Daniel 2
2Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.H8147H8141H4438H5019H5019H2492H2472H7307H6470H8142H19612Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.H4428H559H7121H2748H825H3784H3778H5046H4428H2472H935H5975H6440H44283And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."H4428H559H2492H2472H7307H6470H3045H24724Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."H1696H3778H4428H762H4430H2418H5957H560H5649H2493H2324H65915The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.H4430H6032H560H3779H4406H230H4481H2006H3809H3046H2493H6591H5648H1917H1005H7761H51226"However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."H2006H2324H2493H6591H6902H4481H6925H4978H5023H7690H3367H3861H2324H2493H65917They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation."H6032H8579H560H4430H560H5649H2493H2324H65918The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:H4430H6032H560H576H3046H4481H3330H608H2084H5732H6903H3606H2370H4406H230H44819"if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."H2006H3809H3046H2493H1932H2298H1882H2164H3538H7844H4406H560H6925H5705H5732H8133H3861H560H2493H3046H1768H2324H659110The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.H3779H6032H6925H4430H560H383H3809H606H5922H3007H3202H2324H4430H4406H6903H1768H3809H4430H7229H7990H7593H1836H4406H3606H2749H826H377911"It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."H3358H4406H4430H7593H383H3809H321H2324H6925H4430H3861H426H4070H383H3809H5974H132112For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.H6903H1836H3606H4430H1149H7690H7108H560H7H3606H2445H89513So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.H1882H5312H2445H6992H1156H1841H2269H699214Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;H116H1841H8421H5843H2942H746H7229H1768H4430H2877H5312H6992H2445H89515he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.H6032H560H746H4430H7990H4101H5922H1882H2685H4481H6925H4430H116H746H4406H3046H184116So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.H1841H5954H1156H4481H4430H5415H2166H2324H4430H659117Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,H116H1841H236H1005H4406H3046H2608H4333H5839H226918that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.H1156H7359H4481H6925H426H8065H5922H1836H7328H1841H2269H3809H7H5974H7606H2445H89519Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.H116H7328H1541H1841H3916H2376H116H1841H1289H426H806520Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.H1841H6032H560H1289H1934H8036H426H4481H5957H5705H5957H2452H1370H193221And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.H8133H5732H2166H5709H4430H6966H4430H3052H2452H2445H4486H3046H99922He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.H1541H5994H5642H3046H4101H2816H5094H8271H597423"I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."H576H3029H7624H426H2H3052H2452H1370H3046H3705H1156H4481H3046H4430H440624Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation."H3606H6903H1836H1841H5954H5922H746H4430H4483H7H2445H895H236H560H3652H7H409H2445H895H5954H6925H4430H2324H4430H659125Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation."H116H746H5954H1841H6925H4430H927H560H3652H7912H1400H1123H1547H4481H3061H3046H4430H659126The 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?"H4430H6032H560H1841H8036H1096H383H3546H3046H2493H2370H659127Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.H1841H6032H6925H4430H560H7328H4430H7593H3202H3809H2445H826H2749H1505H2324H443028"But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:H1297H383H426H8065H1541H7328H3046H4430H5020H4101H1934H320H3118H2493H2376H7217H5922H4903H183629"As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.H607H4430H7476H5559H5922H4903H4101H1934H311H1836H1541H7328H3046H4101H193430"But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.H576H1836H7328H3809H1541H2452H383H4481H3606H2417H3861H1701H5922H3046H6591H4430H3046H7476H382531"You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.H607H4430H1934H2370H431H2298H7690H6755H1797H7229H6755H2122H3493H6966H6903H7299H176332"This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,H6755H7217H2869H1722H2306H1872H3702H4577H3410H517433"its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.H8243H6523H7271H4481H6523H4481H263534"You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.H2370H1934H5705H69H1505H3809H3028H4223H6755H5922H7271H6523H2635H1855H1994H185535"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.H116H6523H2635H5174H3702H1722H1855H1751H2298H1934H5784H4481H7007H147H7308H5376H1994H5376H3606H3809H870H7912H69H4223H6755H1934H7229H2906H4391H3606H77236"This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.H1836H2493H560H6591H6925H443037"You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;H607H4430H4430H4430H426H8065H3052H4437H2632H8632H336738"and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.H3606H1123H606H1753H2423H1251H5776H8065H3052H3028H7981H3606H607H7217H172239"But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.H870H6966H317H4437H772H4481H317H8523H4437H5174H7981H3606H77240"And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.H7244H4437H1934H8624H6523H6523H1855H2827H3606H6903H6523H7490H3606H459H1855H749041"Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.H2370H7271H677H4481H6353H2635H4481H6523H4437H1934H6386H4481H1934H4481H5326H6523H3606H6903H2370H6523H6151H2917H263542"And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.H677H7271H4481H6523H4481H2635H4437H1934H4481H7118H8624H4481H7118H840643"As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.H1768H2370H6523H6151H2917H2635H1934H6151H2234H606H1934H3809H1693H1836H5974H1836H1888H6523H3809H6151H263544"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.H3118H581H4430H426H8065H6966H4437H5957H3809H2255H4437H3809H7662H321H5972H1855H5487H3606H459H4437H1932H6966H595745"Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."H3606H6903H2370H69H1505H2906H3809H3028H1855H6523H5174H2635H3702H1722H7229H426H3046H4430H4101H1934H311H1836H2493H3330H6591H54046Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.H116H4430H5020H5308H5922H600H5457H1841H560H5260H4504H520847The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."H4430H6032H1841H560H4481H7187H1768H426H426H426H4756H4430H1541H7328H3202H1541H1836H732848Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.H116H4430H7236H1841H7236H3052H7690H7260H4978H7981H5922H3606H4083H895H7229H5460H5922H3606H2445H89549Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.H1841H1156H4481H4430H4483H7715H4336H5665H5922H5673H4083H895H1841H8651H4430
Columbus, OH
