Daniel 2:1–12

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM

2In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams^w that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.^{x 2}So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans^By to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, ³he said to them, “I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it.”

⁴The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic^z begins here): “May the king live forever.^aa Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

⁵The king replied to the Chaldeans, “My word is final: If you don’t tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb,^D and your houses will be made a garbage dump.^{ab 6}But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you’ll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me.^a So make the dream and its interpretation known to me.”

⁷They answered a second time, “May the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will make known the interpretation.”

⁸The king replied, “I know for certain you are trying to gain some time, because you see that my word is final. ⁹If you don’t tell me the dream, there is one decree for you.^b You have conspired to tell me something false or fraudulent until the situation changes. So tell me the dream and I will know you can give me its interpretation.”

¹⁰The Chaldeans answered the king, “No one on earth can make known what the king requests.^c Consequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, medium, or Chaldean. ¹¹What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”^{d 12}Because of this, the king became violently angry^e and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.