1. In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. His mind was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia.
2. The king issued an order to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men in order to explain his dreams to him. So they came and awaited the king’s instructions.
3. The king told them, “I have had a dream, and I am anxious to understand the dream.”
4. The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its interpretation.”
5. The king replied to the wise men, “My decision is firm. If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered and your homes reduced to rubble!
6. But if you can disclose the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, a reward, and considerable honor. So disclose to me the dream and its interpretation!”
7. They again replied, “Let the king inform us of the dream; then we will disclose its interpretation.”
8. The king replied, “I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm.
9. If you don’t inform me of the dream, there is only one thing that is going to happen to you. For you have agreed among yourselves to report to me something false and deceitful until such time as things might change. So tell me the dream, and I will have confidence that you can disclose its interpretation.”
10. The wise men replied to the king, “There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king’s secret, for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man.
11. What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!”
12. Because of this the king got furiously angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13. So a decree went out, and the wise men were about to be executed. They also sought Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed.
14. Then Daniel spoke with prudent counsel to Arioch, who was in charge of the king’s executioners and who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon.