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And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams which troubled his spirit, and broke his sleep.

Then the king commanded to call the enchanters, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to interpret the king’s dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

And the king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream. And my spirit was troubled to know the dream.”

Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Aramite’s language, “O king, live forever. Show your servants your dream, and we shall show the interpretation.”

And the king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The thing is spoken. If you will not make me understand the dream, with the interpretation thereof, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.

“But, if you declare the dream and the interpretation thereof, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore, show me the dream and the interpretation of it.”

They answered again, and said, “Let the king show his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.”

Then the king answered, and said, “I know certainly that you would like more time, because you see the thing is spoken.

“But if you will not declare to me the dream, there is but one judgment for you. For you have prepared lying and corrupt words, to speak before me till the time changes. Therefore, tell me the dream, that I may know if you can declare to me the interpretation thereof.”

10 Then the Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is no man upon earth who can declare the king’s matter. Yea, there is neither king nor prince nor lord who asked such things of an enchanter, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11 For it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can declare it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12 For this reason, the king was angry and in a great fury, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babel.

13 And when sentence was given, the wise men were killed. And they sought Daniel and his friends, to be put to death.

14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch, the king’s chief steward, who had gone forth to put to death the wise men of Babel.

15 “Yea,” he answered and said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the sentence so severe from the king?” Then Arioch explained it to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went and asked the king if he would give him time to show the king the interpretation thereof.

17 Then Daniel went to his house and shared the matter with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

18 in order that they should ask the God of heaven for grace in this secret, so that Daniel and his friends should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babel.

19 Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision by night. Therefore, Daniel praised the God of heaven.

20 And Daniel answered and said, “The Name of God be praised forever and ever. For wisdom and strength are his.

21 “And he changes the times and seasons. He takes away kings. He sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and understanding to those who understand.

22 “He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in darkness, and the light dwells with him.

23 “I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, that you have given me wisdom and strength, and have shown me now the thing that we desired of you. For you have declared to us the king’s matter.”

24 Therefore, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babel. He went and said to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babel. But bring me before the king, and I will declare to the king the interpretation.”

25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said, “I have found a man of the children of Judah, who were brought as captives, and who will declare to the king the interpretation.”

26 Then answered the king, and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?”

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, can neither the wise, nor the astrologers, nor the enchanters, nor the soothsayers declare to the king.

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and shows the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the things which you have seen in your head upon your bed, is this:

29 “O king, when you were in your bed, thoughts came into your mind, showing what should come to pass hereafter. And he who reveals secrets, tells you what shall come.

30 “As for me, this secret is not shown to me because I have more wisdom than any other living, but only to show the king the interpretation, that you might know the thoughts of your heart.

31 “O king, you saw, and behold, there was a great image. This great image, whose glory was so excellent, stood before you. And the form, therefore, was terrible.

32 “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 “His legs of iron. And his feet were part iron and part clay.

34 “You beheld it till a stone was cut without hands, which struck the image upon his feet, made of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.

35 “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken all together. And they became like the chaff of the summer flowers. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 “This is the dream, and we will declare before the king the interpretation thereof.

37 “O king, you are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

38 “And in all places where the children of men dwell, he has given into your hand the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, and has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.

39 “And after you shall rise another kingdom, inferior to you, of silver. And another, third kingdom shall be of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40 “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron. For as iron breaks in pieces, and subdues all things, and as iron bruises all these things, so shall it break in pieces, and bruise all.

41 “Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay, and partly of iron: the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, as you saw the iron mixed with the clay and earth.

42 “And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron, and partly of clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong and partly broken.

43 “And just as you saw iron mixed with clay and earth, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not join one with another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.

44 “And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And this kingdom shall not be given to another people. But it shall break and destroy all these kingdoms. And it shall stand forever.

45 “Just as you saw that the stone was cut from the mountain without hands. And that it broke in pieces the iron, and the brass, and the clay, and the silver, and the gold. So the great God has shown the king what shall come to pass hereafter. And the dream is true. And the interpretation thereof is sure.”

46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and bowed himself to Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meat offerings and sweet odors to him.

47 Also, the king answered Daniel, and said, “I know truly that your God is a God of gods; and the Lord of kings; and the revealer of secrets; because I see you can open this secret.”

48 So the king made Daniel a great man; and gave him many and great gifts. He made him governor over the whole province of Babel, and chief of the rulers; and above all the wise men of Babel.

49 Then Daniel made a request of the king, that he may set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the province of Babel, while Daniel remained in the gate of the king.

El sueño del rey Nabucodonosor

En el segundo año de su reinado, Nabucodonosor tuvo varios sueños que lo perturbaban y no lo dejaban dormir. Mandó entonces que se reunieran los magos, hechiceros, adivinos y astrólogos[a] de su reino para que le dijeran lo que había soñado. Una vez reunidos, y ya en presencia del rey, este les dijo:

—Tuve un sueño que me perturba y quiero saber lo que significa.

Los astrólogos respondieron en arameo:[b]

—¡Que viva el rey por siempre! Cuente el sueño a sus siervos y nosotros daremos su interpretación.

