1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar , Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams ; and his spirit was troubled , and his sleep went from him . 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 . 3And the king said unto them , I have dreamed a dream , and my spirit is troubled to know the dream . 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 . 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 . 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 . 7They answered the second time and said , Let the king tell his servants the dream , and we will show the interpretation . 8The king answered and said , I know of a certainty that ye would gain time , because ye see the thing is gone from me . 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 . 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 . 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 . 12For this cause the king was angry and very furious , and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13So the decree went forth , and the wise men were to be slain ; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain .
Daniel's Response
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; 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 . 16And Daniel went in , and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time , and he would show the king the interpretation . 17Then Daniel went to his house , and made the thing known to Hananiah , Mishael , and Azariah , his companions : 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. 19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night . Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven . 20Daniel answered and said , Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever ; for wisdom and might are his . 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 ; 22he revealeth the deep and secret things ; he knoweth what is in the darkness , and the light dwelleth 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 .
The Revelation of the Dream
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 . 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 . 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 ? 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 ; 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 : 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 . 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 .
Interpretation of the Dream
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 . 32As for this image , its head was of fine gold , its breast and its arms of silver , its belly and its thighs of brass , 33its legs of iron , its feet part of iron , and part of 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 . 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. 36This is the dream ; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king . 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 ; 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 . 39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee ; and another third kingdom of brass , which shall bear rule over all the 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 .
Nebuchadnezzar's Response and Daniel's Promotion
46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel , and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto 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 . 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. 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 .