Daniel 2:24-49

Daniel 2:24-49

[24] Therefore  Daniel  went in  unto  Arioch,  whom the king  had ordained  to destroy  the wise  men of Babylon:  he went  and said  thus  unto him; Destroy  not  the wise  men of Babylon:  bring me in  before  the king,  and I will shew  unto the king  the interpretation.  [25] Then  Arioch  brought in  Daniel  before  the king  in haste,  and said  thus  unto him, I have found  a man  of the captives  of  Judah,  that will make known  unto the king  the interpretation.  [26] The king  answered  and said  to Daniel,  whose name  was Belteshazzar,  Art  thou able  to make known  unto me the dream  which I have seen,  and the interpretation  thereof? [27] Daniel  answered  in the presence  of the king,  and said,  The secret  which the king  hath demanded  cannot  the wise  men, the astrologers,  the magicians,  the soothsayers,  shew  unto the king;  [28] But  there is  a God  in heaven  that revealeth  secrets,  and maketh known  to the king  Nebuchadnezzar  what  shall be  in the latter  days.  Thy dream,  and the visions  of thy head  upon  thy bed,  are these;  [29] O king,  thy thoughts  came  into thy mind upon  thy bed,  what  should come to pass  hereafter:  and he that revealeth  secrets  maketh known  to thee what  shall come to pass.  [30] But as for me,  this  secret  is not  revealed  to me for any wisdom  that I have  more than  any  living,  but  for their sakes  that  shall make known  the interpretation  to the king,  and that thou mightest know  the thoughts  of thy heart.  [31] O king,  sawest,  and behold  a great  image.  This  great  image,  whose brightness  was excellent,  stood  before  thee; and the form  thereof was terrible.  [32] This image's  head  was of fine  gold,  his breast  and his arms  of silver,  his belly  and his thighs  of brass,  [33] His legs  of iron,  his feet  part  of iron  and part  of clay.  [34] Thou sawest  till  that a stone  was cut out  without  hands,  which smote  the image  upon  his feet  that were of iron  and clay,  them  to pieces.  [35] Then  was the iron,  the clay,  the brass,  the silver,  and the gold,  broken to pieces  together,  and became  like the chaff  of  the summer  threshingfloors;  and the wind  them  away,  that  no  place  was found  for them: and the stone  that smote  the image  became  a great  mountain,  and filled  the whole  earth.  [36] This  is the dream;  and we will tell  the interpretation  thereof before  the king.  [37] O king,  for the God  of heaven  hath given  thee a kingdom,  power,  and strength,  and glory.  [38] And wheresoever  the children  of men  dwell,  the beasts  of the field  and the fowls  of the heaven  hath he given  into thine hand,  and hath made thee ruler  over them all.  Thou  art this head  of gold.  [39] And after  thee shall arise  another  kingdom  inferior  to thee,  and another  third  kingdom  of brass,  which shall bear rule  over all  the earth.  [40] And the fourth  kingdom  shall be  strong  as iron:  breaketh in pieces  and subdueth  all  things: and as  iron  that breaketh  all  these,  shall it break in pieces  and bruise.  [41] And whereas thou sawest  the feet  and toes,  part  of potters'  clay,  and part  of iron,  the kingdom  shall be  divided;  there shall be  in it of  the strength  of the iron,  forasmuch as  thou sawest  the iron  mixed  with miry  clay.  [42] And as the toes  of the feet  were part  of iron,  and part  of clay,  so the kingdom  shall be  partly  strong,  and partly  broken.  [43] And whereas  thou sawest  iron  mixed  with miry  clay,  they shall mingle themselves  with the seed  of men:  but they shall  not  cleave  one  to  another,  even  as iron  is not  mixed  with clay.  [44] And in the days  of these  kings  shall the God  of heaven  set up  a kingdom,  which shall never  be destroyed:  and the kingdom  shall not  be left  to other  people,  but it shall break in pieces  and consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and it  shall stand  for ever.  [45] Forasmuch as  thou sawest  that the stone  was cut out  of the mountain  without  hands,  and that it brake in pieces  the iron,  the brass,  the clay,  the silver,  and the gold;  the great  God  hath made known  to the king  what  shall come to pass  hereafter:  and the dream  is certain,  and the interpretation  thereof sure.  [46] Then  the king  Nebuchadnezzar  fell  upon  his face,  and worshipped  Daniel,  and commanded  that they should offer  an oblation  and sweet odours  unto him. [47] The king  answered  unto Daniel,  and said,  Of  a truth  it is, that  your God  and a Lord  of kings,  and a revealer  of secrets,  seeing thou couldest  reveal  this  secret.  [48] Then  the king  Daniel  a great man,  and gave  him many  great  gifts,  and made him ruler  over  the whole  province  of Babylon,  and chief  of the governors  over  all  the wise  men of Babylon.  [49] Then Daniel  requested  of  the king,  and he set  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and Abednego,  over  the affairs  of the province  of Babylon:  but Daniel  sat in the gate  of the king.