Daniel Taken to Babylon

In the third year of (A)the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of (B)the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to (C)the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, (D)and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, (E)his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family[a] and of (F)the nobility, youths without (G)blemish, of good appearance and (H)skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to (I)teach them the literature and language of the (J)Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of (K)the food that the king ate, and of (L)the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for (M)three years, and at the end of that time they were to (N)stand before the king. Among these were (O)Daniel, (P)Hananiah, (Q)Mishael, and (R)Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And (S)the chief of the eunuchs (T)gave them names: (U)Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel's Faithfulness

But Daniel (V)resolved that he would not (W)defile himself with (X)the king's food, or with (Y)the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to (Z)defile himself. (AA)And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for (AB)ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat (AC)the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate (AD)the king's food. 16 (AE)So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them (AF)vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, (AG)God gave them learning and (AH)skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had (AI)understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of (AJ)the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore (AK)they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all (AL)the magicians and (AM)enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel (AN)was there until the first year of (AO)King Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; (AP)his spirit was troubled, and (AQ)his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that (AR)the magicians, (AS)the enchanters, the (AT)sorcerers, and (AU)the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and (AV)stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and (AW)my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” Then (AX)the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,[b] (AY)“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” The king answered and said to (AZ)the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be (BA)torn limb from limb, (BB)and your (BC)houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, (BD)you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. (BE)Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to (BF)gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— if you do not make the dream known to me, (BG)there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till (BH)the times change. (BI)Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 (BJ)The 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 (BK)Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except (BL)the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12 Because of this the king was angry and (BM)very furious, and (BN)commanded that all (BO)the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought (BP)Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to (BQ)Arioch, the (BR)captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared[c] to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king (BS)so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And 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

17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to (BT)Hananiah, (BU)Mishael, and (BV)Azariah, his companions, 18 (BW)and told them to seek mercy from the (BX)God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not (BY)be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in (BZ)a vision of the night. Then Daniel (CA)blessed the (CB)God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:

(CC)“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    (CD)to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 (CE)He changes times and seasons;
    (CF)he removes kings and sets up kings;
(CG)he gives wisdom to the wise
    (CH)and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 (CI)he reveals deep and hidden things;
    (CJ)he knows what is in the darkness,
    (CK)and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O (CL)God of my fathers,
    (CM)I give thanks and praise,
for (CN)you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what (CO)we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

24 Therefore Daniel went in to (CP)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.”

25 Then (CQ)Arioch brought in Daniel before the king (CR)in haste and said thus to him: “I have found (CS)among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, (CT)whose name was Belteshazzar, (CU)“Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, (CV)enchanters, (CW)magicians, or (CX)astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but (CY)there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar (CZ)what will be in the latter days. Your dream and (DA)the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, (DB)and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But (DC)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 (DD)you may know the thoughts of your mind.

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. 32 (DE)The head of this image was of fine gold, (DF)its chest and arms of silver, its middle and (DG)thighs of bronze, 33 (DH)its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out (DI)by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and (DJ)broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became (DK)like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that (DL)not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became (DM)a great mountain (DN)and filled the whole earth.

36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, (DO)the king of kings, to whom (DP)the God of heaven (DQ)has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, (DR)the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are (DS)the head of gold. 39 (DT)Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom (DU)of bronze, (DV)which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And (DW)there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron (DX)breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall (DY)break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw (DZ)the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the (EA)firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage,[d] but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings (EB)the God of heaven will set up (EC)a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. (ED)It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and (EE)it shall stand forever, 45 just as (EF)you saw that (EG)a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that (EH)it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A (EI)great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Daniel Is Promoted

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar (EJ)fell upon his face and (EK)paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that (EL)an offering and (EM)incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your (EN)God is God of gods and (EO)Lord of kings, and (EP)a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great (EQ)gifts, and made him ruler over the whole (ER)province of Babylon and (ES)chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he (ET)appointed (EU)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of (EV)the province of Babylon. But Daniel (EW)remained at the king's court.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:3 Hebrew of the seed of the kingdom
  2. Daniel 2:4 The text from this point to the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic
  3. Daniel 2:15 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 26
  4. Daniel 2:43 Aramaic by the seed of men

The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling (A)the seven angels, “Go and (B)pour out on the earth (C)the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful (D)sores came upon the people who bore (E)the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and (F)it became like the blood of a corpse, and (G)every living thing died that was in the sea.

The third angel poured out his bowl into (H)the rivers and the springs of water, and (I)they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters[a] say,

(J)“Just are you, (K)O Holy One, (L)who is and who was,
    for you brought these judgments.
For (M)they have shed the blood of (N)saints and prophets,
    and (O)you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”

And I heard (P)the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
    (Q)true and just are your judgments!”

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people (R)with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and (S)they cursed[b] the name of God who had power over these plagues. (T)They did not repent (U)and give him glory.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on (V)the throne of the beast, and (W)its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed (X)the God of heaven for their pain and (Y)sores. (Z)They did not repent of their deeds.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on (AA)the great river Euphrates, and (AB)its water was dried up, (AC)to prepare the way for the kings (AD)from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of (AE)the dragon and out of the mouth of (AF)the beast and out of the mouth of (AG)the false prophet, three (AH)unclean spirits like (AI)frogs. 14 For they are (AJ)demonic spirits, (AK)performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, (AL)to assemble them for battle on (AM)the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, (AN)I am coming like a thief! (AO)Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, (AP)that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And (AQ)they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called (AR)Armageddon.

The Seventh Bowl

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into (AS)the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, (AT)“It is done!” 18 And there were (AU)flashes of lightning, rumblings,[c] peals of thunder, and (AV)a great earthquake (AW)such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 (AX)The great city (AY)was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God (AZ)remembered (BA)Babylon the great, (BB)to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And (BC)every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And (BD)great hailstones, about one hundred pounds[d] each, fell from heaven on people; and (BE)they cursed God for (BF)the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:5 Greek angel of the waters
  2. Revelation 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21
  3. Revelation 16:18 Or voices, or sounds
  4. Revelation 16:21 Greek a talent in weight

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