Daniel 2
2:1In the second year of the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream, and his spirit was startled, and his sleep went from him.
2:2And the king said 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.
2:3And the king said to them, I dreamed, and it startled my spirit so as to know the dream.
2:4And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriac, O king, live into the eons! You tell the dream to your servants! and the interpretation of it we shall announce.
2:5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The matter departed from me. If then you should not make known to me the dream and the interpretation of it, you will be for destruction, and your houses shall be torn in pieces.
2:6But if the dream and the interpretation of it you should make known to me, gifts and favors without charge, and much honor you shall receive from me. Except the dream and the interpretation of it report to me!
2:7They answered a second time and said, Let the king tell the dream to his servants! and the interpretation of it we shall announce.
2:8And the king answered and said, In truth I know that you buy back time, even in so far as you knew that the word departed from me.
2:9If then the dream you should not announce to me, I know that a lying and corrupt word you agreed to speak before me until the time should go by. Tell to me my dream! and I shall know that also its interpretation you shall announce to me.
2:10Answered again the Chaldeans before the king, and they say, There is not a man upon the dry land who is able to make known the discourse of the king, in so far as every great king and ruler according to such matter asked not an enchanter, magus or Chaldean.
2:11For the word which the king asks is heavy, and there is no other who shall announce it before the king, except the gods, which are not dwelling with any flesh.
2:12Then the king in rage and much anger, said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
2:13And the decree went forth, that the wise men be killed; and they sought Daniel and his friends to do away with.
2:14Then 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.
2:15And 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? And Arioch made known the saying to Daniel.
2:16And Daniel entered and petitioned the king so as to give time to him, and the interpretation of it he should announce to the king.
2:17And Daniel went into his house, and to Hananiah, and to Mishael, and to Azariah his friends to make known the saying.
2:18And they sought compassions from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that therefore Daniel and his friends should not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
2:19Then the mystery was uncovered to Daniel in a night vision, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20And 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.
2:21And he changes seasons and times; he ordains kings, and changes; giving wisdom to the wise, and intelligence to the ones knowing understanding.
2:22He uncovers deep and concealed things, knowing the things in the darkness, and the light is with him.
2:23To 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.
2:24And Daniel came to Arioch, whom the king appointed 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.
2:25Then 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 will announce the interpretation to the king.
2:26And the king answered 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?
2:27And 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.
2:28But 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,
2:29You, 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.
2:30And to me there is not a wisdom being in me more than all the living; but this mystery was uncovered because of the interpretation to be made known to the king, that you should know the thoughts of your heart.
2:31You, O king, viewed. And behold, one great image. That great image, and the aspect of it was overwhelming, standing before your face; and the vision of it was fearful.
2:32An image of which the head was of pure gold, the hands and the breast and the arms of it silver, the belly and the thighs brass,
2:33the legs iron, the feet part somewhat of iron, and part somewhat earthenware.
2:34You viewed until a stone was shredded from a mountain without hands, and it struck the image upon the feet of iron and earthenware; and it thinned them out unto completion.
2:35Then 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 the abundance of the wind lifted them away, and no place was found for them; and the stone which struck the image became a great mountain, and it filled all the earth.
2:36This is the dream; and the interpretation of it we will tell before the king.
2:37You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven gave a strong and fortified and honorable kingdom.
2:38In every place where the sons of men dwell, 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.
2:39And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior of you, and a third kingdom which is the brass, which shall dominate over all the earth.
2:40And a fourth kingdom 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.
2:41And that which you beheld of the feet and of the toes, part somewhat earthenware, and part somewhat of iron, will be a kingdom divided; and some from the root of iron will be in it, in which manner you beheld the iron being intermingled with the potsherd.
2:42And the toes of the feet, part somewhat of iron and part somewhat earthenware, part of the kingdom will be somewhat strong, and some from it will be broken.
2:43For you beheld the iron being intermingled with the potsherd; so they will be mixed together 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.
2:44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall raise up a kingdom, which shall not be corrupted into the eons. And his kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall thin and winnow all the kingdoms, and this one shall rise up into the eons.
2:45In which manner you beheld that from a mountain a stone was trimmed 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 the dream is true, and the interpretation of it is trustworthy.
2:46Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and did obeisance to Daniel, and said to offer a libation to him of a gift offering and of a pleasant aroma offering.
2:47And 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.
2:48And the king magnified Daniel, and he gave to him great and many gifts, and he established him over all the places of Babylon, and ruler of satraps, over all the wise men of Babylon.
2:49And 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.