Daniel 2 BSB ISV Parallel

◄ Daniel 2 ►

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Berean Study Bible

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1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

1During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn't 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 gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,

3he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

3the king told them, "I have dreamed a dream and I will remain troubled until I can understand it."

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.”

4The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic: "May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we'll reveal its meaning."

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.

5In reply the king told the Chaldeans, "Here is what I have commanded: If you don't tell me both the dream and its meaning, you'll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to 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 do relate the dream to me as well as its meaning, you'll receive gifts, rewards, and great honor from me. Therefore reveal the dream to me, along with its meaning."

7They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

7They replied again, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we'll disclose its meaning."

8The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final.

8The king responded, "I'm convinced that you're stalling for time because you're aware of what I've commanded.

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.”

9So if you don't disclose the dream to me, there will be only one sentence for all of you. You have conspired together to present lies and corrupt interpretations until the situation changes. Now tell me the dream and I'll know that you can reveal its true meaning."

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 Chaldeans answered the king directly, "There's not a single man on earth who can do what the king has commanded. No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any diviner, enchanter, or Chaldean.

11What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

11Furthermore, what the king is asking is so difficult that no one can reveal it except the gods—and they don't live with human beings."

12This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

12At this point, the king flew into a rage and issued an order to destroy all the advisors 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.

13When the order went out to kill the advisors, they searched for Daniel and his friends to kill them, too.

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.

14Daniel responded with wisdom and discretion to Arioch, the king's executioner, who had gone out to execute the advisors of Babylon.

15“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

15He asked him, "Why such a harsh decree from the king?" Then Arioch informed Daniel,

16So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

16so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him , and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king.

17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

17Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the king's command.

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.

18Daniel was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors of Babylon.

19During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

19When the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision later that night, Daniel blessed the God of heaven

20and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

20and said, "May the name of God be blessed forever and ever; wisdom and power are his for evermore.

21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

21It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. 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 what is profoundly mysterious and knows what is in the darkness; with him dwells light.

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.”

23To you, God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, because you have given me wisdom and power; you have now revealed to me what we asked of you by making known to us what the king commanded."

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.”

24After this, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the advisors of Babylon. He told him, "Don't destroy the advisors of Babylon. Bring me before the king and I'll explain the meaning to 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.”

25Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel into the king's presence and informed him: "I've found a man from the Judean captives who will make known the meaning to the king."

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?”

26King Nebuchadnezzar replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian name is Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me about the dream and its meaning?"

27Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

27By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king: "None of the advisors, enchanters, diviners, or astrologers can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known.

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 secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. "While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows:

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.

29Your majesty, when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place.

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 secret was made known to me, not because my own wisdom is greater than anyone else alive, but in order that the meaning may be made known to the king, and that you might understand the thoughts of your heart.

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, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying.

32The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

32That statue had a head made of pure gold, with its chest and arms made of silver, its abdomen and thighs made of bronze,

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

33its legs made of iron, and its feet made partly of iron and partly of 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.

34"As you were watching, a rock was quarried—but not with human hands—and it struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, breaking them to pieces.

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 broken in pieces together and became like chaff from a summer threshing floor that the breeze carries away without leaving a trace. Then the rock that struck the statue grew into a huge mountain and filled the entire earth.

36This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

36"This was the dream, and we'll now relate its meaning to the king.

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

37You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the 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.

38so that wherever people, wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all—you're 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 that is inferior to yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze will arise to rule all the 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.

40Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Just as all things are broken to pieces and shattered by iron, so it will shatter and crush everything.

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.

41"The feet and toes that you saw, made partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, represent a divided kingdom. It will still have the strength of iron, in that 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.

42Just as their toes and feet are part iron and part clay, so will the kingdom be both strong and 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.

43Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, so they will mix themselves with human offspring. Furthermore, they won't remain together, just as iron doesn't mix 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"During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand 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.”

45Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands—and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces—so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove 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 on his face before Daniel, paid honor to him, and commanded that an offering and incense be presented on his behalf.

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 told Daniel, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the Revealer of Secrets, because 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 promoted Daniel to a high position and lavished many great gifts on him, including making him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over the advisors of Babylon.

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, Daniel requested that the king appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained in the royal court.

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