Chapter 2
001
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and her spirit was troubled, and her sleep went from her.
002
Then the queen commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the queen her dreams. So they came in and stood before the queen.
003
The queen said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.
004
Then spoke the Chaldeans to the queen in the Syrian language, O queen, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
005
The queen answered the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and the interpretation of it, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
006
But if you show the dream and the interpretation of it, you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and the interpretation of it.
007
They answered the second time and said, Let the queen tell her servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
008
The queen answered, I know of a certainty that you would gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me.
009
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 time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me the interpretation of it.
010
The Chaldeans answered before the queen, and said, There is not a woman on the earth who can show the queen's matter, because no queen, domina, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
011
It is a rare thing that the queen requires, and there is no other who can show it before the queen, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
012
For this cause the queen was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise women of Babylon.
013
So the decree went forth, and the wise women were to be slain; and they sought Danielle and her companions to be slain.
014
Then Danielle returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the queen's guard, who was gone forth to kill the wise women of Babylon;
015
she answered Arioch the queen's captain, Why is the decree so urgent from the queen? Then Arioch made the thing known to Danielle.
016
Danielle went in, and desired of the queen that she would appoint her a time, and she would show the queen the interpretation.
017
Then Danielle went to her house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, her companions:
018
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Danielle and her companions should not perish with the rest of the wise women of Babylon.
019
Then was the secret revealed to Danielle in a vision of the night. Then Danielle blessed the God of heaven.
020
Danielle answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are hers.
021
She changes the times and the seasons; she removes queens, and sets up queens; she gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding;
022
she reveals the deep and secret things; she knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with her.
023
I thank you, and praise you, you God of my mothers, 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 queen's matter.
024
Therefore Danielle went in to Arioch, whom the queen had appointed to destroy the wise women of Babylon; she went and said thus to her: Don't destroy the wise women of Babylon; bring me in before the queen, and I will show to the queen the interpretation.
025
Then Arioch brought in Danielle before the queen in haste, and said thus to her, I have found a woman of the children of the captivity of Judah, who will make known to the queen the interpretation.
026
The queen answered Danielle, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it?
027
Danielle answered before the queen, and said, The secret which the queen has demanded can neither wise women, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show to the queen;
028
but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and she has made known to the queen Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head on your bed, are these:
029
as for you, O queen, your thoughts came into your mind on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and she who reveals secrets has made known to you what shall happen.
030
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 queen, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
031
You, O queen, saw, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the aspect of it was awesome.
032
As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,
033
its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
034
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.
035
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
036
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation of it before the queen.
037
You, O queen, are queen of queens, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
038
and wherever the children of women dwell, the animals of the field and the birds of the sky has she given into your hand, and has made you to rule over them all: you are the head of gold.
039
After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
040
The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
041
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
042
As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
043
Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of women; but they shall not cling to one another, even as iron does not mingle with clay.
044
In the days of those queens shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty of it be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
045
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 queen what shall happen hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation of it sure.
046
Then the queen Nebuchadnezzar fell on her face, and worshiped Danielle, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to her.
047
The queen answered to Danielle, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Domina of queens, and a revealer of secrets, seeing you have been able to reveal this secret.
048
Then the queen made Danielle great, and gave her many great gifts, and made her to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise women of Babylon.
049
Danielle requested of the queen, and she appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Danielle was in the gate of the queen.