^2:1In the second year of his¹ reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams.² His mind³ was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia.⁴^2:2The king issued an order⁵ to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men⁶ in order to explain his dreams to him.⁷ So they came and awaited the king’s instructions.⁸

^2:3The king told them, “I have had a dream,⁹ and I¹⁰ am anxious to understand the dream.”

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Footnotes

1 Heb “Nebuchadnezzar’s.” The possessive pronoun is substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Heb “dreamed dreams.” The plural is used here and in v. 2, but the singular in v. 3. The plural “dreams” has been variously explained. Some interpreters take the plural as denoting an indefinite singular (so §124.o). But it may be that it is describing a stream of related dreams, or a dream state. In the latter case, one might translate: “Nebuchadnezzar was in a trance.” See further, J. A. Montgomery, Daniel (), .
3 Heb “his spirit.”
4 Heb “his sleep left (?) him.” The use of the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) here is unusual. The context suggests a meaning such as “to be finished” or “gone.” Cf. Dan 8:27. Some scholars emend the verb to read נָדְדָה (nadédah, “fled”); cf. Dan 6:19. See further, 2:540 היה I Ni.3; היה nif; 227–28 הָיָה Niph.2.
5 Heb “said.” So also in v. 12.
6 Heb “Chaldeans.” The term Chaldeans (Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּים, kasdim) is used in the book of Daniel both in an ethnic sense and, as here, to refer to a caste of Babylonian wise men and astrologers.
7 Heb “to explain to the king his dreams.”
8 Heb “stood before the king.”
9 Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so , ).
10 Heb “my spirit.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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

NLTNew Living Translation

One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. So the king said to call the magicians and the conjurers and the sorcerers and the astrologers to tell to the king his dreams. And they came in and they stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

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