Pero el rey respondió a los astrólogos:

—Mi decisión ya está tomada: Si no me dicen lo que soñé ni me dan su interpretación, ordenaré que los corten en pedazos y que sus casas sean reducidas a cenizas. Pero si me dicen lo que soñé y me explican su significado, yo les daré regalos, recompensas y grandes honores. Por tanto, díganme el sueño y su interpretación.

Una vez más ellos contestaron:

—Cuente, oh rey, su sueño a sus siervos y nosotros lo interpretaremos.

Pero el rey contestó:

—Estoy seguro de que ustedes están tratando de ganar tiempo, porque se dan cuenta de que estoy firmemente decidido. Si no me dicen lo que soñé, ya saben lo que les espera. Ustedes se han puesto de acuerdo para salirme con cuestiones engañosas y malintencionadas, esperando que la situación cambie. Díganme lo que soñé y así sabré que son capaces de darme su interpretación.

10 Entonces los astrólogos respondieron:

—¡No hay nadie en la tierra capaz de hacer lo que el rey pide! ¡Jamás a ningún rey se le ha ocurrido pedirle tal cosa a ningún mago, hechicero o astrólogo! 11 Lo que el rey pregunta es muy difícil. Nadie puede revelarlo a no ser los dioses, pero ellos no viven entre nosotros.

12 Tanto enfureció al rey la respuesta de los astrólogos que mandó ejecutar a todos los sabios de Babilonia. 13 Se publicó entonces un edicto que decretaba la muerte de todos los sabios, de modo que se ordenó la búsqueda de Daniel y de sus compañeros para que fueran ejecutados.

14 Cuando el comandante de la guardia real, que se llamaba Arioc, salió para ejecutar a los sabios babilonios, Daniel le habló con mucho tacto y sensatez. 15 Le dijo: «¿Por qué ha emitido el rey un edicto tan violento?». Y una vez que Arioc explicó cuál era el problema, 16 Daniel fue a ver al rey y pidió tiempo para poder interpretarle su sueño.

17 Después volvió a su casa y contó a sus amigos Ananías, Misael y Azarías lo que sucedía. 18 Y les pidió que imploraran misericordia al Dios del cielo sobre este misterio, para que él y sus amigos no fueran ejecutados con el resto de los sabios de Babilonia. 19 Durante la noche, el misterio fue revelado a Daniel en visión. Entonces alabó al Dios del cielo 20 y dijo:

«¡Alabado sea por siempre el nombre de Dios!
    Suyos son la sabiduría y el poder.
21 Él cambia los tiempos y las épocas,
    pone y depone reyes.
A los sabios da sabiduría
    y a los inteligentes, discernimiento.
22 Él revela lo profundo y lo escondido,
    y sabe lo que se oculta en las sombras.
    ¡En él habita la luz!
23 A ti, Dios de mis antepasados,
    te alabo y te doy gracias.
Me has dado sabiduría y poder;
    me has dado a conocer lo que te pedimos.
    ¡Nos has dado a conocer el sueño del rey!».

Daniel interpreta el sueño del rey

24 Entonces Daniel fue a ver a Arioc, a quien el rey había dado la orden de ejecutar a los sabios de Babilonia y dijo:

—No mates a los sabios babilonios. Llévame ante el rey y le interpretaré el sueño que tuvo.

25 Inmediatamente Arioc condujo a Daniel a la presencia del rey y dijo:

—He hallado un hombre, entre los exiliados de Judá, que puede decir al rey lo que significa su sueño.

26 El rey preguntó a Daniel, a quien los babilonios habían puesto por nombre Beltsasar:

—¿Puedes decirme lo que vi en mi sueño y darme su interpretación?

27 A esto Daniel respondió:

—No hay ningún sabio ni hechicero, ni mago o adivino, que pueda explicar al rey el misterio sobre el cual preguntó. 28 Pero hay un Dios en el cielo que revela los misterios. Él mostró al rey Nabucodonosor lo que sucederá en los días venideros. Estos son el sueño y las visiones que pasaron por su mente mientras dormía en su cama:

29 »Cuando estaba en su cama, los pensamientos de Su Majestad se dirigieron a las cosas por venir y el que revela los misterios le mostró lo que está por suceder. 30 Por lo que a mí toca, este misterio me ha sido revelado, no porque yo sea más sabio que el resto de la humanidad, sino para que Su Majestad llegue a conocer su interpretación y entienda lo que pasaba por su mente.

31 »En su sueño, Su Majestad veía una estatua enorme, de tamaño impresionante y de aspecto asombroso. 32 La cabeza de la estatua era de oro puro, el pecho y los brazos eran de plata, el vientre y los muslos eran de bronce, 33 y las piernas eran de hierro, lo mismo que la mitad de los pies, en tanto que la otra mitad era de barro cocido. 34 De pronto, mientras usted contemplaba la estatua, una roca fue cortada, pero no por manos humanas. Esta golpeó e hizo pedazos los pies de hierro y barro de la estatua. 35 Con ellos se hicieron añicos el hierro y el barro, junto con el bronce, la plata y el oro, que se volvieron como paja en la era del verano. El viento los barrió sin dejar rastro. Pero la roca que golpeó la estatua se convirtió en una montaña enorme que llenó toda la tierra.

