Daniel 2
2
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. It worried him so much that he couldn't sleep, 2#Gen 41.8so he sent for his fortune tellers, magicians, sorcerers, and wizards to come and explain the dream to him. When they came and stood before the king, 3he said to them, “I'm worried about a dream I have had. I want to know what it means.”
4They answered the king in Aramaic,#2.4 From here to the end of chapter 7, the language used is Aramaic, not Hebrew. “May Your Majesty live for ever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you.”
5The king said to them, “I have made up my mind that you must tell me the dream and then tell me what it means. If you can't, I'll have you torn limb from limb and make your houses a pile of ruins. 6But if you can tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honour. Now then, tell me what the dream was and what it means.”
7They answered the king again, “If Your Majesty will only tell us what the dream was, we will explain it.”
8At that, the king exclaimed, “Just as I thought! You are trying to gain time, because you see that I have made up my mind 9to give all of you the same punishment if you don't tell me the dream. You have agreed among yourselves to go on telling me lies because you hope that in time things will change. Tell me what the dream was, and then I will know that you can also tell me what it means.”
10The advisers replied, “There is no one on the face of the earth who can tell Your Majesty what you want to know. No king, not even the greatest and most powerful, has ever made such a demand of his fortune tellers, magicians, and wizards. 11What Your Majesty is asking for is so difficult that no one can do it for you except the gods, and they do not live among human beings.”
12At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the execution of all the royal advisers in Babylon. 13So the order was issued for all of them to be killed, including Daniel and his friends.
God Shows Daniel what the Dream Means
14Then Daniel went to Arioch, commander of the king's bodyguard, who had been ordered to carry out the execution. Choosing his words carefully, 15he asked Arioch why the king had issued such a harsh order. So Arioch told Daniel what had happened.
16Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. 17Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon. 19Then that same night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he praised the God of heaven:
20“God is wise and powerful!
Praise him for ever and ever.
21He controls the times and the seasons;
he makes and unmakes kings;
it is he who gives wisdom and understanding.
22He reveals things that are deep and secret;
he knows what is hidden in darkness,
and he himself is surrounded by light.
23I praise you and honour you, God of my ancestors.
You have given me wisdom and strength;
you have answered my prayer
and shown us what to tell the king.”
Daniel Tells the King the Dream and Explains it
24So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had commanded to execute the royal advisers. He said to him, “Don't put them to death. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
25At once Arioch took Daniel into King Nebuchadnezzar's presence and told the king, “I have found one of the Jewish exiles, who can tell Your Majesty the meaning of your dream.”
26The king said to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar), “Can you tell me what I dreamt and what it means?”
27Daniel replied, “Your Majesty, there is no wizard, magician, fortune teller, or astrologer who can tell you that. 28But there is a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries. He has informed Your Majesty what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you the dream, the vision you had while you were asleep.
29“While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamt about the future; and God, who reveals mysteries, showed you what is going to happen. 30Now, this mystery was revealed to me, not because I am wiser than anyone else, but so that Your Majesty may learn the meaning of your dream and understand the thoughts that have come to you.
31“Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at. 32Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze; 33its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34While you were looking at it, a great stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. 35At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the stone grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth.
36“This was the dream. Now I will tell Your Majesty what it means. 37Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. The God of heaven has made you emperor and given you power, might, and honour. 38He has made you ruler of all the inhabited earth and ruler over all the animals and birds. You are the head of gold. 39After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours, and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. 40And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires. 41You also saw that the feet and the toes were partly clay and partly iron. This means that it will be a divided empire. It will have something of the strength of iron, because there was iron mixed with the clay. 42The toes — partly iron and partly clay — mean that part of the empire will be strong and part of it weak. 43You also saw that the iron was mixed with the clay. This means that the rulers of that empire will try to unite their families by intermarriage, but they will not be able to, any more than iron can mix with clay. 44At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires, and then last for ever. 45You saw how a stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it and how it struck the statue made of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God is telling Your Majesty what will happen in the future. I have told you exactly what you dreamt, and have given you its true meaning.”
