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
.
Then spake the Chaldeans
to the king
in Syriack
, O king
, live
for ever
: tell
thy servants
the dream
, and we will shew
the interpretation
.
The king answered
and said
to the Chaldeans
, The thing
is gone
from me
: if
ye will not
make known
unto me the dream
, with the interpretation
thereof, ye shall be cut
in pieces
, and your houses
shall be made
a dunghill
.
But if ye shew
the dream
, and the interpretation
thereof, ye shall receive
of
me
gifts
and rewards
and great
honour
: therefore
shew
me the dream
, and the interpretation
thereof.
They answered again
and said
, Let the king
tell
his servants
the dream
, and we will shew
the interpretation
of it.
The king answered
and said
, I
know
of
certainty
that ye
would gain
the time
, because
ye see
the thing
is gone
from
me.
But if ye will not
make known
unto me the dream
, there is but one
decree
for you: for ye have prepared
lying
and corrupt
words
to speak
before
me, till
the time
be changed
: therefore
tell
me the dream
, and I shall know
that
ye can shew
me the interpretation
thereof.
The Chaldeans answered
before
the king
, and said
, There is
not
a man
upon
the earth
that can
shew
the king's
matter
: therefore
there is no
king
, lord
, nor ruler
, that asked
such
things
at any
magician
, or astrologer
, or Chaldean
.
And it is a rare thing
that the king
requireth
, and there is
none
other
that can shew
it before
the king
, except
the gods
, whose dwelling
is
not
with
flesh
.
For this
cause
the king
was angry
and very
furious
, and commanded
to destroy
all
the wise
men of Babylon
.
And the decree went forth
that the wise
men should be slain
; and they sought
Daniel
and his fellows
to be slain
.
Then Daniel
answered
with counsel
and wisdom
to Arioch
the captain
of
the king's
guard
, which was gone forth
to slay
the wise
men of Babylon
:
He answered and said
to Arioch
the king's
captain
, Why
is the decree
so hasty
from
the king
? Then
Arioch
made the thing
known
to Daniel
.
Then Daniel went in
, and desired
of
the king
that he would give
him time
, and that he would shew
the king
the interpretation
.
Then Daniel
went
to his house
, and made the thing
known
to Hananiah
, Mishael
, and Azariah
, his companions
:
That they would desire mercies
of
the God
of heaven
concerning
this
secret
; that Daniel
and his fellows
should not
perish
with
the rest
of the wise
men of Babylon
.
Then was the secret
revealed
unto Daniel
in a night
vision
. Then
Daniel
blessed
the God
of heaven
.
Daniel answered
and said
, Blessed
be
the name
of God
for
ever
and ever
: for wisdom
and might
are
his:
And he changeth the times
and the seasons
: he removeth
kings
, and setteth up
kings
: he giveth
wisdom
unto the wise
, and knowledge
to them that know
understanding
:
He revealeth the deep
and secret things
: he knoweth
what
is in the darkness
, and the light
dwelleth
with him
.
I thank
thee, and praise
thee, O thou God
of my fathers
, who hast given
me wisdom
and might
, and hast made known
unto me now
what we desired
of thee
: for thou hast now made known
unto us the king's
matter
.
Therefore Daniel
went in
unto
Arioch
, whom the king
had ordained
to destroy
the wise
men of Babylon
: he went
and said
thus
unto him; Destroy
not
the wise
men of Babylon
: bring me in
before
the king
, and I will shew
unto the king
the interpretation
.
Then Arioch
brought in
Daniel
before
the king
in haste
, and said
thus
unto him, I have found
a man
of the captives
of
Judah
, that will make known
unto the king
the interpretation
.
The king answered
and said
to Daniel
, whose name
was Belteshazzar
, Art
thou able
to make known
unto me the dream
which I have seen
, and the interpretation
thereof?
