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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.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 2:1 Lit dreamed dreams
  2. Daniel 2:1 Lit was gone upon him
  3. Daniel 2:2 Or soothsayer priests
  4. Daniel 2:2 Or master astrologers, so in ch
  5. Daniel 2:3 Lit dreamed
  6. Daniel 2:4 The text is in Aramaic from here through 7:28
  7. Daniel 2:5 Lit made into limbs
  8. Daniel 2:9 Lit word
  9. Daniel 2:10 Lit before the
  10. Daniel 2:10 Lit of
  11. Daniel 2:10 Or soothsayer priest
  12. Daniel 2:11 Or rare
  13. Daniel 2:11 Lit before
  14. Daniel 2:13 Lit be killed
  15. Daniel 2:14 Or executioners
  16. Daniel 2:15 Or ruler
  17. Daniel 2:15 Or harsh
  18. Daniel 2:16 Or appoint a time for him
  19. Daniel 2:21 Or sets up
  20. Daniel 2:21 Lit knowers
  21. Daniel 2:25 Lit sons of the exile of
  22. Daniel 2:27 Or soothsayer priests
  23. Daniel 2:28 Lit end of the days
  24. Daniel 2:29 Lit came up
  25. Daniel 2:29 Lit after this
  26. Daniel 2:31 Or statue, so in ch
  27. Daniel 2:31 Lit its splendor was surpassing
  28. Daniel 2:31 Or fearsome
  29. Daniel 2:34 Lit were
  30. Daniel 2:35 Lit like one
  31. Daniel 2:37 Or sovereignty
  32. Daniel 2:41 Lit clay of mud
  33. Daniel 2:43 Lit clay of mud
  34. Daniel 2:43 Or with
  35. Daniel 2:44 Or passed on to
  36. Daniel 2:45 Lit after this
  37. Daniel 2:46 Lit sweet odors
  38. Daniel 2:48 Lit made great
  39. Daniel 2:48 Lit of the prefects
  40. Daniel 2:49 Lit gate
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Daniel 2
International Standard Version

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him.[a] As a result, he couldn’t sleep.[b] 2 So the king gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters,[c] sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,[d] 3 the king told them, “I have dreamed a dream and I[e] will remain troubled until I can understand it.”[f]

4 The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic:[g] “May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we’ll reveal its meaning.”

5 In reply the king told the Chaldeans, “Here is what I have commanded: If you don’t tell me both the dream and its meaning, you’ll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to rubble. 6 But if you do relate the dream to me as well as its meaning, you’ll receive gifts, rewards, and great honor from me. Therefore reveal the dream to me, along with its meaning.”

7 They replied again, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we’ll disclose its meaning.”

8 The king responded,[h] “I’m convinced that you’re stalling for time because you’re aware of what I’ve commanded. 9 So if you don’t disclose the dream to me, there will be only one sentence for all of you. You have conspired together to present lies and corrupt interpretations until the situation changes. Now tell me the dream and I’ll know that you can reveal its true[i] meaning.”

10 The Chaldeans answered the king directly, “There’s not a single man on earth who can do[j] what the king has commanded. No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any diviner, enchanter,[k] or Chaldean. 11 Furthermore, what the king is asking is so difficult that no one can reveal it except the gods—and they don’t live with human beings.”

12 At this point, the king flew into a rage[l] and issued an order to destroy all the advisors[m] of Babylon. 13 When the order went out to kill the advisors,[n] they searched for Daniel and his friends to kill them, too.[o]

Daniel Requests Time to Answer the King

14 Daniel responded with wisdom and discretion to Arioch, the king’s executioner, who had gone out to execute the advisors[p] of Babylon. 15 He asked[q] him,[r] “Why such a harsh decree from the king?” Then Arioch informed Daniel, 16 so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar[s] for an appointment to see him[t], and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the king’s[u] command. 18 Daniel[v] was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors[w] of Babylon.

The King’s Dream is Revealed to Daniel

19 When the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision later that night, Daniel blessed the God of heaven 20 and said,

“May the name of God be blessed forever and ever;
    wisdom and power are his for evermore.
21 It is God[x] who alters the times and seasons,
    and he removes kings and promotes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals what is profoundly mysterious
    and knows what is in the darkness;
        with him dwells light.
23 To you, God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise,
    because you have given me wisdom and power;
you have now revealed to me what we asked of you
    by making known to us what the king commanded.”

24 After this,[y] Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the advisors[z] of Babylon. He told him, “Don’t destroy the advisors[aa] of Babylon. Bring me before the king and I’ll explain the meaning to him.”[ab]

25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and informed him: “I’ve found a man from the Judean captives who will make known the meaning to the king.”

Daniel Reveals the Meaning of the Dream

26 King Nebuchadnezzar[ac] replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian[ad] name is Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me about the dream[ae] and its meaning?”

