Daniel 2 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream

Now in the second^H8147 year^H8141 of the reign^H4438 of Nebuchadnezzar^H5019, Nebuchadnezzar^H5019 [fn]had^H2492 dreams^H2472; and his spirit^H7307 was troubled^H6470, and his sleep^H8142 [fn]left^H1961 him.

Dan 2:2

Dan 2:2Then the king said to call in the [fn]magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers, and the [fn]Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

Dan 2:3

Dan 2:3Then the king said to them, “I [fn]had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Dan 2:4

Then the Chaldeans^H3778 spoke^H1696 to the king^H4428 in [fn]Aramaic^H762: “O king^H4430, live^H2418 forever^H5957! Say^H560 the dream^H2493 to your servants^H5649, and we will declare^H2324 the interpretation^H6591.”

Dan 2:5

Dan 2:5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be [fn]torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.

Dan 2:6

Dan 2:6“But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great glory; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.”

Dan 2:7

Dan 2:7They answered a second time and said, “Let the king say the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.”

Dan 2:8

Dan 2:8The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you are buying time, inasmuch as you have seen that the word from me is firm,

Dan 2:9

Dan 2:9that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one law for you. Indeed, you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt [fn]words before me until the time is changed; therefore say the dream to me, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.”

Dan 2:10

Dan 2:10The Chaldeans answered [fn]the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who is able to declare the matter [fn]for the king, inasmuch as no great king or powerful ruler has ever asked about a matter like this of any [fn]magician, conjurer, or Chaldean.

Dan 2:11

Dan 2:11“Moreover, the matter which the king asks is [fn]difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it [fn]to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with flesh.”

Dan 2:12

Because^H6903 of this^H1836 the king^H4430 became^H1149 indignant^H1149 and very^H7690 furious^H7108 and said^H560 for them to destroy^H7 all^H3606 the wise^H2445 men^H2445 of Babylon^H895.

Dan 2:13

Dan 2:13So the law went forth that the wise men were to be killed; and they sought out Daniel and his friends to [fn]kill them.

Dan 2:14

Then^H116 Daniel^H1841 replied^H8421 with discretion^H5843 and discernment^H2942 to Arioch^H746, the captain^H7229 of the king’s^H4430 [fn]bodyguard^H2877, who^H1768 had gone^H5312 forth^H5312 to kill^H6992 the wise^H2445 men^H2445 of Babylon^H895;

Dan 2:15

Dan 2:15he answered and said to Arioch, a powerful [fn]official for the king, “For what reason is the law from the king so [fn]urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel.

Dan 2:16

Dan 2:16So Daniel went in and sought from the king that he would [fn]give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Dan 2:17

Then^H116 Daniel^H1841 went^H236 to his house^H1005 and made^H3046 the matter^H4406 known^H3046 to his friends^H2269, to Hananiah^H2608, Mishael^H4331, and Azariah^H5839,

Dan 2:18

Dan 2:18so that they might seek compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Dan 2:19

Dan 2:19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;

Dan 2:20

Dan 2:20Daniel answered and said,

“Let the name^H8036 of God^H426 be blessed^H1289 forever^H5957 and ever^H5957,

For wisdom^H2452 and might^H1370 belong to Him.

Dan 2:21

“And He changes^H8133 the times^H5732 and the seasons^H2166;

He removes^H5709 kings^H4430 and [fn]establishes^H6966 kings^H4430;

He gives^H3052 wisdom^H2452 to wise^H2445 men^H2445

And knowledge^H4486 to [fn]men of understanding^H999.

Dan 2:22

“He reveals^H1541 the deep^H5994 and hidden^H5642 things^H5642;

He knows^H3046 what^H4101 is in the darkness^H2816,

And the light^H5094 dwells^H8271 with Him.

