Daniel 2:1–23

¹In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. ²Then 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. ³And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” ⁴Then the Chaldeans said to the king,^a “O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” ⁵The king answered the Chaldeans, “The word from me is sure: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. ⁶But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” ⁷They answered a second time, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” ⁸The king answered, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is sure ⁹that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” ¹⁰The Chaldeans answered the king, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand; for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. ¹¹The thing that the king asks is difficult, and none can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

¹²Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. ¹³So the decree went forth that the wise men were to be slain, and they sought Daniel and his companions, to slay them. ¹⁴Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ari-och, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon; ¹⁵he said to Ari-och, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so severe?” Then Ari-och made the matter known to Daniel. ¹⁶And Daniel went in and besought the king to appoint him a time, that he might show to the king the interpretation.

¹⁷Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Misha-el, and Azariah, his companions, ¹⁸and told them to seek mercy of the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. ²⁰Daniel said:

“Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever.

to whom belong wisdom and might.

²¹He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

²²he reveals deep and mysterious things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

²³To thee, O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,

for thou hast given me wisdom and strength,

and hast now made known to me what we asked of thee,

for thou hast made known to us the king’s matter.”