The King Rewards Daniel
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed to the ground and gave orders for sacrifices and offerings to be made to Daniel. 47The king said, “Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery.” 48Then he gave Daniel a high position, presented him with many splendid gifts, put him in charge of the province of Babylon, and made him the head of all the royal advisers. 49At Daniel's request the king put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon; Daniel, however, remained at the royal court.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Daniel 2
2
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
1Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; #Gen. 40:5–8; 41:1, 8; Job33:15–17; Dan. 2:3; 4:5and his spirit was so troubled that #Esth. 6:1; Dan. 6:18his sleep left him. 2#Gen. 41:8; Ex. 7:11; Is. 47:12, 13; Dan. 1:20; 2:10, 27; 4:6; 5:7Then 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 know the dream.”
4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, #1 Kin. 1:31; Dan. 3:9; 5:10; 6:6, 21“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be #2 Kin. 10:27; Ezra 6:11; Dan. 3:29cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 6#Dan. 5:16However, 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 time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can 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 difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king #Gen. 41:39; Dan. 5:11except 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 #Dan. 1:19, 20Daniel 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 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#(Dan. 9:9; Matt. 18:19)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 #Num. 12:6; Job 33:15; (Prov. 3:32); Amos 3:7in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20Daniel answered and said:
#Ps. 113:2“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
#(1 Chr. 29:11, 12; Job 12:13; Ps. 147:5; Jer. 32:19; Matt. 6:13; Rom. 11:33)For wisdom and might are His.
21And He changes #Ps. 31:15; Esth. 1:13; Dan. 2:9; 7:25the times and the seasons;
#Job 12:18; (Ps. 75:6, 7; Jer. 27:5; Dan. 4:35)He removes kings and raises up kings;
#1 Kin. 3:9, 10; 4:29; (James 1:5)He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22#Job 12:22; Ps. 25:14; (Prov. 3:22)He reveals deep and secret things;
#Job 26:6; Ps. 139:12; (Is. 45:7; Jer. 23:24; Heb. 4:13)He knows what is in the darkness,
And #(Ps. 36:9); Dan. 5:11, 14; (1 Tim. 6:16; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5)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 #Ps. 21:2, 4; Dan. 2:18, 29, 30asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s 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 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#Gen. 40:8; Amos 4:13But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar #Gen. 49:1; Is. 2:2; Dan. 10:14; Mic. 4:1what 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; #(Dan. 2:22, 28)and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30#Acts 3:12But 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, #Dan. 2:47and that you may 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#Dan. 2:38, 45This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34You watched while a stone was cut out #Dan. 8:25; (Zech. 4:6); 2 Cor. 5:1; Heb. 9:24without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35#Dan. 7:23–27; (Rev. 16:14)Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became #Ps. 1:4; Is. 17:13; 41:15, 16; Hos. 13:3like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that #Ps. 37:10, 36no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image #(Is. 2:2, 3); Mic. 4:1became a great mountain #Ps. 80:9and filled the whole earth.
36“This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37#Ezra 7:12; Is. 47:5; Jer. 27:6, 7; Ezek. 26:7; Hos. 8:10You, O king, are a king of kings. #Ezra 1:2For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38#Ps. 50:10, 11; Jer. 27:6; Dan. 4:21, 22and 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—#Dan. 2:32you are this head of gold. 39But after you shall arise #Dan. 5:28, 31another kingdom #Dan. 2:32inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40And #Dan. 7:7, 23the 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, #Dan. 7:24so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly 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 #Dan. 2:28, 37the God of heaven will set up a kingdom #Is. 9:6, 7; Ezek. 37:25; Dan. 4:3, 34; 6:26; 7:14, 27; Mic. 4:7; (Luke 1:32, 33)which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; #Ps. 2:9; Is. 60:12; Dan. 2:34, 35; (1 Cor. 15:24)it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45#Dan. 2:35; Is. 28:16Inasmuch 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#Dan. 3:5, 7; Acts 10:25; 14:13; Rev. 19:10; 22:8Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering #Lev. 26:31; Ezra 6:10and incense to him. 47The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly #Dan. 3:28, 29; 4:34–37your God is the God of #(Deut. 10:17)gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” 48#(Prov. 14:35; 21:1)Then the king promoted Daniel #Dan. 2:6and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and #Dan. 4:9; 5:11chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49Also Daniel petitioned the king, #Dan. 1:7; 3:12and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel #Esth. 2:19, 21, 3:2; Amos 5:15sat in the gate of the king.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.