Free Bible VersionBerean Standard Bible

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream

2. 1FBVIn the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign the king had dreams that upset him so much that he found it difficult to sleep.BSBBSB: In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
3. 2FBVSo the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood before him.BSBBSB: 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,
4. 3FBV“I've had a dream that has really upset me,” he told them. “I need to know what it means.”BSBBSB: he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
5. 4FBVThe astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “May Your Majesty the king live forever! Tell us your dream and we your servants will interpret it for you.”BSBBSB: Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
6. 5FBV“I can't recall it,” the king told the astrologers. “If you can't reveal the dream to me, and its meaning, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be totally destroyed!BSBBSB: 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.
7. 6FBVBut if you can tell me the dream and its meaning you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means!”BSBBSB: 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.”
8. 7FBVAgain they said the same thing: “If Your Majesty the king would tell us his servants the dream, we will explain what it means.”BSBBSB: They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
9. 8FBV“It's obvious to me that you're just trying to buy time!” said the king. “You can see that I can't remember the dream.BSBBSB: The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.
10. 9FBVIf you can't reveal the dream to me, you will all receive the same punishment! You have conspired against me, telling me lies, hoping things will change. So tell me what my dream was and then I'll know that you can explain what it means.”BSBBSB: 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.”
11. 10FBVThe astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth could tell the king what he dreamed! Never before has a king, however great and powerful, demanded this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer!BSBBSB: 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.
12. 11FBVWhat Your Majesty is asking is impossible! No one can tell Your Majesty what you dreamed, except the gods, and they do not live among us mortals.”BSBBSB: What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”
13. 12FBVThis made the king extremely angry, and he ordered all the wise men of Babylon executed.BSBBSB: This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
14. 13FBVThe decree was issued. The wise men were about to be executed, and the king's men went looking for Daniel and his friends.BSBBSB: 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.

15. The Dream Revealed to Daniel

16. 14FBVDaniel approached Arioch, the commander of the imperial guard, whom the king had put in charge of the order to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Wisely and tactfullyBSBBSB: When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.
17. 15FBVDaniel asked him, “Why would the king issue such a harsh decree?” So Arioch explained to Daniel what had happened.BSBBSB: “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
18. 16FBVDaniel immediately went to see the king and asked for more time to explain the dream and its meaning to him.BSBBSB: So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.
19. 17FBVThen Daniel went home and shared with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on.BSBBSB: Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
20. 18FBVHe told them to pray to the God of heaven, asking for help regarding this mystery, so that he and his friends would not be killed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.BSBBSB: 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.
21. 19FBVThat night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven:BSBBSB: During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven
22. 20FBV“Praise the wonderful nature of God forever and ever, for he is wise and powerful.BSBBSB: and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
23. 21FBVHe is in charge of time and history. He removes kings, and he sets kings in place. He gives wisdom to make people wise; he gives knowledge to people so they can understand.BSBBSB: He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
24. 22FBVHe reveals deep, mysterious things. He knows what lies in darkness, and light lives in his presence.BSBBSB: He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
25. 23FBVI give thanks and praise to you, God of my fathers, for you have given me wisdom and power. Now you have revealed to me what we asked you; you have revealed to us the king's dream.”BSBBSB: 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.”

26. Daniel Interprets the Dream

27. 24FBVSo Daniel went to Arioch whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon and told him, “Don't execute the wise men of Babylon! Take me to see the king and I will explain to him his dream.”BSBBSB: 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.”
28. 25FBVArioch immediately took Daniel to the king and told him, “I've found one of the captives from Judah who can tell Your Majesty what your dream means.”BSBBSB: 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.”
29. 26FBVThe king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you really able to tell me what my dream was, and what it means?”BSBBSB: 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?”
30. 27FBV“No wise men or enchanters or magicians or diviners can explain the mystery Your Majesty wants to know,” Daniel replied.BSBBSB: Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
31. 28FBV“But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came to your mind as you were lying in bed were these.BSBBSB: 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:
32. 29FBVAs Your Majesty lay there, your thoughts turned to the future, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what would take place.BSBBSB: 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.
33. 30FBVIt's not because I have any more wisdom than anyone else that this mystery has been revealed to me, but to explain to Your Majesty what you were thinking about so you could understand.BSBBSB: 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.
34. 31FBVYour Majesty, as you looked, there before you stood a great statue. The statue standing in front of you was huge, and blazingly bright. It looked terrifying!BSBBSB: As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.
35. 32FBVThe head of the statue was gold, the chest and arms were silver, its middle and thighs were bronze,BSBBSB: The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,
36. 33FBVits legs were iron, and its feet were iron and baked clay.BSBBSB: its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
37. 34FBVWhile you were watching, a stone was quarried, but not by human hands. It struck the iron and clay feet of the statue and smashed them to pieces.BSBBSB: 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.
38. 35FBVThen the rest of the statue—the bronze, the silver, and the gold—broke into pieces like the iron and clay. The wind blew them all away like chaff from the summer threshing floor, so that no trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.BSBBSB: 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.
39. 36FBVThis was the dream, and now we will explain what it means to the king.BSBBSB: This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
40. 37FBVYour Majesty, you are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, and power, strength, and glory.BSBBSB: You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
41. 38FBVHe gave you control over all peoples, as well as the wild animals and birds. He made you ruler of all of them. You are the head of gold.BSBBSB: 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.
42. 39FBVBut after you another kingdom will rise that is inferior to your kingdom and will replace yours. After that a third kingdom that is bronze will rise and rule over the whole world.BSBBSB: But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
43. 40FBVThe fourth kingdom will be strong as iron and in the same way that iron crushes and smashes everything—it will crush and smash all others.BSBBSB: 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.
44. 41FBVYou saw the feet and toes made from iron and baked clay, and this indicates it will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron but mixed with clay.BSBBSB: 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.
45. 42FBVAs the toes were partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.BSBBSB: And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
46. 43FBVIn the same way that you saw the iron mixed with ordinary clay, so the people will mix but they will not stick together just as iron and clay do not mix.BSBBSB: 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.
47. 44FBVDuring the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed or taken over by others. It will crush all these kingdoms, bringing them to an end, and it will last forever.BSBBSB: In the days 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 shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.
48. 45FBVIn the same way that you saw the stone quarried from the mountain, but not by human hands, it will crush the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to Your Majesty what is to come. The dream is true, and the explanation is trustworthy.”BSBBSB: 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.”

49. Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel

50. 46FBVThen King Nebuchadnezzar fell down before Daniel and worshiped him, and ordered offerings of grain and incense to be made to him.BSBBSB: At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
51. 47FBVThe king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, the revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”BSBBSB: 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.”
52. 48FBVThen the king promoted Daniel to a high position and gave him many expensive gifts, making him governor over the whole province of Babylon and head of all the wise men of Babylon.BSBBSB: 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.
53. 49FBVAt Daniel's request, the king placed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the province of Babylon, and Daniel remained at the king's court.BSBBSB: 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.