Daniel 2:1-26 ▼

1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, and his spirit was troubled that his sleep left him.

2 And the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the astrologers, to tell to the king his dreams. And they came and stood before the king.

3 And the king said to them: “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”

4 And the astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will show the interpretation.”

5 The king answered and said to the astrologers, “The word from me is firm: If you? do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you? shall be cut into limbs, and your houses shall be made a dunghill!

6 And if you? show the dream and its interpretation, you? will receive gifts and rewards and great honor from me. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”

7 They answered again and said, “May the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will show its interpretation.”

8 The king answered and said, “For sure I know that you? are buying time, all because you? see that the word is gone from me,

9 that if you? do not make known to me the dream, it is one decree for you?. And you? have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the times should change. Therefore you must tell the dream to me, and I will know that you? can show me its interpretation.”

10 The astrologers answered before the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who is able to show the word of the king, because that not any king, lord, or ruler has asked a thing like this from any magician, or enchanter, or astrologer.

11 And the thing that the king is asking is difficult, and there is not another who can show it to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12 All because of this, the king was very angry and he became furious, and he gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13 And the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men, and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them.

14 Then Daniel responded with counsel and discretion to Arioch the captain of the guard of the king, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

15 He answered and said to Arioch, captain of the king: “For what is this urgent decree from the king?” Then Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.

16 And Daniel went in and sought from the king that he should give to him time to show the interpretation to the king.

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions, he made known the matter,

18 and he sought mercies from before the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions should perish not with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Then to Daniel, in a vision which was of the night, the secret was revealed. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven,

20 and Daniel answered, saying, “Let the name of God be blessed from age even to age, for the wisdom and might that are unto Him.

21 And He is the One changing the times and the seasons, removing kings and setting up kings, giving wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those knowing with understanding.

22 He is the One revealing deep and secret things, knowing what is in the darkness, for the light dwells with Him.

23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and I praise You, for You have given wisdom and might. To me and now You have made known to me what we asked of You, for the matter of the king You have made known to us.”

24 Therefore according to this, Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and thus said to him: “You should not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Take me before the king, and I will show the interpretation to the king.”

25 Then Arioch, going with haste, brought Daniel before the king, and thus said to him: “I have found a man from the sons of the captivity of Judah who will show the interpretation to the king.”

26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen, and its interpretation?”