Dan 2 | ABEn | STEP | In the [ 2 year 1 second] of the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, [ 2 dreamed 1 Nebuchadnezzar] a dream, and [ 2 was startled 1 his spirit], and his sleep went from him.

Daniel 2

CHAPTER 2 Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

1 In the [²year ¹second] of the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, [²dreamed ¹Nebuchadnezzar] a dream, and [²was startled ¹his spirit], and his sleep went from him. 2 And [³said ¹the ²king] to call the enchanters, and the magi, and the administers of potions, and the Chaldeans, to announce to the king the things of his dreams. And they came and stood before the king. 3 And [³said ⁴to them ¹the ²king], I dreamed, and it startled my spirit so as to know the dream. 4 And [³spoke ¹the ²Chaldeans] to the king in Syriac, O king, [²into ³the ⁴eons ¹live]! You tell the dream to your servants! and the interpretation of it we shall announce. 5 [³answered ¹The ²king] and said to the Chaldeans, The matter [²from ³me ¹departed]. If then you should not make known to me the dream and the interpretation of it, [²for ³destruction ¹you will be], and your houses shall be torn in pieces. 6 But if the dream and the interpretation of it you should make known to me, gifts and favors without charge, and [²honor ¹much] you shall receive from me. Except the dream and the interpretation of it report to me! 7 They answered a second time and said, [²the ³king ¹Let] tell the dream to his servants! and the interpretation of it we shall announce. 8 And [³answered ¹the ²king] and said, In truth I know that [³time ¹you ²buy back], even in so far as you knew that [³departed ⁴from ⁵me ¹the ²word]. 9 If then the dream you should not announce to me, I know that [⁴word ¹a lying ²and ³corrupt] you agreed to speak before me until the time should go by. [³my dream ¹Tell ²to me]! and I shall know that also its interpretation you shall announce to me. 10 Answered again the Chaldeans before the king, and they say, There is not a man upon the dry land who is able [²the ³discourse ⁴of the ⁵king ¹to make known], in so far as every [²king ¹great] and ruler [²matter ¹according to such] asked not an enchanter, magus or Chaldean. 11 For the word which the king asks is heavy, and [²no other ¹there is] who shall announce it before the king, except the gods, which are not dwelling with any flesh.

The Wise Men Are Destroyed

12 Then the king in rage and [²anger ¹much], said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth, that the wise men be killed; and they sought Daniel and his friends to do away with. 14 Then Daniel answered counsel and opinion to Arioch the chief guard of the king, who came forth to do away with the wise men of Babylon. 15 And he inquired of him, saying, O Ruler of the king, for what reason came forth the decree which is impudent from in front of the king? [³made known ¹And ⁴the ⁵saying ²Arioch] to Daniel. 16 And Daniel entered and petitioned the king so as [²time ¹to give] to him, and the interpretation of it he should announce to the king.

Daniel and His Friends Pray

17 And Daniel went into his house, and to Hananiah, and to Mishael, and to Azariah his friends [²the ³saying ¹to make known]. 18 And [²compassions ¹they sought] from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that therefore [⁴should not ⁵be destroyed ¹Daniel ²and ³his friends] with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then [⁴to Daniel ⁵in ⁷vision ⁶a night ¹the ²mystery ³was uncovered], and [²blessed ³the ⁴God ⁵of heaven ¹Daniel]. 20 And he said, May it be -- the name of God being blessed from the eon and unto the eon, for the wisdom and the might are his. 21 And he changes seasons and times; he ordains kings, and changes; giving wisdom to the wise, and intelligence to the ones knowing understanding. 22 He uncovers deep and concealed things, knowing the things in the darkness, and the light [²with ³him ¹is]. 23 To you, O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and praise, for wisdom and power you gave to me, and made known to me what we petitioned from you; and the matter of the king you made known to me. 24 And Daniel came to Arioch, whom [³appointed ¹the ²king] to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, The wise men of Babylon you should not destroy, but bring me before the king, and the interpretation to the king I will announce.

