Daniel Chapter 2
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
1 In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, haunting dreams kept him awake. 2 He gave orders to call in the magicians, conjurers, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what he’d dreamed. When they came in, 3 he told them, “I had a dream, and I’m disturbed about what it means.”
4 The astrologers said in Aramaic, “Long live the King! Tell us the dream, and we’ll tell you what it means.”
5 “I’m giving an unalterable command. If you don’t tell me what I dreamed and its meaning, I’ll have you torn limb from limb, and make your houses trash piles. 6 But if you tell me, I’ll reward you with gifts and high honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
7“Tell us the dream, and we’ll tell you what it means.”
8 “You’re stalling because you can see I’ve given an unalterable command. 9 If you don’t tell me the dream, there’s only one decree for you. You’ve conspired to lie and say bogus things till I change my mind. Tell me what I dreamed so I know you can tell me what it means.”
10 “Nobody can do that. No great king or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any magician, conjurer, or astrologer. 11 What you’re demanding is not possible. Nobody but the gods can tell you that, and they don’t live in mortal flesh.”
12 At this, the king was furious and gave orders to destroy the wise men in Babylon. 13 The decree went out to execute them, and they started looking for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
Dan 2:1-13
God Gives Daniel the Dream’s Interpretation
14 With prudence and discretion Daniel answered Arioch, captain of the king’s bodyguard, who’d gone out to execute the wise men, 15 “Why is the king’s decree so urgent?” Arioch told him what had happened. 16 So Daniel went in and asked the king for some time so he could tell him the interpretation. 17 He went home and informed his three friends about the matter 18 so they could ask for mercy from the God of heaven about that mystery, so Daniel and his friends wouldn’t die with the rest of the wise men in Babylon. 19 The mystery came to Daniel in a vision during the night, and he blessed the God of heaven:
20 “God be blessed forever
because of his wisdom and power.
21He’s the One that changes times and seasons,
removes kings and appoints them.
He gives the wise their wisdom
and the knowledgeable their insight.
22 He reveals profound, hidden things;
he knows what’s in the dark,
and light lives in him.
23 I thank and praise you, my ancestors’ God,
because you’ve given me wisdom and authority.
Just now you’ve told me what we’ve asked for,
the answer to the king’s demand.”
Dan 2:14-23
24 So Daniel went in to Arioch and said, “Don’t execute the wise men! Take me to the king. I’ll give him the interpretation.”
25 Arioch hurried him to the king, “I’ve found a man among the Jewish exiles from Judah that can tell you the interpretation!”
26 The king answered Daniel (Belteshazzar), “Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”
Dan 2:24-26
27 Daniel said,
“Wise men, conjurers, magicians, and fortunetellers can’t tell you that. 28 But there’s a God in heaven that reveals secret things, and he’s revealed to you what’s going to happen. That’s what you dreamed in your bed. 29 You were thinking about what will happen in the future, and he that reveals secret things was showing you that. 30 The mystery hasn’t come to me because of my wisdom any more than anybody else’s, except for telling you so you can understand what’s going through your mind.
Dan 2:27-30
31“You saw a large, frightening statue that had exceptional splendor. 32 Its head was fine gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were iron and clay mixed. 34 As you watched, a stone was hewn out without hands and struck the statue’s iron and clay feet and crushed them. 35 It crushed the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold all at one time. They became like chaff on the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away without a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain that covered the whole world. Dan 2:31-35
36“That’s what you dreamed. Now we’ll tell you what it means. 37 You’re the king of kings that God has given the kingdom, power, strength, and honor. 38 Wherever people, animals, or birds live, he’s put them under your control. You’re the gold head. 39 After you, a lesser kingdom will rise up. Then a third, bronze kingdom will rule the world. 40 There’ll be a fourth kingdom that’s as strong as iron. As iron crushes and shatters everything, it will shatter and crush the other three. 41 As the feet and toes were partly potter’s clay and partly iron, the fourth kingdom will be a divided one, some parts with the toughness of iron and other parts with the weakness of clay. 42 As some toes were iron and some were clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 The iron mixed with clay means they’ll be allied peoples that won’t stick to one another, like iron and clay won’t stick together.
44 During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will be setting up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or left for another people. It’ll crush those other kingdoms and put an end to them, but it will last forever. 45 You saw a stone hewn out of the mountain without hands that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has shown you what will happen in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation sure.”
Dan 2:36-45
Daniel Rewarded
46 King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face in homage to Daniel and gave orders to present him with an offering and fragrant incense. 47 He said, “Truly your God is the greatest of gods and the Lord over kings, who reveals secrets! You’ve explained that mystery!” 48 He promoted Daniel, gave him many high honors, and made him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief prefect over the wise men in Babylon. 49 Daniel asked the king to appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to administer the province while Daniel was at the king’s court.
Dan 2:46-49