Chapter 2

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed¹ dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled,¹⁰¹ and his sleep brake⁸ from him.

Then the king commanded⁴ to call² the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers,¹⁸ and the Chaldeans, for to shew⁵³ the king his dreams. So they came⁴ and stood⁴ before the king.

And the king said⁴ unto them, I have dreamed¹ a dream, and my spirit was troubled¹¹ to know² the dream.

Then spake¹⁷ the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live⁵⁹ for ever: tell⁵⁹ thy servants the dream, and we will shew⁷⁰ the interpretation.

The king answered⁶¹ and said⁶¹ to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone⁵⁷ from me: if ye will not make known⁸⁸ unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut⁷⁹ in pieces, and your houses shall be made⁷⁹ a dunghill.

But if ye shew⁸⁸ the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive⁷⁰ of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew⁸⁷ me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

They answered⁵⁷ again and said,⁶¹ Let the king tell⁶⁰ his servants the dream, and we will shew⁸⁸ the interpretation of it.

The king answered⁶¹ and said,⁶¹ I know⁶² of certainty that ye would gain⁶¹ the time, because ³⁶⁰⁶ ye see⁵⁷ the thing is gone⁵⁷ from me.

But if ye will not make known⁸⁸ unto me the dream, [there is but] one ²²⁹⁸ decree for you: for ye have prepared⁷³ lying and corrupt⁶³ words to speak⁵⁸ before me, till the time be changed:⁷⁵ therefore tell⁵⁹ me the dream, and I shall know⁶⁰ that ye can shew⁸⁸ me the interpretation thereof.

The Chaldeans answered⁵⁷ before the king, and said,⁶¹ There is not a man upon the earth that can⁶⁰ shew⁸⁶ the king's matter: therefore ^{6903 1768} [there is] no ³⁶⁰⁶ king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked⁵⁷ such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth,⁶² and there is none other that can shew⁷⁰ it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

For this cause ^{6903 1836} the king was angry⁵⁷ and very furious,⁵⁷ and commanded⁵⁷ to destroy⁸⁶ all the wise [men] of Babylon.

And the decree went forth⁵⁷ that the wise [men] should be slain;⁷⁸ and they sought⁵⁷ Daniel and his fellows to be slain.⁷⁶

Then Daniel answered⁸⁵ with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth⁵⁷ to slay⁶⁸ the wise [men] of Babylon:

He answered⁶¹ and said⁶¹ to Arioch the king's captain, Why ⁵⁹²² [is] the decree [so] hasty⁸⁹ from ⁶⁹²⁵ the king? Then Arioch made the thing known⁸⁵ to Daniel.

Then Daniel went in,⁵⁷ and desired⁵⁷ of the king that he would give⁶⁰ him time, and that he would shew⁸⁶ the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went⁵⁷ to his house, and made the thing known⁸⁵ to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

That they would desire⁵⁸ mercies of ⁶⁹²⁵ the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish⁸⁸ with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon.

Then was the secret revealed⁶³ unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed⁶⁷ the God of heaven.

Daniel answered⁶¹ and said,⁶¹ Blessed⁷¹ be⁶⁰ the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

And he changeth⁸⁹ the times and the seasons: he removeth⁸⁹ kings, and setteth up⁸⁹ kings: he giveth⁶² wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know⁶² understanding:

He revealeth⁶² the deep and secret things:⁷¹ he knoweth⁶² what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth⁵⁷ with him.

I thank⁸⁹ thee, and praise⁷¹ thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given⁵⁷ me wisdom and might, and hast made known⁸⁵ unto me now what we desired⁵⁷ of thee: for thou hast [now] made known⁸⁵ unto us the king's matter.

Therefore ^{6903 1836} Daniel went in⁵⁷ unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained⁶⁷ to destroy⁸⁶ the wise [men] of Babylon: he went⁵⁷ and said⁵⁷ thus unto him; Destroy⁸⁸ not the wise [men] of Babylon: bring me in⁸⁷ before the king, and I will shew⁷⁰ unto the king the interpretation.

