Daniel 2:24–45 — Daniyel explains the king’s dream

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Dan 2:24–45

2:24 Daniyel explains the king’s dream

24 So Daniyel went to Areyok, the man that the king had appointed to execute Bavel’s (Babylon) wise men, and told him, “Don’t hurt the wise men in Bavel. Take me in to the king and I’ll tell him the dream and its interpretation.”

25 Areyok quickly took Daniyel in to the king and told him, “I’ve found a man among the exiles from Yehudah (Judah) who will reveal the interpretation of your dream.”

26 ⇔“Are you able to tell me the dream that I saw, and its interpretation?” the king asked Daniyel (also called Belteshatsar (Belteshazzar)).

27 ⇔“No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers are able to do what the king has demanded,” replied Daniyel. 28 “However, there is a god in the heavens who reveals mysteries, and he’s the one who’s shown you, King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar), what will happen in the days to come. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while you were in your bed: 29 Oh king, as you lay there your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future, and the one who reveals mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery was revealed to me, not because I’m wiser than anyone else, but so that the interpretation could be revealed to the king, and so that you can understand what you saw in your mind.

31 “What you were looking at, your majesty, was an incredible, huge statue. It was heavy and shone brightly as it stood there in front of you—a terrifying sight. 32 The statue’s head was made of pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were made of iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and clay. 34 You continued looking until a stone was supernaturally cut out from a mountain, and it tumbled down and struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and it smashed them to pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like the small pieces of dry straw at harvest time in the summer. Then the wind carried them away so that no trace of them could be found, but the stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain that then filled the whole world.

36 “That was the dream, and now we’ll tell the king its meaning: 37 You, your majesty, are the king of kings who has been given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the splendour by the god of the heavens. 38 Wherever people live, he’s placed you in charge of them, and he’s even put you over the animals in the countryside and the birds in the skies, so you’re the statue’s gold head. 39 But another less prominent kingdom will follow yours, then another kingdom of bronze to rule over all the earth after that. 40 Then there’ll be a fourth kingdom that’s strong as iron—because iron crushes and shatters all things. Like an iron sledge-hammer that smashes things into pieces, it will smash all those others into broken pieces. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, a mixture of iron and potter’s clay, it will be a divided kingdom—some of the iron’s strength will be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 As the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so that kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so various peoples will make alliances with each other, but they won’t stick together just as iron doesn’t integrate with clay. 44 In the days of those kings, the god of the heavens will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed or taken over by others. It will crush all those kingdoms and put an end to them, but it will stand forever. 45 Just as you saw that a stone was supernaturally cut out of the mountain, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the powerful God has revealed to the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

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Read the Literal Version in context

24 As_to because this Dāniyy^ʼēl he _went _in to ʼArəyōk whom Oh/the_king he _had _appointed to_destroy to_wisemen of _Bāⱱel he _went and_thus/so/as _follows he _said to_him/it to_wisemen of _Bāⱱel not may _you _destroy bring _in/escort_me before Oh/the_king and_the_interpretation to_the_king I _will _declare.

25 Then ʼArəyōk in_haste he _brought _in to/for_Dāniyy^ʼēl before Oh/the_king and_thus/so/as _follows he _said to_him/it that I _have _found a _man from the _sons _of the _exile of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) who the_interpretation to_the_king he _will _make _known.

26 Oh/the_king was_replying and_saying(ms) to/for_Dāniyy^ʼēl who his/its_name was_Bēləţəshaʼʦʦar are_you(ms)_[question][fn] able to_make _know_me the_dream which I _saw and_its_interpretation.

27 Dāniyy^ʼēl was_replying before Oh/the_king and_saying(ms) the_mystery which Oh/the_king is_asking not wise _men conjurers magicians astrologers are_being _able to_inform to_the_king.

28 Nevertheless there is_a _god in_the_heavens who_reveals secrets and_he/it _has _made _known to_the_king Nəⱱūkadneʦʦar what that it _will _be in_end/latter the_days your(sg)_dream and_visions _of your(ms)_head on your(ms)_bed is_this it.

29 You[fn][fn] Oh/the_king your(ms)_thoughts on your(ms)_bed they _came _up what that it _will _be after this and_revealer the_mysteries he/it _informed_you(ms) what that it _will _be.

30 And_I not by_wisdom which there is_in_me more _than all _of the _living_people the_secret this it _has _been _revealed to_me but on the_cause _of (of)_that the_interpretation to_the_king they _will _make _known and_the _thoughts _of your _heart you _will _know.

31 You[fn][fn] Oh/the_king seeing you _were and_lo an _image one great the_image this was_great and_splendour _of_its was_extraordinary was_standing (to)_before_you and_appearance _of_its was_terrible.

32 That the_image head _of_its was_of gold good breast(s)_of_its and_arms _of_its were_of silver belli(es)_of_its and_loins _of_its were_of bronze.

33 Legs _of_its were_of iron feet _of_its mmm[fn] were_of iron and[fn] were_of clay.

34 Seeing you _were until that a _stone which not was_by_hands it _was _cut _out and_it _struck DOM_the_image on feet _of_its of the_iron and_the_clay and_it _shattered them.

