| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. | 1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him. |
| 2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, | 2So the king gave orders to summon the diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, |
| 3he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means." | 3he said to them, "I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it." |
| 4Then the astrologers answered the king, "May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." | 4The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic begins here): "May the king live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation." |
| 5The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. | 5The king replied to the Chaldeans, "My word is final: If you don't tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a garbage dump. |
| 6But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." | 6But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you'll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me. So make the dream and its interpretation known to me." |
| 7Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." | 7They answered a second time, "May the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation." |
| 8Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: | 8The king replied, "I know for certain you are trying to gain some time, because you see that my word is final. |
| 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me." | 9If you don't tell me the dream, there is one decree for you. You have conspired to tell me something false or fraudulent until the situation changes. So tell me the dream and I will know you can give me its interpretation." |
| 10The astrologers answered the king, "There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. | 10The Chaldeans answered the king, "No one on earth can make known what the king requests. Consequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any diviner-priest, medium, or Chaldean. |
| 11What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans." | 11What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals." |
| 12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. | 12Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. |
| 13So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. | 13The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them. |
| 14When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. | 14Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. |
| 15He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. | 15He asked Arioch, the king's officer, "Why is the decree from the king so harsh?" Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. |
| 16At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. | 16So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation. |
| 17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. | 17Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, |
| 18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. | 18urging them to ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon's wise men. |
| 19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven | 19The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel praised the God of heaven |
| 20and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. | 20and declared: May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. |
| 21He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. | 21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. |
| 22He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. | 22He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. |
| 23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." | 23I offer thanks and praise to You, God of my fathers, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have let me know what we asked of You, for You have let us know the king's mystery. |
| 24Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." | 24Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation." |
| 25Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means." | 25Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, "I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can let the king know the interpretation." |
| 26The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" | 26The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?" |
| 27Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, | 27Daniel answered the king: "No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. |
| 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: | 28But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these: |
| 29"As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. | 29Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future. The revealer of mysteries has let you know what will happen. |
| 30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. | 30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind." |
| 31"Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. | 31My king, as you were watching, a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. |
| 32The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, | 32The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, |
| 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. | 33its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. |
| 34While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. | 34As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them. |
| 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. | 35Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." |
| 36"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. | 36This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. |
| 37Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; | 37Your Majesty, you are king of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. |
| 38in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. | 38Wherever people live--or wild animals, or birds of the air--He has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold." |
| 39"After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. | 39After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. |
| 40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron--for iron breaks and smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. | 40A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; for iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others. |
| 41Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. | 41You saw the feet and toes, partly of a potter's fired clay and partly of iron--it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay, |
| 42As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. | 42and that the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly fired clay--part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. |
| 43And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. | 43You saw the iron mixed with clay--the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay." |
| 44"In the time 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 crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. | 44In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. |
| 45This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." | 45You saw a stone break off from the mountain without a hand touching it, and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation certain." |
| 46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. | 46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down, paid homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him. |
| 47The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." | 47The king said to Daniel, "Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery." |
| 48Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. | 48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. |
| 49Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. | 49At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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