Daniel 1:15-2:27

English Standard Version

¹⁵At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate ^(A)the king's food. ¹⁶^(B)So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them ^(C)vegetables.

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

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

2 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; ^(M)his spirit was troubled, and ^(N)his sleep left him. ²Then the king commanded that ^(O)the magicians, ^(P)the enchanters, the ^(Q)sorcerers, and ^(R)the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and ^(S)stood before the king. ³And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and ^(T)my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” ⁴Then ^(U)the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,^[a] ^(V)“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” ⁵The king answered and said to ^(W)the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be ^(X)torn limb from limb, ^(Y)and your ^(Z)houses shall be laid in ruins. ⁶But if you show the dream and its interpretation, ^(AA)you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. ^(AB)Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 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 ^(AC)gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— ⁹if you do not make the dream known to me, ^(AD)there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till ^(AE)the times change. ^(AF)Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” ¹⁰^(AG)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 ^(AH)Chaldean. ¹¹The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except ^(AI)the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

¹²Because of this the king was angry and ^(AJ)very furious, and ^(AK)commanded that all ^(AL)the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. ¹³So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought ^(AM)Daniel and his companions, to kill them. ¹⁴Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to ^(AN)Arioch, the ^(AO)captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁵He declared^[b] to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king ^(AP)so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 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 ^(AQ)Hananiah, ^(AR)Mishael, and ^(AS)Azariah, his companions, ¹⁸^(AT)and told them to seek mercy from the ^(AU)God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not ^(AV)be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in ^(AW)a vision of the night. Then Daniel ^(AX)blessed the ^(AY)God of heaven. ²⁰Daniel answered and said:

^(AZ)“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    ^(BA)to whom belong wisdom and might.
²¹^(BB)He changes times and seasons;
    ^(BC)he removes kings and sets up kings;
^(BD)he gives wisdom to the wise
    ^(BE)and knowledge to those who have understanding;
²²^(BF)he reveals deep and hidden things;
    ^(BG)he knows what is in the darkness,
    ^(BH)and the light dwells with him.
²³To you, O ^(BI)God of my fathers,
    ^(BJ)I give thanks and praise,
for ^(BK)you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what ^(BL)we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

²⁴Therefore Daniel went in to ^(BM)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.”

²⁵Then ^(BN)Arioch brought in Daniel before the king ^(BO)in haste and said thus to him: “I have found ^(BP)among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” ²⁶The king declared to Daniel, ^(BQ)whose name was Belteshazzar, ^(BR)“Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” ²⁷Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, ^(BS)enchanters, ^(BT)magicians, or ^(BU)astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,