Daniel 2:1–24

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams ^ethat troubled him, and sleep deserted him. ^f2So the king gave orders to summon the diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans ^ghto 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 ^ijbegins here): “May the king live forever. ^kTell 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, ^land your houses will be made a garbage dump. ^m6But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you’ll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me. ⁿSo 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 give 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. ^oYou 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. ^pConsequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any diviner-priest, 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.” ^q12Because of this, the king became violently angry ^rand gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.

¹⁴Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, ^stwho had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁵He asked Arioch, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” ^uvThen Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. ¹⁶So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation.

¹⁷Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, ¹⁸urging them to ask the God of heaven ^wfor mercy ^xconcerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men. ^y19The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision ^zat night, and Daniel praised the God of heaven ²⁰and declared:

May the name of God

be praised forever and ever, ^a

for wisdom ^band power belong to Him.

²¹He changes the times and seasons;

He removes kings and establishes kings. ^c

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those

who have understanding. ^d

²²He reveals the deep and hidden things;

He knows what is in the darkness, ^e

and light dwells with Him. ^f

²³I offer thanks and praise to You,

God of my fathers, ^g

because You have given me

wisdom and power.

And now You have let me know

what we asked of You,

for You have let us know ^h

the king’s mystery. ⁱ

²⁴Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, ^jwhom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.” ^k