Daniel 2 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

The King’s Forgotten Dream

2 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar ^[a](A)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his ^(B)sleep ^[b]left him. ² Then the king ^[c]gave orders to call in the ^[d](C)magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the ^[e]Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. ³ The king said to them, “I ^[f](D)had a dream and my spirit ^[g]is anxious to ^[h]understand the dream.”

⁴ Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in ^[i](E)Aramaic: “^(F)O king, live forever! ^(G)Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” ⁵ The king replied to the Chaldeans, “^[j]The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be ^[k](H)torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. ⁶ But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me ^(I)gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” ⁷ They answered a second time and said, “Let the king ^(J)tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” ⁸ The king replied, “I know for certain that you are ^[l]bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that ^[m]the command from me is firm, ⁹ that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only ^(K)one ^[n]decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt ^[o]words before me until the ^[p]situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may ^(L)know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” ¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered ^[q]the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter ^[r]for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any ^[s](M)magician, conjurer or Chaldean. ¹¹ Moreover, the thing which the king demands is ^[t]difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it ^[u]to the king except ^(N)gods, whose ^(O)dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.”

¹² Because of this the king became ^(P)indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³ So the ^[v]decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for ^(Q)Daniel and his friends to ^[w]kill them.

¹⁴ Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to ^(R)Arioch, the captain of the king’s ^[x]bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; ¹⁵ he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the ^[y]decree from the king so ^[z]urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. ¹⁶ So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would ^[aa]give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, ^(S)Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, ¹⁸ so that they might ^(T)request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be ^(U)destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel

¹⁹ Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night ^(V)vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; ²⁰ Daniel said,

“Let the name of God be ^(W)blessed forever and ever,
For ^(X)wisdom and power belong to Him.
²¹ “It is He who ^(Y)changes the times and the epochs;
He ^(Z)removes kings and ^[ab]establishes kings;
He gives ^(AA)wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to ^[ac]men of understanding.
²² “It is He who ^(AB)reveals the profound and hidden things;
^(AC)He knows what is in the darkness,
And the ^(AD)light dwells with Him.
²³ “To You, O ^(AE)God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me ^(AF)wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we ^(AG)requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”

²⁴ Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: “^(AH)Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me ^[ad]into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.”

²⁵ Then Arioch hurriedly ^(AI)brought Daniel ^[ae]into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the ^[af](AJ)exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!” ²⁶ The king said to Daniel, whose name was ^(AK)Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” ²⁷ Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither ^(AL)wise men, conjurers, ^[ag]magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. ²⁸ However, there is a ^(AM)God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the ^[ah](AN)latter days. This was your dream and the ^(AO)visions ^[ai]in your mind while on your bed. ²⁹ As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts ^[aj]turned to what would take place ^[ak]in the future; and ^(AP)He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. ³⁰ But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any ^(AQ)wisdom ^[al]residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may ^[am]understand the ^(AR)thoughts of your ^[an]mind.

The King’s Dream

³¹ “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and ^[ao]of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was ^(AS)awesome. ³² The ^(AT)head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. ³⁴ You ^[ap]continued looking until a ^(AU)stone was cut out ^(AV)without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and ^(AW)crushed them. ³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed ^[aq]all at the same time and became ^(AX)like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that ^(AY)not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great ^(AZ)mountain and filled the whole earth.

The Interpretation—Babylon the First Kingdom

³⁶ “This was the dream; now we will tell ^(BA)its interpretation before the king. ³⁷ You, O king, are the ^(BB)king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the ^[ar]kingdom, the ^(BC)power, the strength and the glory; ³⁸ and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the ^(BD)beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

Medo-Persia and Greece

³⁹ After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.

Rome

⁴⁰ Then there will be a ^(BE)fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. ⁴¹ In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with ^[as]common clay. ⁴² As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. ⁴³ And in that you saw the iron mixed with ^[at]common clay, they will combine with one another ^[au]in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.

The Divine Kingdom

⁴⁴ In the days of those kings the ^(BF)God of heaven will ^(BG)set up a ^(BH)kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be ^[av]left for another people; it will ^(BI)crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. ⁴⁵ Inasmuch as you saw that a ^(BJ)stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the ^(BK)great God has made known to the king what ^(BL)will take place ^[aw]in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Daniel Promoted

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did ^(BM)homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and ^[ax](BN)fragrant incense. ⁴⁷ The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely ^(BO)your God is a ^(BP)God of gods and a Lord of kings and a ^(BQ)revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” ⁴⁸ Then the king ^[ay](BR)promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole ^(BS)province of Babylon and chief ^[az]prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ And Daniel made request of the king, and he ^(BT)appointed ^(BU)Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s ^[ba](BV)court.

