Daniel 1-4

New King James Version

Daniel and His Friends Obey God^(A)

1 In the third year of the reign of ^(B)Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with ^(C)some of the articles of ^[a]the house of God, which he carried ^(D)into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; ^(E)and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

³Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring ^(F)some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, ⁴young men ^(G)in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and ^(H)whom they might teach the language and ^[b]literature of the Chaldeans. ⁵And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might ^(I)serve before the king. ⁶Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ⁷^(J)To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: ^(K)he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

⁸But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself ^(L)with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. ⁹Now ^(M)God had brought Daniel into the favor and ^[c]goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. ¹⁰And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”

¹¹So Daniel said to ^[d]the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹²“Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” ¹⁴So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

¹⁵And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. ¹⁶Thus ^[e]the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

¹⁷As for these four young men, ^(N)God gave them ^(O)knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had ^(P)understanding in all visions and dreams.

¹⁸Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹Then the king ^[f]interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore ^(Q)they served before the king. ²⁰^(R)And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. ²¹^(S)Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; ^(T)and his spirit was so troubled that ^(U)his sleep left him. ²^(V)Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. ³And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to ^[g]know the dream.”

⁴Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, ^(W)“O^[h] king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

⁵The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My ^[i]decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be ^(X)cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. ⁶^(Y)However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

⁷They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”

⁸The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: ⁹if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the ^[j]time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can ^[k]give me its interpretation.”

¹⁰The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. ¹¹It is a ^[l]difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king ^(Z)except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

¹²For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought ^(AA)Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

¹⁴Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; ¹⁵he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so ^[m]urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

¹⁶So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. ¹⁷Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, ¹⁸^(AB)that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹Then the secret was revealed to Daniel ^(AC)in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁰Daniel answered and said:

^(AD)“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
^(AE)For wisdom and might are His.
²¹And He changes ^(AF)the times and the seasons;
^(AG)He removes kings and raises up kings;
^(AH)He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
²²^(AI)He reveals deep and secret things;
^(AJ)He knows what is in the darkness,
And ^(AK)light dwells with Him.

²³“I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we ^(AL)asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s ^[n]demand.”

Daniel Explains the Dream

²⁴Therefore Daniel went to 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; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”

²⁵Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the ^[o]captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

²⁶The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

²⁷Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. ²⁸^(AM)But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar ^(AN)what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: ²⁹As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; ^(AO)and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. ³⁰^(AP)But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, ^(AQ)and that you may ^[p]know the thoughts of your heart.

³¹“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. ³²^(AR)This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and ^[q]thighs of bronze, ³³its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of ^[r]clay. ³⁴You watched while a stone was cut out ^(AS)without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. ³⁵^(AT)Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became ^(AU)like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that ^(AV)no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image ^(AW)became a great mountain ^(AX)and filled the whole earth.

³⁶“This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. ³⁷^(AY)You, O king, are a king of kings. ^(AZ)For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; ³⁸^(BA)and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—^(BB)you are this head of gold. ³⁹But after you shall arise ^(BC)another kingdom ^(BD)inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. ⁴⁰And ^(BE)the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. ⁴¹Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. ⁴²And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, ^(BF)so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly ^[s]fragile. ⁴³As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. ⁴⁴And in the days of these kings ^(BG)the God of heaven will set up a kingdom ^(BH)which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; ^(BI)it shall ^[t]break in pieces and ^[u]consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. ⁴⁵^(BJ)Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Daniel and His Friends Promoted

⁴⁶^(BK)Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering ^(BL)and incense to him. ⁴⁷The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly ^(BM)your God is the God of ^(BN)gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” ⁴⁸^(BO)Then the king promoted Daniel ^(BP)and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and ^(BQ)chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹Also Daniel petitioned the king, ^(BR)and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel ^(BS)sat in ^[v]the gate of the king.

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was ^[w]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ²And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴Then a herald cried ^[x]aloud: “To you it is commanded, ^(BT)O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁶and whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^(BU)be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

⁷So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

⁸Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ^(BV)came forward and accused the Jews. ⁹They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ^(BW)“O king, live forever! ¹⁰You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ¹¹and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ¹²^(BX)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have ^(BY)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar, in ^(BZ)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(CA)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(CB)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(CC)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷If that is the case, our ^(CD)God whom we serve is able to ^(CE)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(CF)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Saved in Fiery Trial

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²²Therefore, because the king’s command was ^[y]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. ²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his ^[z]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

²⁵“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, ^(CG)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like ^(CH)the^[aa] Son of God.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the ^[ab]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the ^(CI)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. ²⁷And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men ^(CJ)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His ^(CK)Angel^[ac] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ²⁹^(CL)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the ^(CM)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be ^(CN)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; ^(CO)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

³⁰Then the king ^[ad]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 Nebuchadnezzar the king,

^(CP)To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

²I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders ^(CQ)that the Most High God has worked for me.

³^(CR)How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is ^(CS)an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.

⁴I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. ⁵I saw a dream which made me afraid, ^(CT)and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head ^(CU)troubled me. ⁶Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷^(CV)Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸But at last Daniel came before me ^(CW)(his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; ^(CX)in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: ⁹“Belteshazzar, ^(CY)chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

¹⁰“These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold,
^(CZ)A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
¹¹The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
¹²Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
^(DA)The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.

¹³“I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was ^(DB)a watcher, ^(DC)a holy one, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴He cried ^[ae]aloud and said thus:

^(DD)‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
^(DE)Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches.
¹⁵Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
¹⁶Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven ^(DF)times^[af] pass over him.

¹⁷‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order ^(DG)that the living may know
^(DH)That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
^(DI)Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the ^(DJ)lowest of men.’

¹⁸“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, ^(DK)since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, ^(DL)for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Daniel Explains the Second Dream

¹⁹Then Daniel, ^(DM)whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts ^(DN)troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may ^(DO)the dream ^[ag]concern those who hate you, and its interpretation ^[ah]concern your enemies!

²⁰^(DP)“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, ²¹whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— ²²^(DQ)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, ^(DR)and your dominion to the end of the earth.

²³^(DS)“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, ^(DT)and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven ^[ai]times pass over him’; ²⁴this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: ²⁵They shall ^(DU)drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you ^(DV)eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven ^[aj]times shall pass over you, ^(DW)till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and ^(DX)gives it to whomever He chooses.

²⁶“And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that ^(DY)Heaven^[ak] rules. ²⁷Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; ^(DZ)break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. ^(EA)Perhaps there may be ^(EB)a ^[al]lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

²⁸All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹At the end of the twelve months he was walking ^[am]about the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰The king ^(EC)spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

³¹^(ED)While the word was still in the king’s mouth, ^(EE)a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³²And ^(EF)they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven ^[an]times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

³³That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

³⁴And ^(EG)at the end of the ^[ao]time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him ^(EH)who lives forever:

For His dominion is ^(EI)an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
³⁵^(EJ)All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
^(EK)He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
^(EL)No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, ^(EM)“What have You done?”

³⁶At the same time my reason returned to me, ^(EN)and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was ^(EO)restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was ^(EP)added to me. ³⁷Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^(EQ)praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, ^(ER)all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. ^(ES)And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.