Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream 1In the secondyearof hisreign,Nebuchadnezzarhad dreamsthat troubledhis spirit,and sleepescapedhim.2So the kinggave ordersto summonthe magicians,enchanters,sorcerers,and astrologersto explainhis dreams.When they cameand stoodbeforethe king,3hesaid to them,“I have had a dream,and my spiritis anxiousto understandit.” 4Then the astrologersansweredthe kingin Aramaic,“O king,may you liveforever!Tellyour servantsthe dream,and we will givethe interpretation.” 5The kingrepliedto the astrologers,“My wordis final:Ifyou do nottell methe dreamand its interpretation,you will be cutinto piecesand your houseswill be reducedto rubble.6But ifyou tell methe dreamand its interpretation,you will receivefrommegiftsand rewardsand greathonor.Sotell methe dreamand its interpretation.” 7They answereda second time,“Let the kingtellthe dreamto his servants,and we will givethe interpretation.” 8The kingreplied,“Iknowforsurethatyouare stallingfor time,becauseyou seethatmywordis final.9Ifyou do nottell methe dream,there isonly onedecree for you.You have conspiredto speakbefore meFALSEand fraudulentwords,hopingthe situationwill change.Thereforetellmethe dream,and I will knowthatyou can give meits interpretation.” 10The astrologersansweredthe king,“Nooneon earthcandowhat the kingrequests!Noking,however greatand powerful,has ever askedanythinglike thisof anymagician,enchanter,or astrologer.11Whatthe kingrequestsis so difficultthat noonecan tell ittohimexceptthe gods,whosedwellingisnotwithmortals.” 12This response madethe kingsofuriouswith angerthat he gave ordersto destroyallthe wise menof Babylon.13So the decreewent outthat the wise menwere to be executed,and men went to look forDanieland his friendsto execute them. The Dream Revealed to Daniel 14WhenArioch,the commanderof the king’sguard,had gone outto executethe wise menof Babylon,Danielrepliedwith discretionand tact.15“Whyis the decreefromthe kingso harsh?”he asked. At this timeAriochexplainedthe situationto Daniel.16So Danielwent inand askedthe kingto givehimsome time,so that he could givehimthe interpretation. 17ThenDanielreturnedto his houseand explainedthe matterto his friendsHananiah,Mishael,and Azariah,18urging them to pleadfor mercyfromthe Godof heavenconcerningthismystery,so thatDanieland his friendswould notbe killedwiththe restof the wise menof Babylon. 19Duringthe night,the mysterywas revealedto Danielin a vision,and heblessedthe Godof heaven20and declared: “Blessedbethe nameofGodforeverandever, forwisdomand powerbelong to Him. 21Hechangesthe timesand seasons; He removeskingsand establishesthem. He giveswisdomto the wise and knowledgeto the discerning. 22Herevealsthe deepand hidden things; He knowswhatlies in darkness, and lightdwellswith Him. 23To You,O Godof my fathers, Igive thanksand praise, becauseYou have givenme wisdomand power. And nowYou have made known to me whatwe have requested, forYou have made known to us the dreamof the king.” Daniel Interprets the Dream 24ThereforeDanielwenttoArioch,whomthe kinghad appointedto destroythe wise menof Babylon,and saidto him,“Do notexecutethe wise menof Babylon!Bring mebeforethe king,and I will givehimthe interpretation.” 25AriochhastilybroughtDanielbeforethe kingand saidto him,“I have founda manamongthe exilesfrom Judahwhowill tellthe kingthe interpretation.” 26The kingrespondedto Daniel,whosenamewas Belteshazzar,“Are you ableto tell mewhatI sawin the dream,as well as its interpretation?” 27Danielansweredthe king,“Nowise man,enchanter,medium,or magiciancanexplainto the kingthe mysteryof whichheinquires.28Butthere isa Godin heavenwho revealsmysteries,and He has made knownto KingNebuchadnezzarwhatwill happenin the latterdays.Your dreamand the visionsthat came into your mindas you lay onyour bedwere these: 29As youlay onyour bed,O king,your thoughtsturnedtothe future,and the Revealerof Mysteriesmade known to youwhatwill happen.30And to methismysteryhas been revealed,notbecauseI havemore wisdomthanany manalive,butin order thatthe interpretationmight be made knownto the king,and that you may understandthe thoughtsof your mind. 31As you,O king,were watching,agreatstatueappeared.A greatand dazzlingstatuestoodbefore you,and its formwas awesome.32The headof the statuewas puregold,its chestand armswere silver,its bellyand thighswere bronze,33its legswere iron,and its feetwere partironand partclay. 34As youwatched,a stonewas cut out,but notby human hands.It struckthe statueonits feetofironand clay,and crushedthem.35Thenthe iron,clay,bronze,silver,and goldwere shatteredand becamelike chaffonthe threshing floorin summer.The windcarried themaway,andnota traceof themcould be found.But the stonethathad struckthe statuebecamea greatmountainand filledthe wholeearth. 36Thiswas the dream;now we will tellthe kingits interpretation. 37You,O king,are the kingof kings,to whomthe Godof heavenhas givensovereignty,power,strength,and glory.38Whereverthe sonsof menor beastsof the fieldor birdsof the airdwell,He has given theminto your handand has made you rulerover them all.You arethatheadofgold. 39But after you,there will ariseanotherkingdom,inferiorto yours. Next, athirdkingdom,one ofbronze,will rulethe wholeearth. 40Finally, there will bea fourthkingdomas strongas iron;forironshattersand crushesall things,and like ironthatcrushesall things,it will shatterand crushall the others.41And just asyou saw thatthe feetand toeswere madepartly offired clayand partly ofiron,so this will bea dividedkingdom,yetsome of the strengthofironwill be in it—just asyou sawthe ironmixedwith clay.42And as the toesof the feetwere partlyironand partlyclay,so this kingdomwill bepartlystrongand partlybrittle.43Asyou sawthe ironmixedwith clay,so the peopleswill mix with one another,but will nothold togetherany morethanironmixeswithclay. 44In the daysof thosekings,the Godof heavenwill set upa kingdomthatwill neverbe destroyed,nor willitbe leftto anotherpeople.It will shatterallthesekingdomsand bring them to an end,but will itself standforever.45And just asyou sawa stonebeing cut outof the mountainwithouthuman hands,and it shatteredthe iron,bronze,clay,silver,and gold,so the greatGodhas toldthe kingwhatwill happenin the future. The dreamis true,and its interpretationis trustworthy.” Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel 46At this,KingNebuchadnezzarfellonhis face,paid homageto Daniel,and orderedthat an offeringof incensebe presentedto him.47The kingsaidto Daniel,“Your Godis trulythe Godof godsand Lordof kings,the Revealerof Mysteries,sinceyou were ableto revealthismystery.” 48Thenthe kingpromotedDanieland gavehimmanygenerousgifts.He made him ruleroverthe entireprovinceof Babylonand chiefadministratoroverallthe wise menof Babylon.49And at Daniel’srequest,the kingappointedShadrach,Meshach,and Abednegotomanagethe provinceof Babylon,while Danielremained in the king’scourt. |
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