36 »Este fue el sueño y ahora lo interpretaremos al rey. 37 Su Majestad es rey entre los reyes; el Dios del cielo le ha dado el reino, el poder, la majestad y la gloria. 38 Además, ha puesto en sus manos a la humanidad entera, a las bestias del campo y a las aves del cielo. No importa dónde vivan, Dios lo hizo el gobernante de todos ellos. Usted es la cabeza de oro.

39 »Después surgirá otro reino inferior al suyo. Luego vendrá un tercer reino, que será de bronce y dominará sobre toda la tierra. 40 Finalmente, vendrá un cuarto reino, sólido como el hierro. Y así como el hierro todo lo rompe, destroza y pulveriza, este cuarto reino hará polvo a los otros reinos. 41 Usted veía que los pies y los dedos de la estatua eran mitad hierro y mitad barro cocido, pues será un reino dividido. Sin embargo, tendrá aún la fuerza del hierro, aunque haya visto hierro mezclado con barro. 42 Y como los dedos de los pies eran mitad hierro y mitad barro, este reino será parcialmente fuerte y parcialmente débil. 43 Y como el hierro mezclado con barro, así el pueblo será una mezcla y no permanecerá unido, como tampoco se unen el hierro y el barro.

44 »En los días de estos reyes el Dios del cielo establecerá un reino que jamás será destruido ni entregado a otro pueblo, sino que permanecerá para siempre y hará pedazos a todos estos reinos. 45 Este es el significado de la roca que fue cortada de la montaña no por manos humanas, que hizo añicos al hierro, al bronce, al barro, a la plata y al oro.

»El gran Dios ha mostrado a Su Majestad lo que tendrá lugar en el futuro. El sueño es verdadero y esta interpretación, digna de confianza».

46 Al oír esto, el rey Nabucodonosor se postró ante Daniel y lo honró; ordenó que se le presentara una ofrenda e incienso 47 y dijo:

—¡Tu Dios es el Dios de dioses y el Soberano de los reyes! ¡Tu Dios revela todos los misterios, pues fuiste capaz de revelarme este sueño misterioso!

48 Luego el rey puso a Daniel en un puesto prominente y lo colmó de regalos; lo nombró gobernador de toda la provincia de Babilonia y jefe de todos sus sabios. 49 Además, a solicitud de Daniel, el rey nombró a Sadrac, Mesac y Abednego administradores de la provincia de Babilonia. Daniel, por su parte, permaneció en la corte real.

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 astrólogos. Lit. caldeos; así en el resto de este libro.
  2. 2:4 respondieron en arameo. En efecto, de aquí al final del cap. 7 el texto bíblico está escrito en la lengua aramea.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;(A) his mind was troubled(B) and he could not sleep.(C) 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, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles(H) me and I want to know what it means.[b]

Then the astrologers answered the king,[c](I) “May the king live forever!(J) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

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) 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.”

Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

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: 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.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.(W) 18 He urged them to plead for mercy(X) from the God of heaven(Y) concerning this mystery,(Z) so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery(AA) was revealed to Daniel in a vision.(AB) Then Daniel praised the God of heaven(AC) 20 and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;(AD)
    wisdom and power(AE) are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;(AF)
    he deposes(AG) kings and raises up others.(AH)
He gives wisdom(AI) to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.(AJ)
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;(AK)
    he knows what lies in darkness,(AL)
    and light(AM) dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:(AN)
    You have given me wisdom(AO) and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
    you have made known to us the dream of the king.(AP)

Daniel Interprets the Dream

24 Then Daniel went to Arioch,(AQ) whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”

25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles(AR) from Judah(AS) who can tell the king what his dream means.”

26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar),(AT) “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,(AU) 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.(AV) He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.(AW) Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind(AX) as you were lying in bed(AY) are these:(AZ)

29 “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.(BA) 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed(BB) to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue,(BC) awesome(BD) in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.(BE) It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed(BF) them.(BG) 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away(BH) without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain(BI) and filled the whole earth.(BJ)

36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.(BK) 37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings.(BL) The God of heaven has given you dominion(BM) and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.(BN) You are that head of gold.

39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.(BO) 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.(BP) 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush(BQ) all those kingdoms(BR) and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.(BS) 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock(BT) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands(BU)—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.(BV) The dream is true(BW) and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate(BX) before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering(BY) and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods(BZ) and the Lord of kings(CA) and a revealer of mysteries,(CB) for you were able to reveal this mystery.(CC)

48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high(CD) position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.(CE) 49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon,(CF) while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.(CG)

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 2:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 4, 5 and 10
  2. Daniel 2:3 Or was
  3. Daniel 2:4 At this point the Hebrew text has in Aramaic, indicating that the text from here through the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic.