Study Desk

Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar ^(F1)(C1)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his ^(C2)sleep ^(F2)left him.

Then the king ^(F1)gave orders to call in the ^(C1)soothsayer priests, the conjurers, the sorcerers, and the ^(F2)Chaldeans, to ^(F3)tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

The king said to them, "I ^(F1)(C1)had a dream, and my spirit ^(F2)is anxious to ^(F3)understand the dream."

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in ^(F1)(C1)Aramaic: "^(C2)O king, live forever! ^(C3)Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."

The king replied to the Chaldeans, "The command ^(F1)from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be ^(F2)(C1)torn limb from limb and your houses will be turned into a rubbish heap.

"But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me ^(C1)gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation."

They answered a second time and said, "Let the king ^(C1)tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation."

The king replied, "I know for certain that you are trying to buy time, because you have perceived that the command ^(F1)from me is firm,

that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only ^(C1)one ^(F1)decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt ^(F2)words before me until the ^(F3)situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, so that I may ^(C2)know that you can declare to me its interpretation."

The Chaldeans answered ^(F1)the king and said, "There is no person on earth who could declare the matter ^(F2)to the king, because no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any ^(C1)soothsayer priest, sorcerer, or Chaldean.

"Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it ^(F1)to the king except ^(C1)gods, whose ^(C2)dwelling place is not with mortal flesh."

Because of this, the king became ^(C1)angry and extremely furious, and he gave orders to kill all the wise men of Babylon.

So the ^(F1)decree was issued that the wise men be killed; and they looked for ^(C1)Daniel and his friends, to ^(F2)kill them.

Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to ^(C1)Arioch, the captain of the king's ^(F1)bodyguard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

he said to Arioch, the king's officer, "For what reason is the decree from the king so harsh?" Then Arioch informed Daniel of the matter.

So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him a grace period, so that he might declare the interpretation to the king.

Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, ^(C1)Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter,

so that they might ^(C1)request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his friends would not be ^(C2)killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night ^(C1)vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;

Daniel said, "May the name of God be ^(C1)blessed forever and ever, For ^(C2)wisdom and power belong to Him.

-"It is He who ^(C1)changes the times and the periods; He ^(C2)removes kings and appoints kings; He gives ^(C3)wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to ^(F1)people of understanding.

-"It is He who ^(C1)reveals the profound and hidden things; ^(C2)He knows what is in the darkness, And the ^(C3)light dwells with Him.

-"To You, ^(C1)God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me ^(C2)wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we ^(C3)requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter."