New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.
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In the second year of the realm of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar saw a dream; and his spirit was afeared, and his dream fled away from him. (In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream; and his spirit was afraid, and then his dream fled away from him.)
2 He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king,
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Therefore the king commanded, that the (false) diviners, and astronomers, and witches, and Chaldees should be called together, that they should tell to the king his dreams; and when they were come, they stood before the king. (And so the king commanded, that the fortunetellers, and the astrologers, and the witches, and the Chaldeans should be called together, so that they could tell the king about his dream; and when they had come, they stood before the king.)
3 he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”
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And the king said to them, I saw a dream, and I am shamed in mind, and I know not what I saw. (And the king said to them, I had a dream, and I am confused, and I do not know what I saw/and I do not know what it meant.)
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”
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And Chaldees answered the king by Syriack language, King, live thou without end; say thy dream to thy servants, and we shall show to thee the expounding thereof. (And the Chaldeans answered the king in the Syrian, or in the Aramaic, language and said, O King, may thou live forever; first tell thy dream to thy servants, and then we shall tell thee its interpretation.)
5 But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble!
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And the king answered, and said to [the] Chaldees, The word is gone away from me; if ye show not to me the dream, and the expounding thereof, ye shall perish, and your houses shall be forfeited. (And the king answered, and said to the Chaldeans, The dream hath gone away from me/This is what I have decided; if ye do not tell me the dream, and its interpretation, then ye shall die, and your houses shall be laid waste.)
6 But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”
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Forsooth if ye tell the dream, and the expounding thereof, ye shall take of me meeds and gifts, and much honour; therefore show ye to me the dream, and the interpreting thereof. (But if ye tell me the dream, and its interpretation, then ye shall receive from me rewards and gifts, and much honour; and so tell me the dream, and its interpretation.)
7 They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”
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They answered the second time, and said, The king say the dream to his servants, and we shall show the interpreting thereof. (They answered a second time, and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and then we shall tell its interpretation.)
8 The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say,
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The king answered, and said, Certainly I know, that ye again-buy the time, and know that the word is gone away from me. (And the king answered, Certainly I see, that ye be trying to gain time, for ye know that the dream hath gone away from me/because ye know that this is what I have decided.)
9 ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”
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Therefore if ye show not to me the dream, one sentence is of you, for ye make an interpreting both false and full of deceit, that ye speak to me till the time pass; therefore say ye the dream to me, that I know that ye speak also the very interpreting thereof. (And so if ye do not tell me the dream, one punishment shall be for all of you, for ye make an interpretation both false and full of deceit, and ye shall just speak to me until the time pass; and so tell me the dream, so that I know that ye also say its true interpretation.)
10 The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer!
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Therefore [the] Chaldees answered before the king, and said, King, no man is on earth that may [ful]fill thy word; but neither any great man and mighty of kings asketh such a word of any (false) diviner, and astronomer, and of a man of Chaldea. (And so the Chaldeans answered the king, and said, O king, there is no one on earth who can fulfill thy request; nor would any great king, or mighty man, ask such a request of any fortuneteller, or astrologer, or a man of Chaldea.)
11 The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”
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For the word which thou, (O) king, askest, is grievous, neither any shall be found that shall show it in the sight of the king (nor shall anyone be found who can tell it to the king), except (the) gods, whose living is not with men.
12 The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.
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And when this word was heard, the king commanded, in strong vengeance and in great ire, that all [the] wise men of Babylon should perish. (And when this word was heard, the king commanded, with strong vengeance and with great anger, that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.)
13 And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.
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And by the sentence gone out, the wise men were (to be) slain; and Daniel and his fellows were sought, that they should perish. (And by the order gone out, the wise men were to be killed; and Daniel and his fellows were sought, so that they could be put to death.)
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.
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Then Daniel asked of the law and sentence of Arioch, prince of [the] chivalry of the king, that was gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon. (And Daniel asked about the law and the sentence, or the order, to Arioch, the leader of the king's cavalry, or of his bodyguard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.)
15 He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened.
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And he asked him, that had taken power of the king, for what cause so cruel a sentence went out from the face of the king. Therefore when Arioch had showed the thing to Daniel, (And he asked him, who had received the power of life and death from the king, for what cause such a cruel order had gone out from the king. And so when Arioch had told the reason to Daniel,)
16 Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.
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Daniel entered, and prayed the king, that he should give time to him to show the solving to the king. (Daniel entered in, and beseeched the king, that he would give him some time, so that he could tell the interpretation to the king. And the king agreed.)
