1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers[1] to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,3he said to them, ‘I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.[2]’4Then the astrologers answered the king,[3] ‘May the king live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.’5The king replied to the astrologers, ‘This is what I have firmly decided: if you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.6But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honour. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.’7Once more they replied, ‘Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.’8Then the king answered, ‘I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realise that this is what I have firmly decided:9if you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.’10The astrologers answered the king, ‘There is no-one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.11What the king asks is too difficult. No-one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.’12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.13So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.14When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.15He asked the king’s officer, ‘Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?’ Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.16At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven20and said: ‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.21He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.22He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: you have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.’
Daniel interprets the dream
24Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, ‘Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.’25Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, ‘I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.’26The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?’27Daniel replied, ‘No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:29‘As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.31‘Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue – an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.32The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.34While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.36‘This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.37Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory;38in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.39‘After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron – for iron breaks and smashes everything – and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.41Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.42As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.43And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.44‘In the time 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 crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever.45This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. ‘The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.’46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.47The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’48Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.49Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chief ministers over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Daniel 2
Nuova Riveduta 2006
from Società Biblica di Ginevra
Sogno di Nabucodonosor spiegato da Daniele
1Nel secondo anno del suo regno, Nabucodonosor ebbe dei sogni che turbarono così profondamente il suo spirito da impedirgli di dormire.2Il re fece chiamare i magi, gli incantatori, gli indovini e i Caldei perché gli spiegassero i suoi sogni. Essi vennero e si presentarono al re.3Egli disse loro: «Ho fatto un sogno e il mio spirito è turbato, perché vorrei comprendere il suo significato».4Allora i Caldei risposero al re in aramaico: «O re, possa tu vivere per sempre! Racconta il sogno ai tuoi servi e noi ne daremo l’interpretazione».5Il re replicò e disse ai Caldei: «Questa è la mia decisione: se voi non mi fate conoscere il sogno e la sua interpretazione, sarete fatti a pezzi e le vostre case saranno ridotte in tanti letamai.6Se invece mi dite il sogno e la sua interpretazione, riceverete da me doni, ricompense e grandi onori; ditemi dunque il sogno e la sua interpretazione».7Essi risposero una seconda volta e dissero: «Esponga il re il sogno ai suoi servi e noi ne daremo l’interpretazione».8Il re replicò e disse: «Io mi accorgo che voi volete guadagnare tempo, perché avete sentito la decisione che ho preso;9se dunque non mi fate conoscere il sogno, la vostra sorte sarà una sola. Voi vi siete messi d’accordo per darmi delle risposte bugiarde e perverse, aspettando che cambino i tempi. Ditemi dunque il sogno e io saprò che siete in grado di darmene l’interpretazione».10I Caldei risposero al re e dissero: «Non c’è uomo sulla terra che possa dire ciò che il re domanda; così non c’è mai stato re, per grande e potente che fosse, che abbia domandato una cosa simile a un mago, o incantatore, o Caldeo.11Quello che il re chiede è difficile e non c’è nessuno che possa dirlo al re, se non