Footnotes

1. Daniel 2:1 Lit dreamed dreams
2. Daniel 2:1 Lit was gone upon him
3. Daniel 2:2 Lit said to call
4. Daniel 2:2 Or soothsayer priests
5. Daniel 2:2 Or master astrologers, and so throughout the ch
6. Daniel 2:3 Lit dreamed
7. Daniel 2:3 Lit was troubled
8. Daniel 2:3 Lit know
9. Daniel 2:4 The text is in Aramaic from here through 7:28
10. Daniel 2:5 Another reading is The word has gone from me
11. Daniel 2:5 Lit made into limbs
12. Daniel 2:8 Lit buying
13. Daniel 2:8 V 5, note 1
14. Daniel 2:9 Or law
15. Daniel 2:9 Lit word
16. Daniel 2:9 Lit time
17. Daniel 2:10 Lit before the
18. Daniel 2:10 Lit of
19. Daniel 2:10 Or soothsayer priest
20. Daniel 2:11 Or rare
21. Daniel 2:11 Lit before
22. Daniel 2:13 Or law
23. Daniel 2:13 Lit be killed
24. Daniel 2:14 Or executioners
25. Daniel 2:15 Or law
26. Daniel 2:15 Or harsh
27. Daniel 2:16 Or appoint a time for him
28. Daniel 2:21 Or sets up
29. Daniel 2:21 Lit knowers
30. Daniel 2:24 Lit in before the king
31. Daniel 2:25 Lit in before the king
32. Daniel 2:25 Lit sons of the exile of
33. Daniel 2:27 Or soothsayer priests
34. Daniel 2:28 Lit end of the days
35. Daniel 2:28 Lit of your head
36. Daniel 2:29 Lit came up
37. Daniel 2:29 Lit after this
38. Daniel 2:30 Lit which is
39. Daniel 2:30 Lit know
40. Daniel 2:30 Lit heart
41. Daniel 2:31 Lit its splendor was surpassing
42. Daniel 2:34 Lit were
43. Daniel 2:35 Lit like one
44. Daniel 2:37 Or sovereignty
45. Daniel 2:41 Lit clay of mud
46. Daniel 2:43 Lit clay of mud
47. Daniel 2:43 Or with
48. Daniel 2:44 Or passed on to
49. Daniel 2:45 Lit after this
50. Daniel 2:46 Lit sweet odors
51. Daniel 2:48 Lit made great
52. Daniel 2:48 Lit of the prefects
53. Daniel 2:49 Lit gate