17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened.
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And he entered into his house, and showed the need to Hananiah, and Mishael, and Azariah, his fellows,
18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.
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that they should ask mercy of the face of God of heaven on this sacrament, (or hid truth); and that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with other wise men of Babylon. (that they should ask for mercy from the God of heaven, and that he explain this secret, or this hidden truth, so that Daniel and his fellows would not die along with the other wise men of Babylon.)
19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
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Then the private was showed to Daniel by a vision in night. And Daniel blessed (the) God of heaven, (Then the mystery, or the secret, was revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night. And Daniel blessed the God of heaven,)
20 He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.
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and said, The name of the Lord be blessed from the world, and till into the world, for wisdom and strength be his; (and said, The Lord's name be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and strength be his;)
21 He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.
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and he changeth times and ages, he translateth realms and ordaineth; he giveth wisdom to wise men, and knowing to them that understand teaching, either chastising; (and he changeth times and ages, he transfereth kingdoms and ordaineth them; he giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who understand teaching, or the disciplines;)
22 He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.
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he showeth deep things and hid (he revealeth secrets, or mysteries, and hidden things), and he knoweth things set in darknesses, and light is with him.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
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God of our fathers, I acknowledge to thee, and I praise thee, for thou hast given wisdom and strength to me; and now thou hast showed to me those things which we prayed thee, for thou hast opened to us the word of the king. (God of our forefathers, I acknowledge to thee, and I praise thee, for thou hast given wisdom and strength to me; and now thou hast shown me those things for which we prayed to thee, for thou hast opened to us the matter concerning the king.)
24 Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”
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After these things Daniel entered to Arioch, whom the king had ordained, that he should lose the wise men of Babylon, and thus he spake to him, Lose thou not the wise men of Babylon; lead thou me in before the sight of the king, and I shall tell the solving to the king. (And after these things Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had ordered, that he should destroy the wise men of Babylon, and he said this to him, Destroy thou not the wise men of Babylon; lead thou me in before the king, and I shall tell the interpretation to the king.)
25 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!”
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Then Arioch hasting led in Daniel to the king, and said to him, I have found a man of the sons of (the) passing over of Judah, that shall tell the solving to the king. (Then Arioch, making haste, led Daniel in to the king, and said to him, I have found a man of the sons of the captivity of Judah, who shall tell the interpretation to the king.)
26 The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?”
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The king answered, and said to Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, Whether guessest thou, that thou mayest verily show to me the dream which I saw, and the interpreting thereof? (And the king said to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, Thinkest thou, that thou can truly tell me the dream which I saw, and its interpretation?)
27 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret.
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And Daniel answered before the king, and said, The private which the king asketh, [the] wise men, and astronomers, and (false) diviners, and lookers of altars, may not show to the king. (And Daniel answered the king, and said, The mystery, or the secret, which the king asketh about, the wise men, and the astrologers, and the fortunetellers, and the lookers on altars, cannot tell the king.)
28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.
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But God is in heaven that showeth privates, which hath showed to thee, thou king Nebuchadnezzar, what things shall come in the last times. Thy dream and visions of thine head, in thy bed, be such. (But there is God in heaven who revealeth mysteries, or secrets, and he hath shown thee, O King Nebuchadnezzar, what things shall come in the last times, or at the end of the age. Thy dream and the visions in thy head, on thy bed, be such.)
29 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen.
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Thou, king, begannest to think in thy bed, what was to coming after these things; and he that showeth privates (and he who revealeth mysteries, or secrets), showed to thee what things shall come.
30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.
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And this sacrament, [or hid truth], is showed to me not by wisdom which is in me more than in all living men, but that the interpreting should be made open to the king, and thou shouldest know the thoughts of thy soul. (And this secret, or this hidden truth, is shown to me not by any wisdom which is in me more than in anyone else alive, but so that the interpretation can be made open to the king, and so that thou wouldest know the thoughts in thy mind.)
31 “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight.
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Thou, king, sawest, and lo! as one great image (Thou, king, sawest, lo! one great image, or one large figure); that image was great, and high in stature, and stood before thee, and the looking thereof was fearedful.
32 The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,
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The head of this image was of best gold, but the breast and arms were of silver; certainly the womb and thighs were of brass, (The head of this figure was made of the best gold, and the chest and the arms were made of silver; the belly and the thighs were made of bronze,)
33 its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay.
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but the legs were of iron; forsooth some part of the feet was of iron, some was of earth. (and the legs were made of iron; and a part of the feet was made of iron, and a part was made of clay.)
