2:1
And in the second year of the reign of Nevukhadnetzar, Nevukhadnetzar dreamed dreams, and his ruach was troubled, and his sleep departed from him.
2:2
Then the king commanded that the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Kasdim be called to declare to the king his dreams. And they came and stood before the king.
2:3
And the king said to them: “I have dreamed a dream, and my ruach is troubled to know the dream.”
2:4
Then the Kasdim spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we shall declare its interpretation.”
2:5
The king answered and said to the Kasdim: “The matter from me is established: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be cut into pieces, and your houses shall be made a refuse heap.
2:6
But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, and rewards, and great honor. Therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.”
2:7
They answered a second time and said: “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we shall declare its interpretation.”
2:8
The king answered and said: “Of certainty I know that you are purchasing time, because you see that the matter from me is established.
2:9
For if you do not make known to me the dream, there is one decree for you. For you have agreed to speak before me a lying and corrupt word until the time changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can declare its interpretation.”
2:10
The Kasdim answered before the king and said: “There is no Adam upon the earth who is able to declare the king’s matter. Therefore no great and powerful king has ever asked such a matter of any magician, or enchanter, or Kasdi.
2:11
And the matter the king asks is exceedingly difficult, and there is no other who can declare it before the king except the mighty ones, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
2:12
Because of this the king became angry and exceedingly enraged, and commanded that all the wise men of Bavel be destroyed.
2:13
And the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be killed. And they sought Dani’el and his companions to kill them.
2:14
Then Dani’el returned counsel and understanding to Aryokh, captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Bavel.
2:15
He answered and said to Aryokh, the king’s officer: “Why is the decree from before the king so severe?” Then Aryokh made the matter known to Dani’el.
2:16
So Dani’el went in and sought from the king that he would give him a time, and he would declare the interpretation to the king.
2:17
Then Dani’el went to his house and made the matter known to Chananyah, Misha’el, and Azaryah, his companions,
2:18
that they should seek compassion from the Elohim of the heavens concerning this mystery, so that Dani’el and his companions would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Bavel.
2:19
Then the mystery was revealed to Dani’el in a vision of the night. And Dani’el blessed the Elohim of the heavens.
2:20
Dani’el answered and said: “Blessed be the Name of Elohim from eternity and unto eternity, for wisdom and might belong to Him.
2:21
And He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding.
2:22
He reveals the deep things and the hidden things. He knows what is in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
2:23
To You, Elohim of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and might, and now You have made known to me what we sought from You, for You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
2:24
Therefore Dani’el went in to Aryokh, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Bavel. He went and said this to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Bavel. Bring me in before the king, and I shall declare the interpretation to the king.”
2:25
Then Aryokh brought Dani’el in haste before the king and said this to him: “I have found an ish among the sons of the captivity of Yehudah who shall make known the interpretation to the king.”
2:26
The king answered and said to Dani’el, whose name was Belteshatzar: “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I saw and its interpretation?”
2:27
Dani’el answered before the king and said: “The mystery which the king asks the wise men, the enchanters, the magicians, and the diviners are not able to declare to the king.
2:28
But there is Elohim in the heavens who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nevukhadnetzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed were these:
2:29
As for you, O king, your thoughts arose upon your bed concerning what shall be after this, and He who reveals mysteries made known to you what shall be.
2:30
And as for me, this mystery was not revealed to me because there is wisdom in me more than in any living one, but so that the interpretation might be made known to the king and that you might know the thoughts of your heart.
2:31
You, O king, were seeing, and see— one great image. This image was mighty, and its brightness exceedingly great. It stood before you, and its appearance was fearsome.
2:32
The head of this image was of fine gold. Its breast and its arms were of silver. Its belly and its thighs were of bronze.
2:33
Its legs were of iron. Its feet were partly iron and partly clay.
2:34
You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image upon its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
2:35
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
2:36
This is the dream. And we shall declare its interpretation before the king.
2:37
You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the Elohim of the heavens has given the Kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory.
2:38
And wherever the sons of Adam dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens He has given into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.
2:39
And after you shall arise another Kingdom, inferior to you. And another, a third Kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
2:40
And the fourth Kingdom shall be strong like iron, because iron crushes and breaks all things. And like iron that shatters, it shall crush and shatter all these.
2:41
And because you saw the feet and the toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the Kingdom shall be divided. Yet some of the strength of iron shall be in it, because you saw iron mixed with moist clay.
2:42
And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the Kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken.
2:43
And because you saw iron mixed with moist clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of Adam, but they shall not cling one to another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
2:44
And in the days of those kings, the Elohim of the heavens shall establish a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the Kingdom shall not be left to another people. It shall crush and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
2:45
Just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain without hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold— the great Elohim has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is faithful.”
2:46
Then King Nevukhadnetzar fell upon his face and bowed himself before Dani’el, and commanded that an offering and fragrant incense be presented to him.
2:47
The king answered Dani’el and said: “Truly, your Elohim is Elohim of mighty ones, and Master of kings, and Revealer of mysteries, because you were able to reveal this mystery.”
2:48
Then the king made Dani’el great and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Bavel and chief governor over all the wise men of Bavel.
2:49
And Dani’el sought from the king, and he appointed Shadrakh, Meshakh, and Aved-Nego over the administration of the province of Bavel. But Dani’el remained at the king’s gate.