Daniel Interprets the Dream

25 Then Arioch in haste brought Daniel before the king, and said to him, I found a man from out of the sons of the captivity of Judea, one who [²the ³interpretation ⁴to the ⁵king ¹will announce]. 26 And [³answered ¹the ²king] and said to Daniel, of which the name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to announce to me the dream which I beheld, and the interpretation of it? 27 And Daniel answered before the king, and he said, The mystery which the king asks is not of wise men, magi, enchanters, astrologers, to announce to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven uncovering mysteries, and he made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what must take place at the last of the days. The dream of yours, and the visions of your head upon your bed, is this, 29 You, O king, your thoughts upon your bed ascended to what must take place after these things. And the one uncovering mysteries made known to you what must take place. 30 And to me there is not a wisdom being in me more than all the living; [²this mystery ³was uncovered ¹but] because of the interpretation [²to the ³king ¹to be made known], that [²the ³thoughts ⁴of your heart ¹you should know].

The Great Image of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

31 You, O king, viewed. And behold, [³image ¹one ²great]. [³image ¹That ²great], and the aspect of it was overwhelming, standing before your face; and the vision of it was fearful. 32 An image of which the head was of [²gold ¹pure], the hands and the breast and the arms of it silver, the belly and the thighs brass, 33 the legs iron, the feet part somewhat of iron, and part somewhat earthenware. 34 You viewed until [²was shredded ¹a stone] from a mountain without hands, and it struck the image upon the feet of iron and earthenware; and it thinned them out unto completion. 35 Then they were thinned out at once -- the potsherd, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; and they became as a cloud of dust from the threshing-floor at harvest; and [⁵lifted them away ¹the ²abundance ³of the ⁴wind], and no place was found for them; and the stone which struck the image became [²mountain ¹a great], and it filled all the earth. 36 This is the dream; and the interpretation of it we will tell before the king. 37 You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven [⁷kingdom ²a strong ³and ⁴fortified ⁵and ⁶honorable ¹gave]. 38 In every place where [⁴dwell ¹the ²sons ³of men], both wild beasts of the field and birds of heaven he gave into your hand, and he placed you lord of all. You are the head of gold. 39 And after you shall arise [²kingdom ¹another] inferior of you, and [²kingdom ¹a third] which is the brass, which shall dominate over all the earth. 40 And [²kingdom ¹a fourth] which shall be strong as iron, in which manner iron makes fine and tames all things -- so it shall be made fine and be tamed. 41 And that which you beheld of the feet and of the toes, part somewhat earthenware, and part somewhat of iron, [²a kingdom ³divided ¹will be]; and some from the root of iron will be in it, in which manner you beheld the iron being intermingled with the potsherd. 42 And the toes of the feet, part somewhat of iron and part somewhat earthenware, part [⁴somewhat ¹of the ²kingdom ³will be] strong, and some from it will be broken. 43 For you beheld the iron being intermingled with the potsherd; [²mixed together ¹so they will be] with the seed of men. But they will not be cleaving, this one with this other one, as the iron does not intermingle with the potsherd. 44 And in the days of those kings [⁴shall raise up ¹the ²God ³of heaven] a kingdom, which [³into ⁴the ⁵eons ¹shall not be ²corrupted]. And his kingdom [⁴people ³to another ¹shall not ²be left], but it shall thin and winnow all the kingdoms, and this one shall rise up into the eons. 45 In which manner you beheld that from a mountain [²was trimmed ¹a stone] without hands, and it thinned the potsherd, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; the great God made known to the king what must take place after these things. And [³is true ¹the ²dream], and [⁴is trustworthy ¹the ²interpretation ³of it].

The King Honors Daniel and His God

46 Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and did obeisance to Daniel, and [⁴of a gift offering ⁵and ⁶of a pleasant aroma offering ¹said ²to offer a libation ³to him]. 47 And responding the king said to Daniel, In truth your God, he is God of gods, and lord of the kings, and uncovering mysteries, for you were able to uncover this mystery. 48 And [³magnified ¹the ²king] Daniel, and [⁶gifts ³great ⁴and ⁵many ¹he gave ²to him], and he established him over all the places of Babylon, and ruler of satraps, over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel asked of the king, and he placed over the works of the region of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. And Daniel was in the courtyard of the king.