Daniel 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream
2 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar [a](A)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his (B)sleep [b]left him. 2 Then the king said to call in the [c](C)magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers, and the [d]Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 Then the king said to them, “I [e](D)had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”
4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in [f](E)Aramaic: “(F)O king, live forever! (G)Say the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The 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 will be [g](H)torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me (I)gifts and a reward and great glory; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king (J)say the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you are buying time, inasmuch as you have seen that the word from me is firm, 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only (K)one law for you. Indeed, you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt [h]words before me until the time is changed; therefore say the dream to me, that I may (L)know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered [i]the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who is able to declare the matter [j]for the king, inasmuch as no great king or powerful ruler has ever asked about a matter like this of any [k](M)magician, conjurer, or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the matter which the king asks is [l]difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it [m]to the king except (N)gods, whose (O)dwelling place is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king became (P)indignant and very furious and said for them to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the law went forth that the wise men were to be killed; and they sought out (Q)Daniel and his friends to [n]kill them.
14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to (R)Arioch, the captain of the king’s [o]bodyguard, who had gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch, a powerful [p]official for the king, “For what reason is the law from the king so [q]urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went in and sought from the king that he would [r]give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to his friends, to (S)Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 18 so that they might (T)seek compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be (U)destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night (V)vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; 20 Daniel answered and said,
“Let the name of God be (W)blessed forever and ever,
For (X)wisdom and might belong to Him.
21 And He (Y)changes the times and the seasons;
He (Z)removes kings and [s]establishes kings;
He gives (AA)wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to [t]men of understanding.
22 He (AB)reveals the deep and hidden things;
(AC)He knows what is in the darkness,
And the (AD)light dwells with Him.
23 To You, O (AE)God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me (AF)wisdom and might;
Even now You have made known to me what we (AG)sought from You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
24 Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus to him: “(AH)Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.”
25 Then Arioch hurriedly (AI)brought Daniel before the king and said thus to him: “I have found a man among the [u](AJ)exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!” 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was (AK)Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king is asking, neither (AL)wise men, conjurers, [v]magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 However, there is a (AM)God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the [w](AN)last days. This was your dream and the (AO)visions of your head while on your bed. 29 As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts [x]turned to what would happen [y]in the future; and (AP)He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will happen. 30 But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me by any (AQ)wisdom which is in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may know the (AR)thoughts of your heart.
Daniel Interprets the Dream
31 “You, O king, were looking, and behold, there was a single great [z]image; that image, which was large and [aa]of extraordinary splendor, was rising up in front of you, and its appearance was [ab](AS)awesome. 32 The (AT)head of that image was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You [ac]continued looking until a (AU)stone was cut out (AV)without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and (AW)crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed [ad]all at the same time and became (AX)like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that (AY)not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the image became a great (AZ)mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream; now we will say (BA)its interpretation before the king. 37 You, O king, are the (BB)king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the [ae]kingdom, the (BC)power, the strength, and the glory; 38 and wherever the sons of men inhabit, or the (BD)beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has made you rule with power over them all. You are the head of gold. 39 But after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule with power over all the earth. 40 Then there will be a (BE)fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. 41 Now in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron; it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with [af]common clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. 43 And in that you saw the iron mixed with [ag]common clay; they will combine with one another [ah]in the seed of men; but they will not cling to one another, even as iron does not combine with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the (BF)God of heaven will (BG)cause a (BH)kingdom to rise up which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be [ai]left for another people; it will (BI)crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that a (BJ)stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the (BK)great God has made known to the king what (BL)will happen [aj]in the future; so the dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
Daniel and Friends Promoted
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did (BM)homage to Daniel and said for them to present to him an offering and [ak](BN)fragrant incense. 47 The king answered Daniel and said, “Truly (BO)your God is a (BP)God of gods and a Lord of kings and a (BQ)revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king [al](BR)promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him rule with power over the whole (BS)province of Babylon and chief [am]prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel sought of the king, and he (BT)appointed (BU)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s [an](BV)court.
