8. King Nebuchadnezzar answered, “Now I know that you are trying to get more time. You know that I meant what I said.
9. If you don’t tell me my dream, you will be punished. You have all agreed to tell me lies and wicked things. You are hoping things will change. Now, tell me the dream. Then I will know you can tell me what it really means!”
10. The wise men answered the king. They said, “No one on earth can do what the king asks! Not even a great and powerful king has ever asked the fortune-tellers, magicians or wise men to do this.
11. The king is asking something that is too hard. Only the gods could tell the king this. But the gods do not live among people.”
12. When the king heard that, he became very angry. He gave an order for all the wise men of Babylon to be killed.
13. So King Nebuchadnezzar’s order was announced. All the wise men were to be put to death. Men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
14. Arioch was the commander of the king’s guards. He was going to put to death the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and skill.
15. Daniel asked, “Why did the king order such a terrible punishment?” Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel.
16. When Daniel heard the story, he went to King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel asked him to give him some more time. Then he would tell the king what he had dreamed and what it meant.