Cross references

1. Daniel 2:1 : Gen 40:5-8; 41:1, 8; Job 33:15-17; Dan 2:3; 4:5
2. Daniel 2:1 : Esth 6:1; Dan 6:18
3. Daniel 2:2 : Gen 41:8; Ex 7:11; Is 47:12, 13; Dan 1:20; 2:10, 27; 4:6; 5:7
4. Daniel 2:3 : Gen 40:8; 41:15; Dan 4:5
5. Daniel 2:4 : Ezra 4:7; Is 36:11
6. Daniel 2:4 : Dan 3:9; 5:10
7. Daniel 2:4 : Dan 2:7
8. Daniel 2:5 : Ezra 6:11; Dan 2:12; 3:29
9. Daniel 2:6 : Dan 2:48; 5:7, 16, 29
10. Daniel 2:7 : Dan 2:4
11. Daniel 2:9 : Esth 4:11; Dan 3:15
12. Daniel 2:9 : Is 41:23
13. Daniel 2:10 : Dan 2:2, 27
14. Daniel 2:11 : Gen 41:39; Dan 5:11
15. Daniel 2:11 : Ex 29:45; Is 57:15
16. Daniel 2:12 : Ps 76:10; Dan 2:5; 3:13, 19
17. Daniel 2:13 : Dan 1:19, 20
18. Daniel 2:14 : Dan 2:24
19. Daniel 2:17 : Dan 1:6
20. Daniel 2:18 : Esth 4:15, 16; Is 37:4; Jer 33:3; Ezek 36:37; Dan 2:23
21. Daniel 2:18 : Gen 18:28; Mal 3:18
22. Daniel 2:19 : Num 12:6; Job 33:15, 16; Dan 1:17; 7:2, 7, 13
23. Daniel 2:20 : Ps 103:1, 2; 113:1, 2; 115:18; 145:1, 2, 21
24. Daniel 2:20 : 1 Chr 29:11, 12; Job 12:13, 16-22; Dan 2:21-23
25. Daniel 2:21 : Ps 31:15; Dan 2:9; 7:25
26. Daniel 2:21 : Job 12:18; Ps 75:6, 7; Dan 4:17, 32
27. Daniel 2:21 : 1 Kin 3:9, 10; 4:29; James 1:5
28. Daniel 2:22 : Job 12:22; Ps 25:14; Dan 2:19, 28
29. Daniel 2:22 : Job 26:6; Ps 139:12; Is 45:7; Jer 23:24; Heb 4:13
30. Daniel 2:22 : Ps 36:9; Dan 5:11, 14; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5
31. Daniel 2:23 : Gen 31:42; Ex 3:15
32. Daniel 2:23 : Dan 1:17; 2:21
33. Daniel 2:23 : Ps 21:2, 4; Dan 2:18, 29, 30
34. Daniel 2:24 : Dan 2:12, 13; Acts 27:24
35. Daniel 2:25 : Gen 41:14
36. Daniel 2:25 : Dan 1:6; 5:13; 6:13
37. Daniel 2:26 : Dan 1:7; 4:8; 5:12
38. Daniel 2:27 : Dan 2:2, 10, 11; 5:7, 8
39. Daniel 2:28 : Gen 40:8; 41:16; Dan 2:22, 45
40. Daniel 2:28 : Gen 49:1; Is 2:2; Dan 10:14; Mic 4:1
41. Daniel 2:28 : Dan 4:5
42. Daniel 2:29 : Dan 2:23, 47
43. Daniel 2:30 : Gen 41:16; Dan 1:17
44. Daniel 2:30 : Ps 139:2; Amos 4:13
45. Daniel 2:31 : Hab 1:7
46. Daniel 2:32 : Dan 2:38
47. Daniel 2:34 : Dan 2:45
48. Daniel 2:34 : Dan 8:25; Zech 4:6
49. Daniel 2:34 : Ps 2:9; Is 60:12
50. Daniel 2:35 : Ps 1:4; Is 17:13; 41:15, 16; Hos 13:3
51. Daniel 2:35 : Ps 37:10, 36
52. Daniel 2:35 : Is 2:2; Mic 4:1
53. Daniel 2:36 : Dan 2:24
54. Daniel 2:37 : Is 47:5; Jer 27:6, 7; Ezek 26:7
55. Daniel 2:37 : Ps 62:11
56. Daniel 2:38 : Ps 50:10, 11; Dan 4:21, 22
57. Daniel 2:40 : Dan 7:23
58. Daniel 2:44 : Dan 2:28, 37
59. Daniel 2:44 : Is 9:6, 7
60. Daniel 2:44 : Ps 145:13; Ezek 37:25; Dan 4:3, 34; 6:26; 7:14, 27; Mic 4:7; Luke 1:32, 33
61. Daniel 2:44 : Ps 2:9; Is 60:12; Dan 2:34, 35
62. Daniel 2:45 : Dan 2:34
63. Daniel 2:45 : Deut 10:17; 2 Sam 7:22; Ps 48:1; Jer 32:18, 19; Dan 2:29; Mal 1:11
64. Daniel 2:45 : Gen 41:28, 32
65. Daniel 2:46 : Dan 3:5, 7; Acts 10:25; 14:13; Rev 19:10; 22:8
66. Daniel 2:46 : Lev 26:31; Ezra 6:10
67. Daniel 2:47 : Dan 3:15; 4:25
68. Daniel 2:47 : Deut 10:17; Ps 136:2, 3; Dan 11:36
69. Daniel 2:47 : Dan 2:22, 30; Amos 3:7
70. Daniel 2:48 : Gen 41:39-43; Dan 2:6; 5:16, 29
71. Daniel 2:48 : Dan 3:1, 12, 30
72. Daniel 2:49 : Dan 3:12
73. Daniel 2:49 : Dan 1:7
74. Daniel 2:49 : Esth 2:19, 21; Amos 5:15