Daniel 2
King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
In the second year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He had a frightening dream, and he woke up trembling with fear. To make matters worse, he could not remember the dream.
He immediately called for his magicians and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed and the interpretation.
When they arrived at the king’s palace, they asked him to tell them what he had dreamed, so that they could give him the interpretation.
The king got very angry with his wise men and said, ” I tell you, the dream is gone from me, I don’t remember what I dream, and if you don’t tell me what I dream and what it means, I will have you torn to pieces, limb by limb, and your houses made into rubble.”
But the king continued, “if you tell me what I dreamed and the meaning of the dream, I will you many wonderful gifts and give you great honour in Babylon. So begin!”
They replied to the king, “how can we tell you what the dream means, if you don’t tell us what you dreamed?
The king said, ” I can see your trick! you are trying to stall for time until the calamity befalls me that the dream predicts. But if you don’t tell me what I dreamed, you can’t expect me to believe your interpretation.
The Chaldeans (magicians and astrologers), replied, “there is no man alive who can tell people what they have dreamed. And there is no king in all the world, who would ask such a thing that the king is asking. No one except the gods, can tell the dream, and they are not here to help.”
When the king heard what the wise men said, he was very angry, and sent orders to execute all the wise men of Babylon, and Daniel and his companions and the other wise men were rounded up with the others to be killed.
But when Arioch, the chief executioner came to round up all the wise men to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with great wisdom.
Daniel asked. “Why is the king so angry? What is the matter? Then Arioch told Daniel all that happened.
So Daniel went to see the king, and said to the king, “give me some time, and I will tell you what you dream and what it means.”
Then Daniel went home and told his companions, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah all that had happened. Then they all decided to seek the mercies of the God of heaven to reveal the secret to them, so that they would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
To be continued.
Note. Daniel’s companions – Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah was their original Hebrew name. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was their Babylon name.
