Daniel 2

1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

1In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he had dreams that troubled him so much he couldn't sleep.

2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they arrived, they stood before the king.

3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.

3The king said to them, 'I have had a dream that worries me, and I want to understand what it means.'

4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

4Then the astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic, 'May the king live forever! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.'

5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

5The king answered the astrologers, 'I have made up my mind: if you do not tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of trash.'

6But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof.

6'But if you tell me the dream and explain it, I will give you gifts, rewards, and great honor. So tell me the dream and its meaning.'

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

7They answered him a second time, 'Let the king tell his servants the dream, and then we will explain it.'

8The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

8The king replied, 'I know for sure that you are just trying to stall for time, because you see that I have made a firm decision.'

9But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law 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 show me the interpretation thereof.

9'If you don't tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me lies and wicked things, hoping things will change. So tell me the dream, and then I will know you can explain it.'

10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.

10The astrologers answered the king, 'There is not a person on earth who can do what the king asks! No great and powerful king has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.'

11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

11'What the king is asking is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among human beings.'

12For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon.

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

13The decree was sent out to kill the wise men, and officials went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them as well.

14Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;

14When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to kill the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.

15he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

15He asked Arioch, the king’s official, 'Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?' Arioch then explained the whole situation to Daniel.

16And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

16Daniel went to the king and asked for more time so that he could give the king the interpretation.

17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

17Then Daniel went home and explained the situation to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

18that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

18He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven regarding this secret, so that he and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

19During the night, the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.

20Daniel said: 'Praise the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.'

21And 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 have understanding;

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

22he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

22'He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in the darkness, and light lives with him.'

23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter.

23'I thank you and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and power. You have told me what we asked for; you have revealed the king’s dream to us.'

24Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed 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 show unto the king the interpretation.

24Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said, 'Do not kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will explain his dream to him.'

25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

25Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, 'I have found a man among the captives from Judah who can tell the king the meaning of his dream.'

26The 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?

26The king asked Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar), 'Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and what it means?'

27Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king;

27Daniel replied to the king, 'No wise man, enchanter, magician, or fortune-teller can explain to the king the secret he has asked about.'

28but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made 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:

28'But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. This was your dream and the vision you had as you lay on your bed:'

29as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.

29'While you were lying there, O king, your thoughts turned to things to come, and the Revealer of Secrets showed you what is going to happen.'

30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart.

30'As for me, this secret was not revealed to me because I am wiser than anyone else, but so that you, O king, may know the meaning and understand what went through your mind.'

31Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible.

31'In your vision, O king, you saw a huge statue. It was a giant, shining statue that stood before you, and its appearance was terrifying.'

32As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,

32'The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,'

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

33'its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay.'

34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces.

34'While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.'

35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

35'Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were all broken into pieces at the same time. They became like chaff on a threshing floor in summer; the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.'

36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

36'This was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means.'

37Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;

37'You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.'

38and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.

38'He has placed in your hands all of humanity, the animals of the field, and the birds of the sky; he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.'

39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

39'After you, another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom of bronze will rule over the whole earth.'

40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.

40'Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything. Just as iron shatters things, it will shatter and crush all the others.'

41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

41'You saw the feet and toes were partly baked clay and partly iron; this means it will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron in it, just as you saw iron mixed with clay.'

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

42'As the toes were part iron and part clay, this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile.'

43And whereas thou sawest the 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 doth not mingle with clay.

43'And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, the people will be a mixture but will not remain united, just as iron does not mix with clay.'

44And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

44'In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.'

45Forasmuch as thou sawest that a 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.

45'This is the meaning of the vision of the stone cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a stone that shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true and its meaning is certain.'

46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.

46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and honored Daniel, ordering that an offering and incense be presented to him.

47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.

47The king said to Daniel, 'Your God is surely the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of secrets, since you were able to reveal this mystery.'

48Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many expensive gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.

49And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.

49At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.