34 As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.
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Thou sawest thus, till a stone was cut down (out) of the hill, without hands, and smote the image in the iron feet thereof and earthen, and all-brake those. (Thou sawest it so, until a stone was cut down from the hill, without the use of any hands, and it struck the figure on its iron and clay feet, and broke them all in pieces.)
35 The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.
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Then the iron, tilestone, either earthen vessel, brass, silver, and gold, were all-broken (al)together, and driven as into a dead spark of a large summer hall, that be ravished of wind, and no place is found to those; forsooth the stone, that smote the image, was made a great hill, and filled all earth. (Then the iron, the tilestone, or the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, were all broken in pieces, and driven like dead sparks on a threshing floor in the summer, that be carried away by the wind, and there is no place where they can be found; and then the stone, that struck the figure, was made into a great mountain, and it filled all the earth.)
36 “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means.
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This is the dream. Also, thou king, we shall say before thee the interpreting thereof. (That is the dream. And, O king, now we shall tell thee its interpretation.)
37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor.
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Thou art king of kings, and God of heaven gave to thee realm, strength, and empire, and glory; (Thou art king of kings, and the God of heaven gave thee a kingdom, and power, and empire, and glory;)
38 He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.
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and he gave in(to) thine hand all things in which the sons of men, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air dwell, and ordained all things under thy lordship; therefore thou art the golden head.
39 “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world.
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And another realm less than thou shall rise after thee; and the third realm, another of brass, that shall have the empire of all earth. (And after thee, another kingdom less than thou, shall rise up; and then the third kingdom, one of bronze, that shall have rule over all the earth.)
40 Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes.
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And the fourth realm shall be as iron; as iron maketh less, and maketh tame all things, so it shall make less, and shall all-break all these realms. (And the fourth kingdom shall be like iron; and like iron shattereth, or breaketh in pieces, and maketh everything tame, or subdueth all things, so it shall make less, and shall all-break all these kingdoms.)
41 The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron.
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Forsooth that thou sawest a part of the feet, and fingers, (or toes,) of earth, [or clay,] of a potter, and a part of iron, the realm shall be parted (And that thou sawest that a part of the feet, and the toes, was made of the clay of a potter, and a part was made of iron, the kingdom shall be divided); which nevertheless shall rise (up out) of the planting of (the) iron, by that that thou sawest iron mingled with a tilestone of clay,
42 But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay.
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and the toes of the feet, in part of iron, and in part of earth, in part the realm shall be firm, and in part broken. (and like the toes of the feet, were in part made of iron, and in part made of clay, so the kingdom in part shall be firm, or shall be strong, and in part it shall be broken, or shall be weak.)
43 This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.
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Forsooth that thou sawest iron mingled with a tilestone of clay, soothly those shall be mingled together with man's seed; but those shall not cleave to themselves, as iron may not be meddled with tilestone. (And that thou sawest iron mingled with clay, truly people shall mix their seed together, that is, they shall intermarry; but they shall not cleave long to each other, just like iron cannot successfully be mixed with clay.)
44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.
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Forsooth in the days of those realms, (the) God of heaven shall raise (up) a realm, that shall not be destroyed without end, and his realm shall not be given to another people; it shall make less, and (shall) waste all these realms, and it shall stand without end,
45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
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by this that thou sawest, that a stone was cut down (out) of the hill, without hands, and made less, [or brake,] the tilestone, and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold (by this that thou sawest, that a stone was cut down from the hill, without the use of any hands, and broke the clay, and the iron, and the bronze, and the silver, and the gold). [The] Great God hath showed to the king what things shall come afterward; and the dream is true, and the interpreting thereof is faithful.
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him.
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Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell down on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded sacrifices and incense to be brought, that those should be sacrificed to him (so that they could be sacrificed to him).
47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.”
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Therefore the king spake, and said to Daniel, Verily your God is God of gods, and Lord of kings, that showeth mysteries, for thou mightest open this sacrament, (or hid truth). (And so the king spoke, and said to Daniel, Truly your God is God of gods, and Lord of kings, who revealeth mysteries, for thou could open this secret, or this hidden truth.)
48 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men.
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Then the king raised (up) Daniel on high, and gave many gifts and great to him (and gave him many great gifts); and ordained him prince and prefect, either chief justice, over all the provinces of Babylon, and master over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
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Forsooth Daniel asked of the king, and (he) ordained Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over all the works of the province of Babylon; but Daniel himself was in the gates of the king (but Daniel himself was at the king's court).