Daniel, 2

1. In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a series of dreams; he was perturbed by this and sleep deserted him.

1. In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez'zar, Nebuchadnez'zar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.

2. The king then had magicians and soothsayers, sorcerers and Chaldaeans summoned to tell him what his dreams meant. They arrived and stood in the king's presence.

2. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chalde'ans be summoned, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

3. The king said to them, 'I have had a dream, and my mind is troubled by a wish to understand it.'

3. And the king said to them, "I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream."

4. The Chaldaeans answered the king: 'May your majesty live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we shall reveal its meaning for you.'

4. Then the Chalde'ans said to the king, "O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

5. The king answered the Chaldaeans, 'This is my firm resolve: if you cannot tell me what I dreamt and what it means, I shall have you torn limb from limb and your houses turned into dunghills.

5. The king answered the Chalde'ans, "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.

6. If, on the other hand, you can tell me what I dreamt and what it means, I shall give you presents, rewards and high honour. So tell me what I dreamt and what it means.'

6. But 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."

7. A second time they said, 'Let the king tell his dream to his servants, and we shall reveal its meaning.'

7. They answered a second time, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation."

8. But the king retorted, 'It is plain to me that you are trying to gain time, knowing my proclaimed resolve.

8. The king answered, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is sure

9. If you do not interpret my dream for me, there will be but one sentence passed on you all; you have agreed among yourselves to make me misleading and tortuous speeches while the time goes by. So tell me what my dream was, and then I shall know whether you can interpret it.'

9. that 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."

10. The Chaldaeans answered the king, 'Nobody in the world could explain the king's problem; what is more, no other king, governor or chief would think of putting such a question to any magician, soothsayer or Chaldaean.

10. The Chalde'ans 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 Chalde'an.

11. The question the king asks is difficult, and no one can find the king an answer to it, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.'

11. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and none can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

12. At this the king flew into a rage and ordered all the Babylonian sages to be put to death.

12. Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

13. On publication of the decree to have the sages killed, search was made for Daniel and his companions to have them put to death.

13. So the decree went forth that the wise men were to be slain, and they sought Daniel and his companions, to slay them.

14. Then, with shrewd and cautious words, Daniel approached Arioch, the king's chief executioner, when he was on his way to kill the Babylonian sages.

14. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ar'i-och, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon;

15. To this royal official Arioch he said, 'Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?' Arioch explained matters to Daniel,

15. he said to Ar'i-och, the king's captain, "Why is the decree of the king so severe?" Then Ar'i-och made the matter known to Daniel.

16. and Daniel went off to ask the king for a stay of execution to give him the opportunity of revealing his interpretation to the king.

16. And Daniel went in and besought the king to appoint him a time, that he might show to the king the interpretation.

17. Daniel then went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah what had happened,

17. Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah, his companions,

18. urging them to beg the God of heaven to show his mercy and explain the mysterious secret, so that Daniel and his friends might be spared the fate of the other Babylonian sages.

18. and 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.

19. The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a night-vision, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

19. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20. This is what Daniel said: May the name of God be blessed for ever and ever, since wisdom and power are his alone.

20. Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. to whom belong wisdom and might.

21. It is he who controls the procession of times and seasons, who makes and unmakes kings, who confers wisdom on the wise, and knowledge on those with discernment,

21. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

22. who uncovers depths and mysteries, who knows what lies in darkness; and light dwells with him.

22. he reveals deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

23. To you, God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise for having given me wisdom and strength: to me you have explained what we asked you, to us you have explained the king's problem.

23. To 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."

24. So Daniel went to see Arioch, whom the king had made responsible for putting the Babylonian sages to death. Going in, he said, 'Do not put the Babylonian sages to death. Take me into the king's presence and I will reveal the meaning to the king.'

24. Therefore Daniel went in to Ar'i-och, 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; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation."

25. Arioch lost no time in bringing Daniel to the king. 'Among the exiles from Judah,' he said, 'I have discovered a man who can reveal the meaning to the king.'

25. Then Ar'i-och brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus to him: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can make known to the king the interpretation."

26. The king said to Daniel (who had been given the name Belteshazzar), 'Can you tell me what I dreamt and what it means?'

26. The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshaz'zar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?"

27. Facing the king, Daniel replied, 'None of the sages, soothsayers, magicians or exorcists has been able to tell the king the truth of the mystery which the king has propounded;

27. Daniel answered the king, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked,

28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and who has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what is to take place in the final days. These, then, are the dream and the visions that passed through your head as you lay in bed:

28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnez'zar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:

29. 'Your Majesty, on your bed your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries disclosed to you what is to take place.

29. To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.

30. This mystery has been revealed to me, not that I am wiser than anyone else, but for this sole purpose: that the king should learn what it means, and that you should understand your inmost thoughts.

30. But as for me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living has this mystery been revealed to me, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

31. 'You have had a vision, Your Majesty; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see.

31. "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.

32. The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,

32. The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,

33. its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part clay.

33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

34. While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and clay and shattered them.

34. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces;

35. Then, iron and clay, bronze, silver and gold, all broke into pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole world.

35. then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36. This was the dream; we shall now explain to the king what it means.

36. "This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

37. 'You, Your Majesty, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and honour-

37. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,

38. human beings, wild animals, birds of the air, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all -- you are the golden head.

38. and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, making you rule over them all -- you are the head of gold.

39. And, after you, another kingdom will rise, not as great as yours, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world.

39. After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

40. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that pulverises and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms.

40. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.

41. The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together.

41. And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay.

42. The feet were part iron, part potter's clay: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

42. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.

43. And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in human seed; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with clay.

43. As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

44. In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms and itself last for ever-

44. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever;

45. just as you saw a stone, untouched by hand, break away from the mountain and reduce iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold to powder. The Great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.'

45. just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

46. At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel; he gave orders for Daniel to be offered an oblation and a fragrant sacrifice.

46. Then King Nebuchadnez'zar fell upon his face, and did homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.

47. The king said to Daniel, 'Your god is indeed the God of gods, the Master of kings, and the Revealer of Mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.'

47. The king said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery."

48. The king then conferred high rank on Daniel and gave him many handsome presents. He also made him governor of the whole province of Babylon and head of all the sages of Babylon.

48. Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

49. At Daniel's request, the king entrusted the affairs of the province of Babylon to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego; Daniel himself remained in attendance on the king.

49. Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed'nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel remained at the king's court.