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2 Chronicles 36
English Standard Version
2 Chronicles 36
English Standard Version
Judah's Decline
36 (A)The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and (B)laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent[a] of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.
5 (C)Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 (D)Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (E)and bound him in chains (F)to take him to Babylon. 7 (G)Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8 (H)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
9 (I)Jehoiachin was eighteen[b] years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 In (J)the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, (K)with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother (L)Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 (M)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before (N)Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 (O)He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. (P)He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.
15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, (Q)sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 (R)But they kept mocking the messengers of God, (S)despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, (T)until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
Jerusalem Captured and Burned
17 (U)Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 (V)And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 (W)And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He (X)took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, (Y)and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had (Z)enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate (AA)it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
The Proclamation of Cyrus
22 (AB)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, (AC)that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, (AD)the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
- 2 Chronicles 36:9 Septuagint (compare 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight
2 Chronicles 36
New International Version
2 Chronicles 36
New International Version
36 1 And the people(A) of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
Jehoahaz King of Judah(B)
2 Jehoahaz[a] was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3 The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents[b] of silver and a talent[c] of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho(C) took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.(D)
Jehoiakim King of Judah(E)
5 Jehoiakim(F) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar(G) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.(H) 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple[d] there.(I)
8 The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoiachin King of Judah(J)
9 Jehoiachin(K) was eighteen[e] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 10 In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,(L) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,[f] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah King of Judah(M)
11 Zedekiah(N) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord(O) his God and did not humble(P) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath(Q) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked(R) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,(S) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem(T)(U)
15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers(V) again and again,(W) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed(X) at his prophets until the wrath(Y) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.(Z) 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,[g](AA) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men(AB) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.(AC) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.(AD) 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles(AE) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire(AF) to God’s temple(AG) and broke down the wall(AH) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed(AI) everything of value there.(AJ)
20 He carried into exile(AK) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants(AL) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;(AM) all the time of its desolation it rested,(AN) until the seventy years(AO) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
22 In the first year of Cyrus(AP) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed(AQ) me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 36:2 Hebrew Joahaz, a variant of Jehoahaz; also in verse 4
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 36:3 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
- 2 Chronicles 36:7 Or palace
- 2 Chronicles 36:9 One Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight
- 2 Chronicles 36:10 Hebrew brother, that is, relative (see 2 Kings 24:17)
- 2 Chronicles 36:17 Or Chaldeans
Daniel 1
English Standard Version
Daniel 1
English Standard Version
Daniel Taken to Babylon
1 In the third year of (A)the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 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. 3 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, 4 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. 5 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. 6 Among these were (O)Daniel, (P)Hananiah, (Q)Mishael, and (R)Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 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
8 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. 9 (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.
Footnotes
- Daniel 1:3 Hebrew of the seed of the kingdom
Daniel 1
New International Version
Daniel 1
New International Version
Daniel’s Training in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar(B) king of Babylon(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.(D) 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.(F)
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility(G)— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome,(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language(J) and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine(K) from the king’s table.(L) They were to be trained for three years,(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.(N)
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.(P) 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.(R)
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile(S) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor(T) and compassion(U) to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink.(V) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test(W) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”(X) 14 So he agreed to this and tested(Y) them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.(Z) 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.(AA)
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding(AB) of all kinds of literature and learning.(AC) And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.(AD)
18 At the end of the time(AE) set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.(AF) 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians(AG) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.(AH)
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.(AI)
Footnotes
- Daniel 1:2 Hebrew Shinar
- Daniel 1:4 Or Chaldeans
- Daniel 1:10 The Hebrew for your and you in this verse is plural.
Daniel 2
English Standard Version
Daniel 2
English Standard Version
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
2 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; (A)his spirit was troubled, and (B)his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that (C)the magicians, (D)the enchanters, the (E)sorcerers, and (F)the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and (G)stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and (H)my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then (I)the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,[a] (J)“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to (K)the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be (L)torn limb from limb, (M)and your (N)houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, (O)you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. (P)Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to (Q)gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, (R)there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till (S)the times change. (T)Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 (U)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 (V)Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except (W)the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and (X)very furious, and (Y)commanded that all (Z)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 (AA)Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to (AB)Arioch, the (AC)captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared[b] to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king (AD)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 (AE)Hananiah, (AF)Mishael, and (AG)Azariah, his companions, 18 (AH)and told them to seek mercy from the (AI)God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not (AJ)be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in (AK)a vision of the night. Then Daniel (AL)blessed the (AM)God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
(AN)“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
(AO)to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 (AP)He changes times and seasons;
(AQ)he removes kings and sets up kings;
(AR)he gives wisdom to the wise
(AS)and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 (AT)he reveals deep and hidden things;
(AU)he knows what is in the darkness,
(AV)and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O (AW)God of my fathers,
(AX)I give thanks and praise,
for (AY)you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what (AZ)we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king's matter.”
