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

In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. His spirit was troubled and he could not sleep.

2 T hen 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.

Then the king called for the wonder-workers, those who used secret ways, those who learned from stars, to tell the king what he had dreamed. So they came in and stood in front of the king.

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

The king said to them, “I had a dream that troubles me, and I want to know what the dream means.”

4 T hen 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.

Then those who learn from stars said to the king in the Aramaic language, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will tell you what it means.”

5 T he 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.

The king answered, saying, “My word is sure. If you do not tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn apart and your houses will be laid waste.

6 B ut 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.

But if you tell me the dream and what it means, I will give you gifts and riches and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means.”

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

They answered the king a second time, saying, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will tell you what it means.”

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

The king said, “I am sure that you are trying to get more time, because you see that my word is sure.

9 B ut 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.

You know that if you do not tell me what I dreamed, there is only one penalty for you. You have agreed among yourselves to keep telling me lies until things change. So tell me the dream. Then I will know that you can tell me what it means.”

10 T he 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.

Those who learn from stars answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can do this for the king. For no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any wonder-worker or one who learns from stars.

11 A nd 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.

What the king asks is too hard. No one can do it for you except the gods, who do not live among men.”

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

Because of this the king became very angry and said that all the wise men of Babylon must be destroyed.

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

So the law was sent out that the wise men must be killed. They looked for Daniel and his friends, to kill them also. God Shows Daniel the Meaning of the Dream

14 T hen 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;

Then Daniel spoke with wisdom and understanding to Arioch, the captain of the soldiers who watched over the king, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

15 h e 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.

He said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the king’s law so hard?” Then Arioch told him what had happened.

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

So Daniel went in and asked the king for time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant.

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

Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, what had happened.

18 t hat they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should nor perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

He told them to ask for loving-pity from the God of heaven about this secret, so that Daniel and his friends might not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon.

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

Then the secret was made known to Daniel in a special dream during the night. He gave honor and thanks to the God of heaven.

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

Daniel said, “Let the name of God be honored forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

21 A nd 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;

He changes the times and the years. He takes kings away, and puts kings in power. He gives wisdom to wise men and much learning to men of understanding.

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

He makes known secret and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness. Light is with Him.

23 I 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.

I give thanks and praise to You, O God of my fathers. For You have given me wisdom and power. Even now You have made known what we asked of You. You have made the king’s dream known to us.” Daniel Tells the Meaning to the King

24 T herefore 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.

So Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had told to kill the wise men of Babylon. He went and said to him, “Do not kill the wise men of Babylon! Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”

25 T hen 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.

Then Arioch brought Daniel to the king in a hurry, and said to him, “I have found a man among those brought out of Judah who can tell the king the meaning of his dream!”

26 T he 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?

The king said to Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me the dream I had, and what it means?”

27 D aniel 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;

Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, wonder-workers, or men who use secret ways can make this dream known to the king.

28 b ut 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:

But there is a God in heaven who makes secrets known. And He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. This was the special dream you had while you were on your bed.

29 a s 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.

O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future. And He Who makes secrets known has let you know what will happen.

30 B ut 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.

But this secret has not been made known to me because I am wiser than any other living man. It was made known to me so that I can make it known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

31 T hou, 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.

“O king, you were looking and saw a great object. The object was large and very bright, and it was standing in front of you. It filled you with fear and wonder as you looked at it.

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

The object’s head was made of fine gold. Its breast and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and thighs were made of brass.

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

Its legs were made of iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.

34 T hou 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.

While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It fell and hit the large object on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

35 T hen 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.

Then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like dust on the grain-floor in the summer. The wind carried the dust away so nothing was to be found. But the stone that hit the large object became a large mountain and filled the whole earth.

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

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

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

You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you the nation, the power, the strength, and the honor.

38 a nd 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.

In every place where people live, or the animals of the field, or the birds of the air, He has given them to you and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

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

After you there will be another nation that is not as great as yours. A third nation of brass will come, which will rule over all the earth.

40 A nd 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.

Then there will be a fourth nation, as strong as iron. Iron crushes and breaks all things. So, like iron breaks things to pieces, this nation will crush and break all the others.

41 A nd 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.

Just as you saw the feet and toes made of part clay and part iron, it will be a divided nation. But it will have some of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with the clay.

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

As the toes of the feet were made of part iron and part clay, so some of the nation will be strong and part of it will be weak.

43 A nd 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.

As you saw the iron mixed with clay, they will try to join with one another. But they will not stay together any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 A nd 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.

In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a nation which will never be destroyed. And it will never be taken by another people. It will crush and put an end to all these nations, but it will last forever.

45 F orasmuch 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.

You saw how a stone was cut out of the mountain by no human hands, and how it crushed the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true. And I have given you its true meaning.” Daniel Becomes Ruler of Babylon

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

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and gave honor to Daniel. He had a gift and special perfume brought to him.

47 T he 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.

The king said to Daniel, “For sure your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and He makes hidden things known. For you have been able to make known this secret.”

48 T hen 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.

Then the king gave Daniel much power and gave him many great gifts. He made him ruler over the whole land of Babylon and the head of all the wise men of Babylon.

49 A nd 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.

And Daniel asked the king to put Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego as leaders over the land of Babylon, while Daniel stayed near the king.