Dan 2:23

“To You, O God^H426 of my fathers^H2, I give^H3029 thanks^H3029 and praise^H7624,

For You have given^H3052 me wisdom^H2452 and might^H1370;

Even now^H3705 You have made^H3046 known^H3046 to me what^H1768 we sought^H1156 from You,

For You have made^H3046 known^H3046 to us the king’s^H4430 matter^H4406.”

Dan 2:24

Therefore^H6903^H1836, Daniel^H1841 went^H5954 in^H5954 to Arioch^H746, whom^H1768 the king^H4430 had appointed^H4483 to destroy^H7 the wise^H2445 men^H2445 of Babylon^H895; he went^H236 and said^H560 thus^H3652 to him: “Do not destroy^H7 the wise^H2445 men^H2445 of Babylon^H895! Bring^H5954 me before^H6925 the king^H4430, and I will declare^H2324 the interpretation^H6591 to the king^H4430.”

Dan 2:25

Then^H116 Arioch^H746 hurriedly^H927 brought^H5954 Daniel^H1841 before^H6925 the king^H4430 and said^H560 thus^H3652 to him: “I have found^H7912 a man^H1400 among^H4481^H1123 the [fn]exiles^H1123^H1547 from Judah^H3061 who^H1768 can make^H3046 the interpretation^H6591 known^H3046 to the king^H4430!”

Dan 2:26

Dan 2:26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?”

Dan 2:27

Dan 2:27Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king is asking, neither wise men, conjurers, [fn]magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

Dan 2:28

Dan 2:28“However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the [fn]last days. This was your dream and the visions of your head while on your bed.

Dan 2:29

Dan 2:29“As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts [fn]turned to what would happen [fn]in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will happen.

Dan 2:30

Dan 2:30“But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me by any wisdom which is 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 know the thoughts of your heart.

Daniel Interprets the Dream

Dan 2:31

“You, O king^H4430, were looking^H2370, and behold^H431, there was a single^H2298 great^H7690 [fn]image^H6755; that image^H6755, which was large^H7229 and [fn]of extraordinary^H3493 splendor^H2122, was rising^H6966 up^H6966 in front^H6903 of you, and its appearance^H7299 was [fn]awesome^H1763.

Dan 2:32

Dan 2:32“The head of that image was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

Dan 2:33

Dan 2:33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Dan 2:34

Dan 2:34“You [fn]continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.

Dan 2:35

Dan 2:35“Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed [fn]all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Dan 2:36

“This^H1836 was the dream^H2493; now we will say^H560 its interpretation^H6591 before^H6925 the king^H4430.

Dan 2:37

Dan 2:37“You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the [fn]kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory;

Dan 2:38

Dan 2:38and wherever the sons of men inhabit, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has made you rule with power over them all. You are the head of gold.

Dan 2:39

Dan 2:39“But after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule with power over all the earth.

Dan 2:40

Dan 2:40“Then there will be a 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.

Dan 2:41

Dan 2:41“Now 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 [fn]common clay.

Dan 2:42

Dan 2:42“And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.

Dan 2:43

Dan 2:43“And in that you saw the iron mixed with [fn]common clay; they will combine with one another [fn]in the seed of men; but they will not cling to one another, even as iron does not combine with clay.

Dan 2:44

Dan 2:44“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will cause a kingdom to rise up which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be [fn]left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself stand forever.

Dan 2:45

Dan 2:45“Inasmuch as you saw that a 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 great God has made known to the king what will happen [fn]in the future; so the dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Daniel and Friends Promoted

Dan 2:46

Then^H116 King^H4430 Nebuchadnezzar^H5020 fell^H5308 on his face^H600 and did^H5457 homage^H5457 to Daniel^H1841 and said^H560 for them to present^H5260 to him an offering^H4504 and [fn]fragrant^H5208 incense^H5208.

Dan 2:47

Dan 2:47The king answered Daniel and said, “Truly your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

Dan 2:48

Dan 2:48Then the king [fn]promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him rule with power over the whole province of Babylon and chief [fn]prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

Dan 2:49

Dan 2:49And Daniel sought of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s [fn]court.