Then Arioch brought in⁸⁵ Daniel before the king in haste,⁷⁸ and said⁵⁷ thus unto him, I have found⁸⁵ a man of the captives ¹⁵⁴⁷ of Judah, that will make known⁸⁸ unto the king the interpretation.

The king answered⁶¹ and said⁶¹ to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art thou able⁶² to make known⁸⁶ unto me the dream which I have seen,⁵⁷ and the interpretation thereof?

Daniel answered⁶¹ in the presence of the king, and said,⁶¹ The secret which the king hath demanded⁶² cannot ^{3202 61} the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers,⁶¹ shew⁸⁶ unto the king;

But there is a God in heaven that revealeth⁶² secrets, and maketh known⁸⁵ to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be⁶⁰ in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came⁶⁵ [into thy mind] upon thy bed, what should come to pass⁶⁰ hereafter: ¹⁸³⁶ and he that revealeth⁶² secrets maketh known⁸⁵ to thee what shall come to pass.⁶⁰

But as for me, this secret is not revealed⁶³ to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but for [their] sakes that shall make known⁸⁸ the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know⁶⁰ the thoughts of thy heart.

Thou, O king, sawest,^{57 2370 62} and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood⁶¹ before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible.⁶⁴

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^{62 1934 57} till that a stone was cut out⁷⁷ without hands, which smote⁵⁷ the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.⁸⁵

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces^{57 1751 57} together, and became⁵⁷ like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away,⁵⁷ that no ³⁶⁰⁶ place was found⁷⁷ for them: and the stone that smote⁵⁷ the image became⁵⁷ a great mountain, and filled⁵⁷ the whole earth.

This [is] the dream; and we will tell⁶⁰ the interpretation thereof before the king.

Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given⁵⁷ thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

And wheresoever the children of men dwell,⁶¹ the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given⁵⁷ into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler⁸⁵ over them all. Thou [art] this head of gold.

And after thee shall arise⁶⁰ another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule⁶⁰ over all the earth.

And the fourth kingdom shall be⁶⁰ strong as iron: forasmuch as ³⁶⁰⁶ iron breaketh in pieces⁸⁹ and subdueth⁶² all [things]: and as iron that breaketh⁶¹ all these, shall it break in pieces⁸⁸ and bruise.⁶⁰

And whereas thou sawest⁵⁷ the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be⁶⁰ divided;⁶³ but there shall be⁶⁰ in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as ⁶⁹⁰³ thou sawest⁵⁷ the iron mixed⁷¹ with miry clay.

And [as] the toes of the feet [were] part of iron, and part of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be⁶⁰ partly ⁷¹¹⁸ strong, and⁶⁰ partly broken.⁶¹

And whereas thou sawest⁵⁷ iron mixed⁷¹ with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves^{60 6151 76} with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave^{60 1693 62} one to another, even as iron is not mixed⁷⁶ with clay.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up⁸⁸ a kingdom, which shall never ³⁸⁰⁹ be destroyed:⁷⁵ and the kingdom shall not be left⁷⁵ to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces⁸⁸ and consume⁸⁸ all these kingdoms, and it shall stand⁶⁰ for ever.

Forasmuch as ⁶⁹⁰³ thou sawest⁵⁷ that the stone was cut out⁷⁷ of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces⁸⁵ the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known⁸⁵ to the king what shall come to pass⁶⁰ hereafter: ¹⁸³⁶ and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.⁸⁹

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell⁵⁷ upon his face, and worshipped⁵⁷ Daniel, and commanded⁵⁷ that they should offer⁶⁸ an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

The king answered⁶¹ unto Daniel, and said,⁶¹ Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer⁶² of secrets, seeing thou couldest⁵⁷ reveal⁵⁸ this secret.

Then the king made Daniel a great man,⁶⁷ and gave⁵⁷ him many great gifts, and made him ruler⁸⁵ over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon.

Then Daniel requested⁵⁷ of the king, and he set⁶⁷ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the gate of the king.