Daniel 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams(A) that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.(B) 2 So the king gave orders to summon the diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans[a](C) to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it.”
4 The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic[b](D) begins here): “May the king live forever.(E) Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “My word is final: If you don’t tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb,[c] and your houses will be made a garbage dump.(F) 6 But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you’ll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me.(G) So make the dream and its interpretation known to me.”
7 They answered a second time, “May the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
8 The king replied, “I know for certain you are trying to gain some time, because you see that my word is final. 9 If you don’t tell me the dream, there is one decree for you.(H) You have conspired to tell me something false or fraudulent until the situation changes. So tell me the dream and I will know you can give me its interpretation.”
10 The Chaldeans answered the king, “No one on earth can make known what the king requests.(I) Consequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any diviner-priest, medium, or Chaldean. 11 What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”(J) 12 Because of this, the king became violently angry(K) and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.
14 Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard,[d](L) who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 He asked Arioch, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?”[e](M) Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, 18 urging them to ask the God of heaven(N) for mercy(O) concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.(P) 19 The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision(Q) at night, and Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and declared:
May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,(R)
for wisdom(S) and power belong to Him.
21 He changes the times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.(T)
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.(U)
22 He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,(V)
and light dwells with Him.(W)
23 I offer thanks and praise to You,
God of my fathers,(X)
because You have given me
wisdom and power.
And now You have let me know
what we asked of You,
for You have let us know(Y)
the king’s mystery.[f]
24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch,(Z) whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”(AA)
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the Judean exiles(AB) who can let the king know the interpretation.”
26 The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar,(AC) “Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?”(AD)
27 Daniel answered the king: “No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer(AE) is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days.(AF) Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed(AG) were these: 29 Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future.[g](AH) The revealer of mysteries(AI) has let you know what will happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me,(AJ) not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.(AK)
The Dream’s Interpretation
31 “My king, as you were watching, a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. 32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. 34 As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it,[h](AL) struck the statue(AM) on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.(AN) 35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff(AO) from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled(AP) the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 Your Majesty, you are king of kings.(AQ) The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power,(AR) strength, and glory. 38 Wherever people live—or wild animals, or birds of the air—He has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all.(AS) You are the head of gold.
39 “After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole earth.(AT) 40 A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; for iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others.[i](AU) 41 You saw the feet and toes, partly of a potter’s fired clay and partly of iron—it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay, 42 and that the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly fired clay—part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. 43 You saw the iron mixed with clay—the peoples will mix with one another[j] but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay.
44 “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed,(AV) and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms(AW) and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. 45 You saw a stone(AX) break off from the mountain without a hand touching it,[k](AY) and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future.[l](AZ) The dream is true, and its interpretation certain.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Response
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down, paid homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him.(BA) 47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings,(BB) and a revealer of mysteries,(BC) since you were able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.(BD) 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego(BE) to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.(BF)
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:2 In this chap. Chaldeans are influential Babylonian wise men.
- Daniel 2:4 Dn 2:4–7:28 is written in Aram.
- Daniel 2:5 Lit be made into limbs
- Daniel 2:14 Or executioners
- Daniel 2:15 Or urgent
- Daniel 2:23 Lit matter
- Daniel 2:29 Lit happen after this
- Daniel 2:34 Lit off not by hands
- Daniel 2:40 Lit all these
- Daniel 2:43 Lit another in the seed of men
- Daniel 2:45 Lit mountain, not by hands
- Daniel 2:45 Lit happen after this
Daniel 2
International Standard Version
King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him.[a] As a result, he couldn’t sleep.[b] 2 So the king gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters,[c] sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,[d] 3 the king told them, “I have dreamed a dream and I[e] will remain troubled until I can understand it.”[f]
4 The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic:[g] “May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we’ll reveal its meaning.”
5 In reply the king told the Chaldeans, “Here is what I have commanded: If you don’t tell me both the dream and its meaning, you’ll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to rubble. 6 But if you do relate the dream to me as well as its meaning, you’ll receive gifts, rewards, and great honor from me. Therefore reveal the dream to me, along with its meaning.”
7 They replied again, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we’ll disclose its meaning.”
8 The king responded,[h] “I’m convinced that you’re stalling for time because you’re aware of what I’ve commanded. 9 So if you don’t disclose the dream to me, there will be only one sentence for all of you. You have conspired together to present lies and corrupt interpretations until the situation changes. Now tell me the dream and I’ll know that you can reveal its true[i] meaning.”
10 The Chaldeans answered the king directly, “There’s not a single man on earth who can do[j] what the king has commanded. No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any diviner, enchanter,[k] or Chaldean. 11 Furthermore, what the king is asking is so difficult that no one can reveal it except the gods—and they don’t live with human beings.”
12 At this point, the king flew into a rage[l] and issued an order to destroy all the advisors[m] of Babylon. 13 When the order went out to kill the advisors,[n] they searched for Daniel and his friends to kill them, too.[o]
Daniel Requests Time to Answer the King
14 Daniel responded with wisdom and discretion to Arioch, the king’s executioner, who had gone out to execute the advisors[p] of Babylon. 15 He asked[q] him,[r] “Why such a harsh decree from the king?” Then Arioch informed Daniel, 16 so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar[s] for an appointment to see him[t], and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the king’s[u] command. 18 Daniel[v] was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors[w] of Babylon.