27 By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king:[af]

“None of the advisors,[ag] enchanters,[ah] diviners, or astrologers[ai] can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known.[aj] 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.

“While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows: 29 Your majesty,[ak] when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind[al] about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place. 30 As for me, this secret was made known to me, not because my own wisdom is greater than anyone else alive, but in order that the meaning may be made known to the king, and that you might understand the thoughts of your heart.

31 “Your majesty, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying. 32 That statue had a head made[am] of pure gold, with its chest and arms made[an] of silver, its abdomen and thighs made[ao] of bronze, 33 its legs made[ap] of iron, and its feet made[aq] partly of iron and partly of clay.

34 “As you were watching, a rock was quarried—but not with human hands—and it struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, breaking them to pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together and became like chaff from a summer threshing floor that the breeze carries away without leaving a trace.[ar] Then the rock that struck the statue grew into[as] a huge mountain and filled the entire earth.

36 “This was the dream, and we’ll now relate its meaning to the king. 37 You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory, 38 so that wherever people,[at] wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all—you’re that head of gold.

39 “After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to[au] yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze will arise to rule all the earth. 40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Just as all things are broken to pieces and shattered by iron, so it will shatter and crush everything.

41 “The feet and toes that you saw, made partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, represent[av] a divided kingdom. It will still have the strength of iron, in that you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 Just as their toes and feet are part iron and part clay, so will the kingdom be both strong and brittle. 43 Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, so they will mix themselves with human offspring.[aw] Furthermore,[ax] they won’t remain together, just as iron doesn’t mix with clay.

44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty[ay] left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. 45 Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands—and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces—so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove trustworthy.”

Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel and His Friends

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face before Daniel, paid honor to him, and commanded that an offering and incense be presented on his behalf. 47 The king told Daniel, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the Revealer of Secrets, because you were able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and lavished many great gifts on him, including making him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over the advisors[az] of Babylon. 49 Moreover, Daniel requested that the king appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained in the royal court.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 2:1 Lit. troubled his spirit
  2. Daniel 2:1 Lit. result, sleep departed from him
  3. Daniel 2:2 Or conjurers and so throughout the book
  4. Daniel 2:2 Lit. before the king
  5. Daniel 2:3 Lit. and my spirit
  6. Daniel 2:3 Lit. understand the dream
  7. Daniel 2:4 At this point the text changes from Heb. to Aram. until the end of ch. 7.
  8. Daniel 2:8 Lit. responded and said
  9. Daniel 2:9 The Aram. lacks true
  10. Daniel 2:10 Lit. reveal
  11. Daniel 2:10 Or occult practitioner
  12. Daniel 2:12 Lit. king was furious and very angry
  13. Daniel 2:12 Lit. the wise men
  14. Daniel 2:13 Lit. the wise men
  15. Daniel 2:13 The Aram. lacks too
  16. Daniel 2:14 Lit. the wise men
  17. Daniel 2:15 Lit. answered and said
  18. Daniel 2:15 Lit. asked Arioch, the king’s executioner
  19. Daniel 2:16 Lit. the king
  20. Daniel 2:16 Lit. for time
  21. Daniel 2:17 The Aram. lacks king’s
  22. Daniel 2:18 Lit. He
  23. Daniel 2:18 Lit. the wise men
  24. Daniel 2:21 Lit. he
  25. Daniel 2:24 Lit. All on account of that
  26. Daniel 2:24 Lit. the wise men
  27. Daniel 2:24 Lit. the wise men
  28. Daniel 2:24 Lit. the king
  29. Daniel 2:26 Lit. The king
  30. Daniel 2:26 The Aram. lacks Babylonian
  31. Daniel 2:26 Lit. dream I saw
  32. Daniel 2:27 Lit. answered and said before the king
  33. Daniel 2:27 Lit. the wise men
  34. Daniel 2:27 Or occult practitioners
  35. Daniel 2:27 Or those who gaze at entrails
  36. Daniel 2:27 The Aram. lacks to be made known
  37. Daniel 2:29 Lit. O King, and so throughout the book
  38. Daniel 2:29 The Aram. lacks to your mind
  39. Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
  40. Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
  41. Daniel 2:32 The Aram. lacks made
  42. Daniel 2:33 The Aram. lacks made
  43. Daniel 2:33 The Aram. lacks made
  44. Daniel 2:35 Lit. trace of them
  45. Daniel 2:35 Lit. became
  46. Daniel 2:38 Lit. sons of mankind
  47. Daniel 2:39 Or lower than
  48. Daniel 2:41 The Aram. lacks represent
  49. Daniel 2:43 Lit. seed
  50. Daniel 2:43 Or will develop alliances through intermarriages, and
  51. Daniel 2:44 Or kingdom
  52. Daniel 2:48 Lit. the wise men
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