and the wind has carried them away, and no place has been found for them: and the stone that struck the image has become a great mountain, and has filled all the land.

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, and its interpretation we tell before the king.

This was your dream. Now we will tell the king the meaning.

37 You, O king, are a king of kings, for the God of the heavens a kingdom, strength, and might, and glory, has given to you;

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 wherever sons of men are dwelling, the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, He has given into your hand, and has caused you to rule over them all; you [are] this 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 you another kingdom arises lower than those, and another third kingdom of bronze, that rules over all the earth.

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 is strong as iron, because that iron is breaking small, and making feeble, all [things], even as iron that is breaking all these, it beats small and breaks.

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 As for that which you have seen: the feet and toes, part of them potter’s clay, and part of them iron, the kingdom is divided: and some of the standing of the iron [is] to be in it, because that you have seen the iron mixed with 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 As for the toes of the feet, part of them iron, and part of them clay: some part of the kingdom is strong, and some part of it is brittle.

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 Because you have seen iron mixed with miry clay, they are mixing themselves with the seed of men: and they are not adhering with one another, even as iron is not 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 And in the days of these kings the God of the heavens raises up a kingdom that is not destroyed for all time, and its kingdom is not left to another people: it beats small and ends all these kingdoms, and it stands for all time.

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 Because that you have seen that out of the mountain a stone has been cut without hands, and it has beaten the iron small, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king that which [is] to be after this; and the dream [is] true, and its interpretation steadfast.”

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 Nebuchadnezzar has fallen on his face, and to Daniel he has done homage, and present, and sweet things, he has said to pour out to him.

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 The king has answered 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, since you have been able to reveal 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 has made Daniel great, and many great gifts he has given to him, and has caused him to rule over all the province of Babylon, and chief of the prefects 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 has sought from the king, and he has appointed over the work of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and Daniel [is] in the gate of the king.

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.