gli dèi, la cui dimora non è fra i mortali».12Allora il re si adirò, si infuriò terribilmente e ordinò che tutti i saggi di Babilonia fossero giustiziati.13Il decreto fu promulgato e i saggi stavano per essere uccisi, e si cercavano Daniele e i suoi compagni per uccidere anche loro.14Allora Daniele si rivolse con prudenza e con tatto ad Arioc, capo delle guardie del re, che era uscito per uccidere i saggi di Babilonia.15Prese la parola e disse ad Arioc, ufficiale del re: «Perché questo decreto così perentorio da parte del re?» Allora Arioc spiegò il motivo a Daniele.16Daniele si presentò al re e gli chiese di dargli tempo; egli avrebbe fatto conoscere al re l’interpretazione del sogno.17Allora Daniele andò a casa sua e informò Anania, Misael e Azaria, suoi compagni,18esortandoli a implorare la misericordia del Dio del cielo a proposito di questo segreto, affinché Daniele e i suoi compagni non fossero messi a morte con tutti gli altri saggi di Babilonia.19Allora il segreto fu rivelato a Daniele in una visione notturna ed egli benedisse il Dio del cielo, dicendo:20«Sia benedetto eternamente il nome di Dio, perché a lui appartengono la saggezza e la forza.21Egli alterna i tempi e le stagioni; depone i re e li innalza, dà la saggezza ai saggi e il sapere agli intelligenti.22Egli svela le cose profonde e nascoste, conosce ciò che è nelle tenebre e la luce abita con lui.23O Dio dei miei padri, io ti lodo e ti ringrazio, perché mi hai dato saggezza e forza, e mi hai fatto conoscere quello che ti abbiamo domandato, rivelandoci il segreto che il re vuol conoscere».24Daniele si recò quindi da Arioc, a cui il re aveva affidato l’incarico di far morire i saggi di Babilonia, e gli disse: «Non far morire i saggi di Babilonia! Conducimi dal re e io gli darò l’interpretazione».25Allora Arioc si affrettò a introdurre Daniele davanti al re e gli disse: «Ho trovato un uomo tra i Giudei deportati che darà al re l’interpretazione».26Il re disse a Daniele, detto Baltazzar: «Sei capace di farmi conoscere il sogno che ho fatto e la sua interpretazione?»27Daniele rispose al re: «Il segreto che il re domanda, né saggi, né incantatori, né magi, né astrologi possono svelarlo al re;28ma c’è un Dio nel cielo che rivela i misteri, ed egli ha fatto conoscere al re Nabucodonosor quello che deve avvenire negli ultimi giorni. Ecco dunque quali erano il tuo sogno e le visioni della tua mente quando eri a letto:29i tuoi pensieri, o re, quando eri a letto, si riferivano a quello che deve avvenire da ora in avanti; colui che rivela i misteri ti ha fatto conoscere quello che avverrà.30Quanto a me, questo segreto mi è stato rivelato non perché la mia saggezza sia superiore a quella di tutti gli altri viventi, ma perché io possa dare l’interpretazione al re, e tu possa conoscere i pensieri del tuo cuore.31Tu, o re, guardavi, ed ecco una grande statua; questa statua, immensa e di uno splendore straordinario, si ergeva davanti a te, e il suo aspetto era terribile.32La testa di questa statua era d’oro puro; il suo petto e le sue braccia erano d’argento; il suo ventre e le sue cosce, di bronzo;33le sue gambe, di ferro; i suoi piedi, in parte di ferro e in parte d’argilla.34Mentre guardavi, una pietra si staccò, ma non spinta da una mano, e colpì i piedi di ferro e d’argilla della statua e li frantumò.35Allora si frantumarono anche il ferro, l’argilla, il bronzo, l’argento e l’oro, e divennero come la pula sulle aie d’estate. Il vento li portò via e non se ne trovò più traccia; ma la pietra che aveva colpito la statua diventò un gran monte che riempì tutta la terra.36Questo è il sogno; ora ne daremo l’interpretazione al re.37Tu, o re, sei il re dei re, a cui il Dio del cielo ha dato il regno, la potenza, la forza e la gloria;38e ha messo nelle tue mani tutti i luoghi in cui abitano gli uomini, le bestie della campagna e gli uccelli del cielo, e ti ha fatto dominare sopra tutti loro: la testa d’oro sei tu.39Dopo di te sorgerà un altro regno, inferiore al tuo; poi un terzo regno, di bronzo, che dominerà sulla terra;40poi vi sarà un quarto regno, forte come il ferro; poiché, come il ferro spezza e abbatte ogni cosa, così, pari al ferro che tutto frantuma, esso spezzerà ogni cosa.41Come i piedi e le dita, in parte d’argilla da vasaio e in parte di ferro, che tu hai visto, così sarà diviso quel regno; ma vi sarà in esso qualcosa della consistenza del ferro, poiché tu hai visto il ferro mescolato con la fragile argilla.42Come le dita dei piedi erano in parte di ferro e in parte d’argilla, così quel regno sarà in parte forte e in parte fragile.43Hai visto il ferro mescolato con la molle argilla, perché quelli si mescoleranno mediante matrimonio, ma non si uniranno l’uno all’altro, così come il ferro non si amalgama con l’argilla.44Al tempo di questi re, il Dio del cielo farà sorgere un regno, che non sarà mai distrutto e che non cadrà sotto il dominio di un altro popolo. Spezzerà e annienterà tutti quei regni, ma esso durerà per sempre,45proprio come la pietra che hai visto staccarsi dal monte, senza intervento umano, e spezzare il ferro, il bronzo, l’argilla, l’argento e l’oro. Il gran Dio ha fatto conoscere al re quello che deve avvenire d’ora in poi. Il sogno è vero, e sicura è la sua interpretazione».46Allora il re Nabucodonosor, abbassando la sua faccia fino a terra, si inchinò davanti a Daniele e ordinò che gli fossero portati offerte e profumi.47Poi il re parlò a Daniele e disse: «In verità il vostro Dio è il Dio degli dèi, il Signore dei re e il rivelatore dei segreti, poiché tu hai potuto svelare questo mistero».48Allora il re innalzò Daniele in dignità, lo colmò di numerosi e ricchi doni, gli diede il comando di tutta la provincia di Babilonia e lo fece capo supremo di tutti i saggi di Babilonia.49Daniele chiese al re di affidare a Sadrac, Mesac e Abed-Nego l’amministrazione della provincia di Babilonia; ma Daniele rimase alla corte del re.