24 Therefore Daniel went in to (BA)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 (BB)Arioch brought in Daniel before the king (BC)in haste and said thus to him: “I have found (BD)among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, (BE)whose name was Belteshazzar, (BF)“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, (BG)enchanters, (BH)magicians, or (BI)astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but (BJ)there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar (BK)what will be in the latter days. Your dream and (BL)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, (BM)and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But (BN)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 (BO)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 (BP)The head of this image was of fine gold, (BQ)its chest and arms of silver, its middle and (BR)thighs of bronze, 33 (BS)its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out (BT)by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and (BU)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 (BV)like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that (BW)not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became (BX)a great mountain (BY)and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, (BZ)the king of kings, to whom (CA)the God of heaven (CB)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, (CC)the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are (CD)the head of gold. 39 (CE)Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom (CF)of bronze, (CG)which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And (CH)there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron (CI)breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall (CJ)break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw (CK)the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the (CL)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,[c] but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings (CM)the God of heaven will set up (CN)a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. (CO)It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and (CP)it shall stand forever, 45 just as (CQ)you saw that (CR)a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that (CS)it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A (CT)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 (CU)fell upon his face and (CV)paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that (CW)an offering and (CX)incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your (CY)God is God of gods and (CZ)Lord of kings, and (DA)a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great (DB)gifts, and made him ruler over the whole (DC)province of Babylon and (DD)chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he (DE)appointed (DF)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of (DG)the province of Babylon. But Daniel (DH)remained at the king's court.
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:4 The text from this point to the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic
- Daniel 2:15 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 26
- Daniel 2:43 Aramaic by the seed of men
Daniel 2
New International Version
Daniel 2
New International Version
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;(A) his mind was troubled(B) and he could not sleep.(C) 2 So the king summoned the magicians,(D) enchanters, sorcerers(E) and astrologers[a](F) to tell him what he had dreamed.(G) When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles(H) me and I want to know what it means.[b]”
4 Then the astrologers answered the king,[c](I) “May the king live forever!(J) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
5 The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided:(K) If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces(L) and your houses turned into piles of rubble.(M) 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor.(N) So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty(O) 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.”(P)
10 The astrologers(Q) 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.(R) 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods,(S) and they do not live among humans.”
12 This made the king so angry and furious(T) that he ordered the execution(U) of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So 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.(V)
14 When 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. 15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.(W) 18 He urged them to plead for mercy(X) from the God of heaven(Y) concerning this mystery,(Z) so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery(AA) was revealed to Daniel in a vision.(AB) Then Daniel praised the God of heaven(AC) 20 and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;(AD)
wisdom and power(AE) are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;(AF)
he deposes(AG) kings and raises up others.(AH)
He gives wisdom(AI) to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.(AJ)
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;(AK)
he knows what lies in darkness,(AL)
and light(AM) dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:(AN)
You have given me wisdom(AO) and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.(AP)”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
24 Then Daniel went to Arioch,(AQ) 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.”
25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles(AR) from Judah(AS) who can tell the king what his dream means.”
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar),(AT) “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,(AU) 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.(AV) He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.(AW) Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind(AX) as you were lying in bed(AY) are these:(AZ)
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.(BA) 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed(BB) 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,(BC) awesome(BD) in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.(BE) It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed(BF) them.(BG) 35 Then 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(BH) without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain(BI) and filled the whole earth.(BJ)
36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.(BK) 37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings.(BL) The God of heaven has given you dominion(BM) and power and might and glory; 38 in 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.(BN) 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.(BO) 40 Finally, 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.(BP) 41 Just 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. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And 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(BQ) all those kingdoms(BR) and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.(BS) 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock(BT) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands(BU)—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.(BV) The dream is true(BW) and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate(BX) before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering(BY) and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods(BZ) and the Lord of kings(CA) and a revealer of mysteries,(CB) for you were able to reveal this mystery.(CC)”
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high(CD) 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.(CE) 49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon,(CF) while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.(CG)
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 4, 5 and 10
- Daniel 2:3 Or was
- Daniel 2:4 At this point the Hebrew text has in Aramaic, indicating that the text from here through the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.