35 In_then they _were _shattered as_one the_iron the_clay the_bronze the_silver and_the_gold and_they _were like_chaff from threshing _floors _of summer and_ the_wind _it _carried _away them and_all place not it _was _found for_them and_the_stone which it _struck DOM_the_image it _became (into)_a_mountain great and_it _filled all _of the_earth.

36 This the_dream and_its_interpretation we _will _tell before Oh/the_king.

37 You[fn][fn] Oh/the_king are_the _king _of the _kings whom the _god _of the_heavens the_kingdom the_power and_the_strength and_the_honour he _has _given to/for_you(fs).

38 And_on/over_all that they_are_dwelling[fn] the _sons _of (the)_humankind the _animal[s]_of the _field and_bird the_heavens he _has _given in_hand _of_your and_he_has _made _you _ruler over_all _of_of _them you are_it[fn][fn] the_head of (the)_gold.

39 And_after _of_you it _will _arise a _kingdom another mmm[fn][fn][fn] from_you(ms) and_a _kingdom third[fn] another of the_bronze which it _will _rule in_all the_earth.

40 And_a _kingdom fourth[fn] it _will _be strong like_(the)_iron as_to because that the_iron is_shattering and_is_crushing (the)_everything and_like_(the)_iron which is_crushing all _of these it _will _shatter and_it _will _crush.

41 And_that you _saw the_feet and_the_toes mmm[fn][fn] were_clay of a _potter and[fn] were_iron a _kingdom divided it _will _be and_from the_firmness of the_iron it _will _be in_it as_to because that you _saw the_iron mixed with_the _clay _of the _clay.

42 And_the _toes _of the _feet mmm[fn] were_iron and[fn] were_clay some _of the _part _of the _kingdom it _will _be strong some_of _it it _will _be breakable.

43 And_that[fn] you _saw the_iron mixed with_the _clay _of the _clay mixing they _will _be with_the _offspring _of (the)_humankind not they _will _be clinging this with this HERE like (the)_iron not is_mixing with (the)_clay.

44 And_in_days _of_their of the_kings those the _god _of the_heavens he _will _set _up a _kingdom which for_ages not it _will _be _destroyed and_the_kingdom to_a _people another not it _will _be _left it _will _shatter and_it _will _put _an _end _to all _of these the_kingdoms and_she it _will _endure for_(the)_ever.

45 As_to because that you _saw that from_(the)_mountain a _stone which not was_by_hands it _was _cut _out and_it _shattered the_iron the_bronze the_clay the_silver and_the_gold god great he _has _made _known to_the_king what that it _will _be after this and_is_certain the_dream and_is_trustworthy interpretation _of_its.

2:26 OSHB variant note: ה/איתי/ך: (x-qere) ’הַֽ/אִיתָ֣/ךְ’: lemma=d/383 morph=ATi/Ta/Sp2ms id=27Jdu הַֽ/אִיתָ֣/ךְ

2:29 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:29 OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS. In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

2:31 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:31 OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS. In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

2:33 OSHB variant note: מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’מִנְּ/הֵין֙’: lemma=4481 n=0.1.0 morph=AR/Sp3fp id=27FsE מִנְּ/הֵין֙

2:33 OSHB variant note: ו/מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין’: lemma=c/4481 n=0.0 morph=AC/R/Sp3fp id=27Pw8 וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֖ין

2:37 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:37 OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS. In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

2:38 OSHB variant note: דארין: (x-qere) ’דָֽיְרִ֣ין’: lemma=1753 morph=AVqrmpa id=27T3v דָֽיְרִ֣ין

2:38 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:38 OSHB note: We have abandoned or added a ketib/qere relative to BHS. In doing this we agree with L against BHS.

2:39 OSHB variant note: ארע/א: (x-qere) ’אֲרַע’: lemma=772 morph=ANcfsd id=27Euh אֲרַע

2:39 OSHB exegesis note: WLC has this word divided as ארעא

2:39 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.

2:39 OSHB variant note: תליתיא: (x-qere) ’תְלִיתָאָ֤ה’: lemma=8523 b morph=AAofsa id=27zkf תְלִיתָאָ֤ה

2:40 OSHB variant note: רביעיה: (x-qere) ’רְבִ֣יעָאָ֔ה’: lemma=7244 n=1.1 morph=AAofsa id=27Zax רְבִ֣יעָאָ֔ה

2:41 OSHB variant note: מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’מִנְּ/הֵ֞ן’: lemma=4481 n=1.2.0.0 morph=AR/Sp3fp id=27eHZ מִנְּ/הֵ֞ן

2:41 OSHB note: We read one or more consonants in L differently from BHS.

2:41 OSHB variant note: ו/מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֣ין’: lemma=c/4481 morph=AC/R/Sp3fp id=27rKT וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֣ין

2:42 OSHB variant note: מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’מִנְּ/הֵ֥ין’: lemma=4481 morph=AR/Sp3fp id=27MSY מִנְּ/הֵ֥ין

2:42 OSHB variant note: ו/מנ/הון: (x-qere) ’וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֣ין’: lemma=c/4481 morph=AC/R/Sp3fp id=27ctR וּ/מִנְּ/הֵ֣ין

2:43 OSHB variant note: די: (x-qere) ’וְ/דִ֣י’: lemma=c/1768 morph=AC/C id=27tkv וְ/דִ֣י

OET-RV by cross-referenced section DAN 2:24

Daniyel explains the king’s dream

Dan 2:24–45