1In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. (Ge 41:8; Es 6:1; Da 4:5; Da 5:9; Da 6:18)2Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. (De 18:10; 2Ch 33:6; Isa 47:9; Isa 47:12; Da 1:4; Da 1:5; Da 1:20)3And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” (Da 2:1)4Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,[1] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” (1Ki 1:31; Da 2:2; Da 3:9; Da 5:10; Da 6:6; Da 6:21)5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. (2Ki 10:27; Ezr 6:11; Da 2:2; Da 3:29)6But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” (Da 2:7; Da 2:9; Da 5:7; Da 5:16)7They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.”8The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5)9if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” (Es 4:11; Da 2:6; Da 2:7; Da 2:21; Da 7:25)10The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. (Da 1:4)11The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” (Da 5:11; Da 5:14)12Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. (Da 2:24; Da 3:19; Da 4:6)13So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. (Da 1:4)14Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. (Ge 37:36; Da 2:24)15He declared[2] to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. (Da 3:22)16And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
17Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, (Da 1:6)18and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (Da 2:12; Da 2:19; Da 2:24; Da 2:28; Da 2:37; Da 2:44; Mt 18:19; Re 11:13)19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Nu 12:6; Jos 22:33; Job 33:15; Da 2:18)20Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. (1Ch 29:10; Ps 72:18; Ps 113:2; Ps 115:18; Isa 28:29; Lu 1:68)21He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; (Job 12:18; Ps 75:7; Da 1:17; Da 2:9; Da 4:17; Da 5:20; Da 7:25; Ro 13:1)22he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. (Job 12:22; Ps 25:14; Ps 139:12; Am 4:13; Joh 1:4; 1Ti 6:16; Heb 4:13; Jas 1:17; 1Jo 1:5)23To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” (De 26:7; 1Ch 12:17; 1Ch 29:18; Da 1:17; Da 2:18; Da 2:20; Da 6:10)24Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.” (Da 2:14)25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” (Ezr 4:1; Ezr 6:16; Ezr 6:19; Ezr 10:7; Ezr 10:16; Da 2:24; Da 3:24; Da 5:13)26The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” (Da 1:7; Da 5:16)27Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, (Da 1:20; Da 4:7; Da 5:7)28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: (Da 2:22; Da 4:5; Da 7:15; Da 10:14; Ho 3:5)29To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. (Da 2:45)30But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. (Ge 41:16; Ec 3:18; Ac 3:12)
Daniel Interprets the Dream
31“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.32The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, (Da 2:38; Da 2:39)33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (Da 2:40)34As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. (Job 34:20; Isa 8:9; La 4:6; Da 2:35; Da 2:40; Da 2:44; Da 8:25; Mt 21:44; Lu 20:18; 2Co 5:1)35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Ps 1:4; Ps 80:9; Isa 2:2; Re 20:11)36“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.37You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, (Ezr 1:2; Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:19; Da 2:21; Da 5:18)38and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. (Jer 27:6; Da 2:32; Da 4:21)39Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. (Da 2:32; Da 2:38; Da 5:28; Da 5:31; Da 7:6)40And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. (Da 2:34; Da 7:7; Da 7:23)41And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. (Da 2:33; Da 2:40)42And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.43As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage,[3] but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, (Isa 60:12; Da 2:19; Da 2:34; Da 4:3; Da 4:34; Da 6:26; Da 7:14; Da 7:27; Mic 4:7; Mt 3:2; Lu 1:33; Joh 18:36)45just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” (Isa 28:16; Da 2:28; Da 2:34; Da 2:44)
Daniel Is Promoted
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. (2Sa 14:22; Ezr 6:10; Mt 8:2; Ac 10:25; Ac 14:13)47The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” (De 10:17; Da 2:22; 1Ti 6:15; Re 17:14; Re 19:16)48Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. (Es 1:1; Da 2:6; Da 3:1; Da 3:12; Da 3:30; Da 4:9; Da 5:11)49Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court. (Es 2:19; Da 1:7; Da 2:48; Da 3:12)