Footnotes
- Daniel 2:1 Lit dreamed dreams
- Daniel 2:1 Lit was gone upon him
- Daniel 2:2 Or soothsayer priests
- Daniel 2:2 Or master astrologers, so in ch
- Daniel 2:3 Lit dreamed
- Daniel 2:4 The text is in Aramaic from here through 7:28
- Daniel 2:5 Lit made into limbs
- Daniel 2:9 Lit word
- Daniel 2:10 Lit before the
- Daniel 2:10 Lit of
- Daniel 2:10 Or soothsayer priest
- Daniel 2:11 Or rare
- Daniel 2:11 Lit before
- Daniel 2:13 Lit be killed
- Daniel 2:14 Or executioners
- Daniel 2:15 Or ruler
- Daniel 2:15 Or harsh
- Daniel 2:16 Or appoint a time for him
- Daniel 2:21 Or sets up
- Daniel 2:21 Lit knowers
- Daniel 2:25 Lit sons of the exile of
- Daniel 2:27 Or soothsayer priests
- Daniel 2:28 Lit end of the days
- Daniel 2:29 Lit came up
- Daniel 2:29 Lit after this
- Daniel 2:31 Or statue, so in ch
- Daniel 2:31 Lit its splendor was surpassing
- Daniel 2:31 Or fearsome
- Daniel 2:34 Lit were
- Daniel 2:35 Lit like one
- Daniel 2:37 Or sovereignty
- Daniel 2:41 Lit clay of mud
- Daniel 2:43 Lit clay of mud
- Daniel 2:43 Or with
- Daniel 2:44 Or passed on to
- Daniel 2:45 Lit after this
- Daniel 2:46 Lit sweet odors
- Daniel 2:48 Lit made great
- Daniel 2:48 Lit of the prefects
- Daniel 2:49 Lit gate
Daniel 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.(A) 2 So the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. When they came in and stood before the king,(B) 3 he said to them, “I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it.”(C) 4 The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic),[a] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation.”(D) 5 The king answered the Chaldeans, “This is a public decree: if you do not tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.(E) 6 But if you do tell me the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”(F) 7 They answered a second time, “Let the king first tell his servants the dream, then we can give its interpretation.”(G) 8 The king answered, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time because you see the decree from me is firm: 9 if you do not tell me the dream, there is but one verdict for you. You have agreed to speak lying and misleading words to me until things take a turn. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”(H) 10 The Chaldeans answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”(I)
12 Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed, and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. 14 Then Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon;(J) 15 he asked Arioch, the royal official, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.(K) 16 So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
17 Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, of the matter 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.(L) 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.(M)
20 Daniel said:
“Blessed be the name of God from age to age,
for wisdom and power are his.(N)
21 He changes times and seasons,
deposes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding.(O)
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with him.(P)
23 To you, O God of my ancestors,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and power
and have now revealed to me what we asked of you,
for you have revealed to us what the king ordered.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation.”
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can tell the king the interpretation.”(Q) 26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed were these:(R) 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and the revealer of mysteries disclosed to you what is to be.(S) 30 But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than any other living being, but in order that the interpretation may be known to the king and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.(T)
31 “You were looking, O king, and there appeared a great statue. That statue was huge, its brilliance extraordinary; it was standing before you, and its appearance was frightening.(U) 32 The head of that statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its midsection and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked on, a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces.(V) 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were all 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 statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.(W)
36 “That was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory,(X) 38 into whose hand he has given human beings wherever they live, the wild animals of the field, and the birds of the air and whom he has established as ruler over them all—you are the head of gold.(Y) 39 After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth.(Z) 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; just as iron crushes and smashes everything,[b] it shall crush and shatter all these.(AA) 41 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 strength of iron shall be in it, as you saw the iron mixed with the clay.(AB) 42 As the toes of the feet were part iron and part clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so will they 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 the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,(AC) 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain not by hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain and its interpretation trustworthy.”(AD)
Daniel and His Friends Promoted
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that a grain offering and incense be offered to him.(AE) 47 The king 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!”(AF) 48 Then the king promoted Daniel, gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.(AG) 49 Daniel 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.(AH)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.