1. And in the second year of the reign of Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had dreams. And his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.
2. And the sovereign gave orders to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the practisers of witchcraft, and the Chaldeans to declare to the sovereign his dreams. So they came and stood before the sovereign.
3. And the sovereign said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”
4. And the Chaldeans spoke to the sovereign in Aramaic, “O sovereign, live forever! Relate the dream to your servants, and we shall reveal the interpretation.”
5. The sovereign answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream and its interpretation to me, your limbs shall be taken from you, and your houses made dunghills.
6. “But if you reveal the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive gifts, and rewards, and great esteem from me. So reveal to me the dream and its interpretation.”
7. They answered again and said, “Let the sovereign relate to his servants the dream, and we shall reveal its interpretation.”
8. The sovereign answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
9. “If you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. So relate the dream to me, then I shall know that you shall reveal its interpretation for me.”