Daniel 2
King James Version
1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.6But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.7They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.8The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king' matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.12For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.13And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.14Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king' guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:15He answered and said to Arioch the king' captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:18That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king' matter.24Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men , the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;29As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.32This image' head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.38And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things : and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters'clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.47The king answered unto 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, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.48Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.49Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
1In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had a dream. His mind was troubled. He couldn’t sleep.2So the king sent for those who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. He also sent for those who practised evil magic and those who studied the heavens. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.3He said to them, ‘I had a dream. It troubles me. So I want to know what it means.’4Then those who studied the heavens answered the king. They spoke in Aramaic. They said, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live for ever! Tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll explain what it means.’5The king replied to them, ‘I have made up my mind. You must tell me what I dreamed. And you must tell me what it means. If you don’t, I’ll have you cut to pieces. And I’ll have your houses turned into piles of rubble.6So tell me what I dreamed. Explain it to me. Then I’ll give you gifts. I’ll reward you. I’ll give you great honour. So tell me the dream. And tell me what it means.’7Once more they replied, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll tell you what it means.’8The king answered, ‘I know what you are doing. You are trying to gain more time. You realise that I’ve made up my mind.9You must tell me the dream. If you don’t, you will pay for it. You have got together and made evil plans. You hope things will change. So you are telling me lies. But I want you to tell me what I dreamed. Then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.’10They answered the king, ‘There is no one on earth who can do what you are asking! No king has ever asked for anything like that. Not even a king as great and mighty as you has asked for it. Those who get knowledge by using magic have never been asked to do what you are asking. And those who study the heavens haven’t been asked to do it either.11What you are asking is much too hard. No one can tell you what you dreamed except the gods. And they don’t live among human beings.’12That made the king very angry. He ordered that all the wise men in Babylon be put to death.13So the order was given to kill them. Men were sent out to look for Daniel and his friends. They were also supposed to be put to death.14Arioch was the commander of the king’s guard. He went out to put the wise men of Babylon to death. So Daniel spoke to him wisely and carefully.15He asked the king’s officer, ‘Why did Nebuchadnezzar give a terrible order like that?’ Then Arioch explained to Daniel what was going on.16When Daniel heard that, he went to the king. He told him he would explain the dream to him. But he needed more time.17Then Daniel returned to his house. He explained everything to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.18He asked them to pray that the God of heaven would give him mercy. He wanted God to help him understand the mystery of the king’s dream. Then he and his friends wouldn’t be killed along with Babylon’s other wise men.19During that night, God gave Daniel a vision. He showed him what the mystery was all about. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.20He said, ‘May God be praised for ever and ever! He is wise and powerful.21He changes times and seasons. He removes some kings from power. He causes other kings to rule. The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him. He gives knowledge to those who have understanding.22He explains deep and hidden things. He knows what happens in the darkest places. And where he is, everything is light.23God of my people of long ago, I thank and praise you. You have given me wisdom and power. You have made known to me what we asked you for. You have shown us the king’s dream.’
