Nebuchadnezzar

7For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.

The Lord GOD says this: "I will bring Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, against Tyre. He is a king who rules other kings. He will come from the north with horses and chariots. He will bring riders and huge crowds of soldiers."

8He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.

"He will kill the people of your mainland towns with the sword. He will build camps and walls around you. He will pile up a ramp of dirt against your wall. He will lift up his shields against you."

9And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.

"He will pound your walls with his battering rams. With his axes he will break down your towers."

10By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

"He will have so many horses that their dust will cover you. His riders, wagons, and chariots will make a great noise. Your walls will shake at the sound. He will ride in through your gates, the way soldiers walk into a city with a broken wall."

11With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.

"His horses will trample all your streets with their hooves. He will kill your people with the sword. Your strong stone pillars will fall to the ground."

12And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.

"They will take your riches and steal the goods you sell. They will break down your walls and tear down your lovely houses. They will throw your stones, your wood, and your dirt into the water."

13And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

"I will stop the sound of your singing. No one will hear your harps anymore."

14And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

"I will make you bare rock. You will be a place where fishermen spread out their nets. You will never be built again. I the LORD have said it, says the Lord GOD."

17And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

In the twenty-seventh year, on the first day of the first month, a message from the LORD came to me.

18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:

Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, made his army work very hard against the city of Tyre. Every head was rubbed bald, and every shoulder was rubbed raw. Still he and his army got no pay from Tyre for all that work.

19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

So the Lord GOD says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its people, its riches, and its goods. That will be the pay for his army.

20I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.

I have given him Egypt as pay for his hard work. He and his army did that work for me, says the Lord GOD.

21In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

On that day I will make Israel strong again, like a new horn growing. And I will open your mouth to speak among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

10Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

This is what the Lord GOD says: I will put an end to Egypt's huge crowds of people. I will use Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, to do it.

11He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

He and his army will be brought in to wreck the land. They are the most cruel of all the nations. They will pull out their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with dead bodies.

12And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it.

I will dry up the rivers. I will hand the land over to wicked men. I will let strangers ruin the land and everything in it. I, the LORD, have said it.

13Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

This is what the Lord GOD says: I will destroy the idols, the statues people pray to. I will put an end to the statues in Noph. Egypt will not have a ruler anymore. I will fill that land with fear.

14And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.

I will leave Pathros empty. I will set the city of Zoan on fire. I will punish the city of No.

15And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.

I will pour out my anger on Sin, the strong fort that guards Egypt. I will cut down the crowds of people in No.

16And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.

I will set Egypt on fire. Sin will twist in pain. No will be split wide open. Noph will be in trouble every single day.

17The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.

The young men of Aven and Pibeseth will die by the sword. The people of those cities will be marched away as prisoners.

18At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

At Tehaphnehes the day will turn dark. There I will break the heavy bar Egypt used to hold others down. Egypt's proud strength will end. A dark cloud will cover her. The people of her towns will be taken away as prisoners.

19Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

This is how I will punish Egypt. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Jehoiakim was the king of Judah. In his third year as king, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. His army surrounded the city and would not let anyone out.

2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

The Lord let King Jehoiakim be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the special dishes from God's temple. He carried them far away to the land of Shinar. He put them in the treasure room of his own god's temple.

3And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes;

The king spoke to Ashpenaz, the leader of his palace helpers. He told him to bring in some young men from Israel. They were to come from the king's family and from other important families.

4Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

They had to be young men with healthy, strong bodies and pleasant faces. They had to be smart, full of knowledge, and quick to learn. They had to be ready to work in the king's palace. Then they would be taught the writing and language of the Chaldeans, the people of Babylon.

5And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Every day the king sent them food and wine from his own table. They would be trained this way for three years. After that they would come and serve the king.

6Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

Four of these young men came from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

The leader of the palace helpers gave them new names. He called Daniel by the name Belteshazzar. He called Hananiah by the name Shadrach. He called Mishael by the name Meshach. He called Azariah by the name Abednego.

17As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in every kind of learning. He made them wise. God also helped Daniel understand dreams and visions, which are pictures God shows a person.

18Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

The training time the king had set finally ended. Then the leader of the helpers brought the young men to Nebuchadnezzar.

19And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

The king talked with them. Out of all the young men, none were as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So these four stayed to serve the king.

20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

The king asked them hard questions about wise and difficult things. He found them ten times better than all the magicians and star-readers in his whole kingdom.

21And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

Daniel stayed there many years. He was still there in the first year of King Cyrus.

1And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. In the second year he was king, he had dreams. The dreams troubled him, and he could not sleep.

2Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

The king sent for his magicians and for men who read the stars. He also sent for men who used magic spells. He wanted them to tell him his dreams. They came and stood in front of the king.

3And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

The king said to them, "I had a dream. I am upset, and I want to know what it means."

4Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

The star readers answered the king in Aramaic, a language used there. "O king, may you live forever! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means."

5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

The king answered them, "My word is final. If you do not tell me the dream and what it means, you will be cut in pieces. Your houses will be knocked down into piles of trash."

6But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

"But if you tell me the dream and what it means, I will give you gifts and rewards. I will honor you greatly. So tell me the dream and what it means."

7They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.

They answered a second time, "Let the king tell his servants the dream. Then we will tell what it means."

8The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

The king said, "I am sure you are only trying to gain time. You can see that my word will not change."

9But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.

"If you do not tell me the dream, only one thing will happen to you. You have agreed together to tell me lies until things change. So tell me the dream. Then I will know you can tell me what it means."

10The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

The wise men answered the king, "No one on earth can do what you ask. No king, however great, has ever asked such a thing. No magician or star reader was ever asked this."

11And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

"What the king asks is too hard. Only the gods could tell it, and they do not live among people."

12For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

This made the king very angry. He ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be killed.

13And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

So the order went out to kill the wise men. Men went to look for Daniel and his friends to kill them too.

14Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

Arioch was the captain of the king's guard. He went out to kill the wise men of Babylon. Daniel spoke to him wisely and carefully.

15He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

Daniel asked Arioch, "Why did the king give such a harsh order?" Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel.

16Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

So Daniel went in to the king. He asked the king to give him some time. Then he would tell the king what the dream meant.

17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

Daniel went home. He told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened.

18That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

He asked them to beg the God of heaven to be kind. They were to pray about this hidden thing. Then Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the other wise men.

19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

That night God showed Daniel the secret in a vision, like a picture in his mind. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

Daniel said, "Praise the name of God forever and ever. Wisdom and power belong to him."

21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

"He changes the times and the seasons. He takes kings away, and he puts new kings in their place. He gives wisdom to the wise. He gives knowledge to those who understand."

22He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

"He shows things that are deep and hidden. He knows what is in the dark. