| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. | 1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. |
| 2So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, | 2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, |
| 3he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.” | 3he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means." |
| 4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.” | 4Then the astrologers answered the king, "May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." |
| 5The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble. | 5The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. |
| 6But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.” | 6But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me." |
| 7They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.” | 7Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." |
| 8The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final. | 8Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: |
| 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.” | 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me." |
| 10The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer. | 10The astrologers answered the king, "There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. |
| 11What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.” | 11What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans." |
| 12This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. | 12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. |
| 13So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them. | 13So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. |
| 14When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel replied with discretion and tact. | 14When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. |
| 15“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. | 15He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. |
| 16So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation. | 16At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. |
| 17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, | 17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. |
| 18urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. | 18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. |
| 19During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven | 19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven |
| 20and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. | 20and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. |
| 21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. | 21He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. |
| 22He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. | 22He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. |
| 23To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.” | 23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." |
| 24Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.” | 24Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." |
| 25Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.” | 25Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means." |
| 26The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?” | 26The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" |
| 27Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. | 27Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, |
| 28But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these: | 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: |
| 29As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen. | 29"As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. |
| 30And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. | 30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. |
| 31As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. | 31"Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. |
| 32The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, | 32The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, |
| 33its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay. | 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. |
| 34As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. | 34While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. |
| 35Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. | 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. |
| 36This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. | 36"This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. |
| 37You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. | 37Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; |
| 38Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. | 38in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. |
| 39But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth. | 39"After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. |
| 40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others. | 40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron--for iron breaks and smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. |
| 41And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay. | 41Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. |
| 42And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. | 42As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. |
| 43As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay. | 43And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. |
| 44In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. | 44"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. |
| 45And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.” | 45This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." |
| 46At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him. | 46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. |
| 47The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.” | 47The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." |
| 48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. | 48Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. |
| 49And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court. | 49Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court. |
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