1. In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

3. The king said to them, "I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream."

4. Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

5. The king answered the Chaldeans, "The thing has gone from me. If you don't make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill.

6. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation."

7. They answered the second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

8. The king answered, "I know of a certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see the thing has gone from me.

9. But if you don't make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the situation changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can show me its interpretation."

10. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, "There is not a man on the earth who can show the king's matter, because no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.

11. It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

12. Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

13. So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought DANIEL and his companions to be slain.

14. Then DANIEL returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.

15. He answered Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree so urgent from the king?" Then Arioch made the thing known to DANIEL.

16. DANIEL went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show 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 companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19. Then the secret was revealed to DANIEL in a vision of the night. Then DANIEL blessed the God of heaven.

20. DANIEL answered,"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever;for wisdom and might are his.

21. He changes the times and the seasons.He removes kings, and sets up kings.He gives wisdom to the wise,and knowledge to those who have understanding.

22. He reveals the deep and secret things.He knows what is in the darkness,and the light dwells with him.

23. I thank you, and praise you,you God of my fathers,who have given me wisdom and might,and have now made known to me what we desired of you;for you have made known to us the king's matter."

24. Therefore DANIEL went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him: "Don't destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation."

25. Then Arioch brought in DANIEL before the king in haste, and said this to him: "I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation."

26. The king answered DANIEL, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"

27. DANIEL answered before the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded can't be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers;

28. but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head on your bed, are these:

29. "As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen.

30. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

31. "You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrifying.

32. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,

33. its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.

34. You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

35. Then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36. "This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king.

37. You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory.

38. Wherever the children of men dwell, he has given the animals of the field and the birds of the sky into your hand, and has made you rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

39. "After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you; and another third kingdom of brass, which will rule over all the earth.

40. The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush.

41. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.

42. As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong, and partly broken.

43. Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they won't cling to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

44. "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

45. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will happen hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped DANIEL, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him.

47. The king answered to DANIEL, and said, "Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret."

48. Then the king made DANIEL great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

49. DANIEL requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but DANIEL was in the king's gate.

1. Nebuchadnezzar the king,to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth:Peace be multiplied to you.

2. It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me.

3. How great are his signs!How mighty are his wonders!His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.His dominion is from generation to generation.

4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

5. I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

8. But at the last DANIEL came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,

9. "Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

10. Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great.

11. The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its sight to the end of all the earth.

12. The leaves of it were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13. "I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky.

14. He cried aloud, and said thus, 'Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.

15. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth.

16. Let his heart be changed from man's, and let an animal's heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him.

17. "'The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.'

18. "This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in you."

19. Then DANIEL, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream, or the interpretation, trouble you."Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries.

20. The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth;

21. whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation:

22. it is you, O king, that have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

23. "Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the sky, and saying, 'Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.

24. "This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king:

25. that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and shall be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.

26. Whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; your kingdom shall be sure to you, after that you will have known that the heavens do rule.

27. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquility."

28. All this came on the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29. At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon.

30. The king spoke and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?"

31. While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: 'The kingdom has departed from you.

32. You shall be driven from men; and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass as oxen. Seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.'"

33. This was fulfilled the same hour on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

34. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever;for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom from generation to generation.

35. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;and he does according to his will in the army of heaven,and among the inhabitants of the earth;and no one can stop his hand,or ask him, "What are you doing?"

36. At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me.

37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.