Daniel tells the king what his dream means
24Then Daniel went to Arioch. The king had appointed him to put the wise men of Babylon to death. Daniel said to him, ‘Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king. I’ll tell him what his dream means.’25So Arioch took Daniel to the king at once. Arioch said, ‘I have found a man among those you brought here from Judah. He can tell you what your dream means.’26Nebuchadnezzar spoke to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar. The king asked him, ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream? And can you tell me what it means?’27Daniel replied, ‘You have asked us to explain a mystery to you. But no wise man can do that. And those who try to figure things out by using magic can’t do it either.28But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. King Nebuchadnezzar, he has shown you what is going to happen. Here is what you dreamed while lying in bed. And here are the visions that passed through your mind.29‘Your Majesty, while you were still in bed your mind was troubled. You were thinking about things that haven’t happened yet. The God who explains mysteries showed these things to you.30Now the mystery has been explained to me. But it isn’t because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive. It’s because God wants you to know what the mystery means, Your Majesty. He wants you to understand what went through your mind.31‘King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw a large statue standing in front of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you.32The head of the statue was made out of pure gold. Its chest and arms were made out of silver. Its stomach and thighs were made out of bronze.33Its legs were made out of iron. And its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay.34While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn’t do it. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them.35Then the iron and clay were broken to pieces. So were the bronze, silver and gold. All of them were broken to pieces. They became like straw on a threshing-floor at harvest time. The wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain. It filled the whole earth.36‘This was your dream. Now I will tell you what it means.37King Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory.38He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds in the sky. It doesn’t matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold.39‘After you, another kingdom will take over. It won’t be as powerful as yours. Next, a third kingdom will rule over the whole earth. The bronze part of the statue stands for that kingdom.40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron. Iron breaks and smashes everything to pieces. And the fourth kingdom will crush and break all the others.41You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be divided up. But it will still have some of the strength of iron. That’s why you saw iron mixed with clay.42The toes were partly iron and partly clay. And the fourth kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak.43You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be made up of all kinds of people. They won’t hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.44‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It will crush all those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last for ever.45That’s what the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain means. Human hands didn’t cut out the rock. It broke the statue to pieces. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. ‘The great God has shown you what will take place in days to come. The dream is true. And you can trust the meaning of it that I have explained to you.’46Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in front of Daniel. He wanted to honour him. So he ordered that an offering and incense be offered up to him.47The king said to Daniel, ‘I’m sure your God is the greatest God of all. He is the Lord of kings. He explains mysteries. That’s why you were able to explain the mystery of my dream.’48Then the king put Daniel in a position of authority. He gave him many gifts. He made him ruler over the city of Babylon and the towns around it. He put him in charge of all its other wise men.49The king also did what Daniel asked him to. He appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Daniel himself remained at the royal court.