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if you do not tell me the dream, there is but one verdict for you. You have agreed to speak lying and misleading words to me until things take a turn. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."
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The Chaldeans answered the king, "There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.
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The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals."
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Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.
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The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them.
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Then Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon;
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he asked Arioch, the royal official, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.
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So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.
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Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
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and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish.
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Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
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Daniel said: "Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his.
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He changes times and seasons, deposes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
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He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him.
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To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered."
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Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will give the king the interpretation."
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Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can tell the king the interpretation."
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The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?"
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Daniel answered the king, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking,
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but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed were these:
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To you, O king, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and the revealer of mysteries disclosed to you what is to be.