Daniel 2:4-49

Daniel 2:4-49

[4] Then spake  the Chaldeans  to the king  in Syriack,  O king,  live  for ever:  tell  thy servants  the dream,  and we will shew  the interpretation.  [5] The king  answered  and said  to the Chaldeans,  The thing  is gone  from me:  if  ye will not  make known  unto me the dream,  with the interpretation  thereof, ye shall be cut  in pieces,  and your houses  shall be made  a dunghill.  [6] But if  ye shew  the dream,  and the interpretation  thereof, ye shall receive  of  me  gifts  and rewards  and great  honour:  shew  me the dream,  and the interpretation  [7] They answered  again  and said,  Let the king  tell  his servants  the dream,  and we will shew  the interpretation  [8] The king  answered  and said,  know  of  certainty  that ye  would gain  the time,  because  ye see  the thing  is gone  from  [9] But if  ye will not  make known  unto me the dream,  there is but one  decree  for you: for ye have prepared  lying  and corrupt  words  to speak  before  me, till  the time  be changed:  tell  me the dream,  and I shall know  that  ye can shew  me the interpretation  thereof. [10] The Chaldeans  answered  before  the king,  and said,  There is  not  a man  upon  the earth  that can  shew  the king's  matter:  therefore  there is no  king,  lord,  nor ruler,  that asked  such  things  at any  magician,  or astrologer,  or Chaldean.  [11] And it is a rare  thing  that the king  requireth,  and there is  none  other  that can shew  it before  the king,  except  the gods,  whose dwelling  is  not  with  flesh.  [12] For  this  cause  the king  was angry  and very  furious,  and commanded  to destroy  all  the wise  men of Babylon.  [13] And the decree  went forth  that the wise  men should be slain;  and they sought  Daniel  and his fellows  to be slain.  [14] Then  Daniel  answered  with counsel  and wisdom  to Arioch  the captain  of  the king's  guard,  which was gone forth  to slay  the wise  men of Babylon:  [15] He answered  and said  to Arioch  the king's  captain,  Why  is the decree  so hasty  from  the king?  Then  Arioch  made the thing  known  to Daniel.  [16] Then Daniel  went in,  and desired  of  the king  that he would give  him time,  and that he would shew  the king  the interpretation.  [17] Then  Daniel  went  to his house,  and made the thing  known  to Hananiah,  Mishael,  and Azariah,  his companions:  [18] That they would desire  mercies  of  the God  of heaven  concerning  this  secret;  that Daniel  and his fellows  should not  perish  with  the rest  of the wise  men of Babylon.  [19] Then  was the secret  revealed  unto Daniel  in a night  vision.  Then  Daniel  blessed  the God  of heaven.  [20] Daniel  answered  and said,  Blessed  be  the name  of God  for  ever  and ever:  for wisdom  and might  are  his: [21] And he changeth  the times  and the seasons:  he removeth  kings,  and setteth up  kings:  he giveth  wisdom  unto the wise,  and knowledge  to them that know  understanding:  [22] He revealeth  the deep  and secret things:  he knoweth  what  is in the darkness,  and the light  dwelleth  with him.  [23] thank  thee, and praise  thee, O thou God  of my fathers,  who hast given  me wisdom  and might,  and hast made known  unto me now  what we desired  of thee:  for thou hast now made known  unto us the king's  matter.  [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.