Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream 1 ULT And in the year of two to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams. And his spirit was troubled, and his sleep finished for him. BSB BSB: In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
2 ULT Then the king said to call the magicians and the enchanters and the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to declare to the king his dreams. And they came, and they stood to the face of the king. BSB BSB: So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,
3 ULT And the king said to them,“I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” BSB BSB: he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
5 ULT The king answered and was saying to the Chaldeans,“The word from me{ is} firm. If you do not make me know the dream and its interpretation, you will be made{ into} limbs, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. BSB BSB: The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.
6 ULT But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from before me. Therefore, show me the dream and its interpretation.” BSB BSB: But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
7 ULT They answered again and were saying,“Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will show the interpretation.” BSB BSB: They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
8 ULT The king answered and was saying,“I am knowing for certain that you are buying time all before that you see that the word from me is firm. BSB BSB: The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.
9 ULT But if you do not make me know the dream, your decree is one. For you have agreed together to speak a false and corrupted word before me until that the time is changed. Therefore, tell the dream to me, and I will know that you do show me its interpretation.” BSB BSB: If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”
10 ULT The Chaldeans answered before the king and were saying,“There is not a man upon the earth who is able to show the matter of the king, all before that any great and powerful king has not asked a matter like this from any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. BSB BSB: The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.
11 ULT For the matter that the king asks{ is} difficult, and there is not another who will show{ it} before the king except the gods, who, their dwelling is not with flesh.” BSB BSB: What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”
12 ULT All before this, the king became angry and became very furious, and he said to destroy all of the wise men of Babylon. BSB BSB: This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 ULT And the decree went out that the wise men were to be killed. And they sought Daniel and his friends, to be killed. BSB BSB: So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.
The Dream Revealed to Daniel 14 ULT Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch the captain of the guard of the king, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. BSB BSB: When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.
15 ULT He answered, saying to Arioch, the commander of the king,“Upon what{ is} the decree from before the king being urgent?” Then Arioch made Daniel know the matter. BSB BSB: “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
16 ULT Then Daniel went in and sought from the king that he give time to him, that he might show the interpretation to the king. BSB BSB: So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.
17 ULT Then Daniel went to his house, and he made Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his friends, know the matter, BSB BSB: Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
18 ULT that they might seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this mystery, that they might not destroy Daniel and his friends with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. BSB BSB: urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 ULT Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of the heavens. BSB BSB: During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven
20 ULT Daniel answered and was saying,“May his name, of God, be blessed from eternity and to eternity, for wisdom and power, for{ they} are to him. BSB BSB: and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 ULT And he{ is} the one changing times and seasons, the one removing kings and setting up kings, the one giving wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the knowers of understanding. BSB BSB: He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22 ULT He is revealing the deep and the hidden; he knows what{ is} in the darkness, and the light is lodged with him. BSB BSB: He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
23 ULT God of my fathers, I am thanking and praising{ you}, for you have given wisdom and power to me. And now, you have made me know what we sought from you, for you have made us know the matter of the king.” BSB BSB: To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream 24 ULT All before this, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went, and thus he said to him,“May you not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show the interpretation to the king.” BSB BSB: Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”
25 ULT Then Arioch, in hastening himself, brought Daniel in before the king, and thus he said to him, that“I have found a man from the sons of the captivity of Judah who will make the king know the interpretation.” BSB BSB: Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
26 ULT The king answered and was saying to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar,“Are you being able to make me know the dream that I saw and its interpretation?” BSB BSB: The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”
27 ULT Daniel answered before the king and said,“The mystery that the king has asked, wise men, enchanters, magicians, diviners, are not being able to show to the king. BSB BSB: Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
28 ULT However, there is a God in the heavens revealing mysteries, and he has made King Nebuchadnezzar know that which will be at the end of days. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed was this. BSB BSB: But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:
29 ULT You, O king, your thoughts arose upon your bed{ about} that which will be after this, and the revealer of mysteries has made you know that which will be. BSB BSB: As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.
30 ULT And I, this mystery has been revealed to me not because of wisdom that is in me more than all of the living, but for the purpose that they may make the king know the interpretation and you may know the thoughts of your heart. BSB BSB: And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
31 ULT You, O King, were looking, and behold, a huge statue. This statue{ was} great, and its splendor{ was} exceeding. It stood before you, and its appearance was terrifying. BSB BSB: As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.
32 ULT This statue, its head{ was} of fine gold; its chest and arms, of silver; its belly and its thighs, of bronze; BSB BSB: The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,
33 ULT its legs, of iron; its feet, some of them of iron and some of them of clay. BSB BSB: its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
34 ULT You were looking until that a stone was cut out, but not by hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and it crushed them. BSB BSB: As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.
35 ULT Then at once the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold crumbled, and they became like the chaff of the threshing floors of summer. And the wind carried them away, and any place was not found for them. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain, and it filled all of the earth. BSB BSB: Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 ULT This{ was} the dream. And we will tell its interpretation before the king. BSB BSB: This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37 ULT You, O king,{ are} the king of kings to whom the God of the heavens has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory. BSB BSB: You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
38 ULT And in everywhere that are dwelling the sons of man, the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, he has given into your hand, and he has made you rule over all of them. You are the head of gold. BSB BSB: Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 ULT And after you another kingdom will arise, earthward from you, and a third kingdom, another, of bronze, that will rule over all of the earth. BSB BSB: But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
40 ULT And a fourth kingdom will be, strong as iron, all before that iron is crushing and shattering everything. And like iron that is breaking, it will crush and break all of these. BSB BSB: Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.
41 ULT And that you saw the feet and the toes, some of them clay of a potter and some of them iron, it will be a divided kingdom. For some of the firmness of iron will be in it, all before that you saw iron mixed with the clay of mire. BSB BSB: And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.
42 ULT And{ as} the toes of the feet, some of them{ were} iron and some of them{ were} clay, some of the kingdom will be strong and some of it will be brittle. BSB BSB: And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
43 ULT That you saw the iron mixed with the clay of mire, they will be mixing themselves by the seed of man, but they will not be cleaving this with this, even as iron does not mix itself with clay. BSB BSB: As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.
45 ULT All before that you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by hands, and it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made the king know that which will be after this. And the dream{ is} certain and its interpretation{ is} confirmed.” BSB BSB: And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel 46 ULT Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshiped Daniel, and he said to present an offering and incense to him. BSB BSB: At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
47 ULT The king answered and was saying to Daniel,“In truth that your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and the revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” BSB BSB: The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48 ULT Then the king made Daniel great, and he gave many great gifts to him, and he made him rule over all of the province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all of the wise men of Babylon. BSB BSB: Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 ULT And Daniel sought from the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the work of the province of Babylon. But Daniel{ was} at the gate of the king. BSB BSB: And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.