The King’s Dream is Revealed to Daniel
19 When the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision later that night, Daniel blessed the God of heaven 20 and said,
“May the name of God be blessed forever and ever;
wisdom and power are his for evermore.
21 It is God[x] who alters the times and seasons,
and he removes kings and promotes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals what is profoundly mysterious
and knows what is in the darkness;
with him dwells light.
23 To you, God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise,
because you have given me wisdom and power;
you have now revealed to me what we asked of you
by making known to us what the king commanded.”
24 After this,[y] Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the advisors[z] of Babylon. He told him, “Don’t destroy the advisors[aa] of Babylon. Bring me before the king and I’ll explain the meaning to him.”[ab]
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and informed him: “I’ve found a man from the Judean captives who will make known the meaning to the king.”
Daniel Reveals the Meaning of the Dream
26 King Nebuchadnezzar[ac] replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian[ad] name is Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me about the dream[ae] and its meaning?”
27 By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king:[af]
“None of the advisors,[ag] enchanters,[ah] diviners, or astrologers[ai] can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known.[aj] 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.
“While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows: 29 Your majesty,[ak] when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind[al] about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place. 30 As for me, this secret was made known to me, not because my own wisdom is greater than anyone else alive, but in order that the meaning may be made known to the king, and that you might understand the thoughts of your heart.
31 “Your majesty, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying. 32 That statue had a head made[am] of pure gold, with its chest and arms made[an] of silver, its abdomen and thighs made[ao] of bronze, 33 its legs made[ap] of iron, and its feet made[aq] partly of iron and partly of clay.
34 “As you were watching, a rock was quarried—but not with human hands—and it struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, breaking them to pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together and became like chaff from a summer threshing floor that the breeze carries away without leaving a trace.[ar] Then the rock that struck the statue grew into[as] a huge mountain and filled the entire earth.
36 “This was the dream, and we’ll now relate its meaning to the king. 37 You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory, 38 so that wherever people,[at] wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all—you’re that head of gold.
39 “After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to[au] yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze will arise to rule all the earth. 40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Just as all things are broken to pieces and shattered by iron, so it will shatter and crush everything.
41 “The feet and toes that you saw, made partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, represent[av] a divided kingdom. It will still have the strength of iron, in that you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 Just as their toes and feet are part iron and part clay, so will the kingdom be both strong and brittle. 43 Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, so they will mix themselves with human offspring.[aw] Furthermore,[ax] they won’t remain together, just as iron doesn’t mix with clay.
44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty[ay] left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. 45 Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands—and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces—so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove trustworthy.”
Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel and His Friends
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face before Daniel, paid honor to him, and commanded that an offering and incense be presented on his behalf. 47 The king told Daniel, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the Revealer of Secrets, because you were able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and lavished many great gifts on him, including making him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over the advisors[az] of Babylon. 49 Moreover, Daniel requested that the king appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained in the royal court.
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:1 Lit. troubled his spirit
- Daniel 2:1 Lit. result, sleep departed from him
- Daniel 2:2 Or conjurers and so throughout the book
- Daniel 2:2 Lit. before the king
- Daniel 2:3 Lit. and my spirit
- Daniel 2:3 Lit. understand the dream
- Daniel 2:4 At this point the text changes from Heb. to Aram. until the end of ch. 7.
- Daniel 2:8 Lit. responded and said
- Daniel 2:9 The Aram. lacks true
- Daniel 2:10 Lit. reveal
- Daniel 2:10 Or occult practitioner
- Daniel 2:12 Lit. king was furious and very angry
- Daniel 2:12 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:13 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:13 The Aram. lacks too
- Daniel 2:14 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:15 Lit. answered and said
- Daniel 2:15 Lit. asked Arioch, the king’s executioner
- Daniel 2:16 Lit. the king
- Daniel 2:16 Lit. for time
- Daniel 2:17 The Aram. lacks king’s
- Daniel 2:18 Lit. He
- Daniel 2:18 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:21 Lit. he
- Daniel 2:24 Lit. All on account of that
- Daniel 2:24 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:24 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:24 Lit. the king
- Daniel 2:26 Lit. The king
- Daniel 2:26 The Aram. lacks Babylonian
- Daniel 2:26 Lit. dream I saw
- Daniel 2:27 Lit. answered and said before the king
- Daniel 2:27 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 2:27 Or occult practitioners
- Daniel 2:27 Or those who gaze at entrails
- Daniel 2:27 The Aram. lacks to be made known
- Daniel 2:29 Lit. O King, and so throughout the book
- Daniel 2:29 The Aram. lacks to your mind
- Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
- Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
- Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
- Daniel 2:33 The Aram. lacks made
- Daniel 2:33 The Aram. lacks made
- Daniel 2:35 Lit. trace of them
- Daniel 2:35 Lit. became
- Daniel 2:38 Lit. sons of mankind
- Daniel 2:39 Or lower than
- Daniel 2:41 The Aram. lacks represent
- Daniel 2:43 Lit. seed
- Daniel 2:43 Or will develop alliances through intermarriages, and
- Daniel 2:44 Or kingdom
- Daniel 2:48 Lit. the wise men
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