And in the secondyearof the reignof NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzardreameddreams, wherewith his spiritwas troubled, and his sleepbrokefromhim. Then the kingcommandedto callthe magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to showthe kinghis dreams. So they cameand stoodbeforethe king. And the kingsaidunto them, I have dreameda dream, and my spiritwas troubledto knowthe dream. Then spokethe Chaldeansto the kingin Syriac, O king, liveforever: tellthy servantsthe dream, and we will showthe interpretation. The kingansweredand saidto the Chaldeans, The thingis gonefromme: ifye will notmake knownunto me the dream, with the interpretationthereof, ye shall be cutin pieces, and your housesshall be madea dunghill. But ifye showthe dream, and the interpretationthereof, ye shall receiveofme giftsand rewardsand greathonor: thereforeshowme the dream, and the interpretationthereof. They answeredagainand said, Let the kingtellhis servantsthe dream, and we will showthe interpretationof it. The kingansweredand said, Iknowofcertaintythatyewould gainthe time, becauseye seethe thingis gonefromme. Butifye will notmake knownunto me the dream, there is but onedecreefor you: for ye have preparedlyingand corruptwordsto speakbeforeme, tillthe timebe changed: thereforetellme the dream, and I shall knowthatye can showme the interpretationthereof. The Chaldeansansweredbeforethe king, and said, There isnota manuponthe earththatcanshowthe king's matter: therefore there is noking, lord, nor ruler, that askedsuch thingsat anymagician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rarethingthatthe kingrequireth, and there isnoneotherthatcan showit beforethe king, exceptthe gods, whosedwellingisnotwithflesh. For this causethe kingwas angryand veryfurious, and commandedto destroyallthe wise men of Babylon. And the decreewent forththat the wise men should be slain; and they soughtDanieland his fellowsto be slain. ThenDanielansweredwith counseland wisdomto Ariochthe captainofthe king's guard, whichwas gone forthto slaythe wise men of Babylon: He answeredand saidto Ariochthe king's captain, Why is the decree so hastyfromthe king? ThenAriochmade the thing knownto Daniel. Then Danielwent in, and desiredofthe kingthathe would givehim time, and that he would showthe kingthe interpretation. ThenDanielwentto his house, and made the thing knownto Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desiremerciesofthe Godof heavenconcerningthissecret; thatDanieland his fellowsshould notperishwiththe restof the wise men of Babylon. Thenwas the secretrevealedunto Danielin a nightvision. ThenDanielblessedthe Godof heaven. Danielansweredand said, Blessedbethe nameofGodforever and ever: forwisdomand mightare his: And hechangeththe timesand the seasons: he removethkings, and setteth upkings: he givethwisdomunto the wise, and knowledgeto them that knowunderstanding: Herevealeththe deepand secret things: he knowethwhat is in the darkness, and the lightdwellethwithhim. Ithankthee, and praisethee, O thou Godof my fathers, whohast givenme wisdomand might, and hast made knownunto me nowwhatwe desiredofthee: forthou hast now made knownunto us the king's matter. ThereforeDanielwent inuntoArioch, whomthe kinghad ordainedto destroythe wise men of Babylon: he wentand saidthusunto him; Destroynotthe wise men of Babylon: bring me inbeforethe king, and I will showunto the kingthe interpretation. ThenAriochbrought inDanielbeforethe kingin haste, and saidthusunto him, I have founda manofthe captivesofJudah, thatwill make knownunto the kingthe interpretation. The kingansweredand saidto Daniel, whosename was Belteshazzar, Artthou ableto make knownunto me the dreamwhichI have seen, and the interpretationthereof? Danielansweredin the presence ofthe king, and said, The secretwhichthe kinghath demandedcannotthe wise men , the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, showunto the king; Butthere isa Godin heaventhat revealethsecrets, and maketh knownto the kingNebuchadnezzarwhatshall bein the latterdays. Thy dream, and the visionsof thy headuponthy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughtscame into thy mind uponthy bed, whatshould come to passhereafter: and he that revealethsecretsmaketh knownto thee whatshall come to pass. But as for me, thissecretis notrevealedto me for any wisdomthatI havemore thananyliving, butfor their sakesthatshall make knownthe interpretationto the king, and that thou mightest knowthe thoughtsof thy heart. Thou, O king, sawest, and beholdagreatimage. Thisgreatimage, whose brightness was excellent, stoodbeforethee; and the formthereof was terrible. Thisimage's head was offinegold, his breastand his armsofsilver, his bellyand his thighsofbrass, His legsofiron, his feetpartofironand partofclay. Thou sawesttillthata stonewas cut outwithouthands, which smotethe imageuponhis feet that were ofironand clay, and broke them to pieces. Thenwas the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to piecestogether, and becamelike the chaffofthe summerthreshingfloors; and the windcarried them away, that noplacewas foundfor them: and the stonethatsmotethe imagebecamea greatmountain, and filledthe wholeearth. This is the dream; and we will tellthe interpretationthereof beforethe king. Thou, O king, art a kingof kings: forthe Godof heavenhath giventhee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoeverthe childrenof mendwell, the beastsof the fieldand the fowlsof the heavenhath he giveninto thine hand, and hath made thee rulerover them all. Thou art thisheadofgold. And afterthee shall ariseanotherkingdominferiortothee, and anotherthirdkingdomofbrass, whichshall bear ruleover allthe earth. And the fourthkingdomshall bestrongas iron: forasmuch asironbreaketh in piecesand subduethall things : and as ironthatbreakethallthese, shall it break in piecesand bruise. And whereasthou sawestthe feetand toes, partofpotters' clay, and partof iron, the kingdomshall bedivided; but there shall bein it ofthe strengthofthe iron, forasmuch asthou sawestthe ironmixedwith miryclay. And as the toesof the feet were partof iron, and partof clay, so the kingdomshall bepartlystrong, and partlybroken. And whereasthou sawestironmixedwith miryclay, they shallmingle themselveswith the seedof men: but they shallnotcleaveonetoanother, even asironis notmixedwithclay. And in the daysofthesekingsshall the Godof heavenset upa kingdom, whichshall neverbe destroyed: and the kingdomshall notbe leftto otherpeople, but it shall break in piecesand consumeallthesekingdoms, and itshall standforever. Forasmuch asthou sawestthatthe stonewas cut outof the mountainwithouthands, and that it broke in piecesthe iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the greatGodhath made knownto the kingwhatshall come to passhereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretationthereof sure. Thenthe kingNebuchadnezzarfelluponhis face, and worshipedDaniel, and commandedthat they should offeran oblationand sweet odorsunto him. The kingansweredunto Daniel, and said, Ofa truth it is , thatyour God is a Godof gods, and a Lordof kings, and a revealerof secrets, seeingthou couldestrevealthissecret. Thenthe kingmade Daniel a great man, and gavehim manygreatgifts, and made him ruleroverthe wholeprovinceof Babylon, and chiefof the governorsoverallthe wise men of Babylon. Then Danielrequestedofthe king, and he setShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, overthe affairsofthe provinceof Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gateof the king.