Daniel answered
in the presence
of the king
, and said
, The secret
which the king
hath demanded
cannot
the wise
men , the astrologers
, the magicians
, the soothsayers
, shew
unto the king
;
But there is
a God
in heaven
that revealeth
secrets
, and maketh known
to the king
Nebuchadnezzar
what
shall be
in the latter
days
. Thy dream
, and the visions
of thy head
upon
thy bed
, are these
;
As for thee, O king
, thy thoughts
came
into thy mind upon
thy bed
, what
should come to pass
hereafter
: and he that revealeth
secrets
maketh known
to thee what
shall come to pass
.
But as for me, this
secret
is not
revealed
to me for any wisdom
that I have
more than
any
living
, but
for their sakes
that
shall make known
the interpretation
to the king
, and that thou mightest know
the thoughts
of thy heart
.
Thou, O king
, sawest
, and behold
a great
image
. This
great
image
, whose brightness
was excellent
, stood
before
thee; and the form
thereof was terrible
.
This image's head
was of fine
gold
, his breast
and his arms
of silver
, his belly
and his thighs
of brass
,
His legs of iron
, his feet
part
of iron
and part
of clay
.
Thou sawest till
that a stone
was cut out
without
hands
, which smote
the image
upon
his feet
that were of iron
and clay
, and brake
them
to pieces
.
Then was the iron
, the clay
, the brass
, the silver
, and the gold
, broken to pieces
together
, and became
like the chaff
of
the summer
threshingfloors
; and the wind
carried
them
away
, that
no
place
was found
for them: and the stone
that smote
the image
became
a great
mountain
, and filled
the whole
earth
.
This is the dream
; and we will tell
the interpretation
thereof before
the king
.
Thou, O king
, art a king
of kings
: for the God
of heaven
hath given
thee a kingdom
, power
, and strength
, and glory
.
And wheresoever the children
of men
dwell
, the beasts
of the field
and the fowls
of the heaven
hath he given
into thine hand
, and hath made thee ruler
over them all
. Thou
art this head
of gold
.
And after thee shall arise
another
kingdom
inferior
to thee
, and another
third
kingdom
of brass
, which shall bear rule
over all
the earth
.
And the fourth kingdom
shall be
strong
as iron
: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces
and subdueth
all
things : and as
iron
that breaketh
all
these
, shall it break in pieces
and bruise
.
And whereas thou sawest the feet
and toes
, part
of potters
' clay
, and part
of iron
, the kingdom
shall be
divided
; but
there shall be
in it of
the strength
of the iron
, forasmuch as
thou sawest
the iron
mixed
with miry
clay
.
And as the toes of the feet
were part
of iron
, and part
of clay
, so the kingdom
shall be
partly
strong
, and partly
broken
.
And whereas thou sawest
iron
mixed
with miry
clay
, they shall mingle themselves
with the seed
of men
: but they shall
not
cleave
one
to
another
, even
as iron
is not
mixed
with clay
.
And in the days of these
kings
shall the God
of heaven
set up
a kingdom
, which shall never
be destroyed
: and the kingdom
shall not
be left
to other
people
, but it shall break in pieces
and consume
all
these
kingdoms
, and it
shall stand
for ever
.
Forasmuch as thou sawest
that the stone
was cut out
of the mountain
without
hands
, and that it brake in pieces
the iron
, the brass
, the clay
, the silver
, and the gold
; the great
God
hath made known
to the king
what
shall come to pass
hereafter
: and the dream
is certain
, and the interpretation
thereof sure
.
Then the king
Nebuchadnezzar
fell
upon
his face
, and worshipped
Daniel
, and commanded
that they should offer
an oblation
and sweet odours
unto him.
The king answered
unto Daniel
, and said
, Of
a truth
it is , that
your God
is a God
of gods
, and a Lord
of kings
, and a revealer
of secrets
, seeing thou couldest
reveal
this
secret
.
Then the king
made
Daniel
a great man
, and gave
him many
great
gifts
, and made him ruler
over
the whole
province
of Babylon
, and chief
of the governors
over
all
the wise
men of Babylon
.
Then Daniel requested
of
the king
, and he set
Shadrach
, Meshach
, and Abednego
, over
the affairs
of the province
of Babylon
: but Daniel
sat in the gate
of the king
.