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.

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,^(A) during the time of King Herod,^(B) Magi^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?^(C) We saw his star^(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem^(E) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.^(G) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts^(H) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned^(I) in a dream^(J) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel^(K) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.^(L) “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”^(M)

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled^(N) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”^[c](O)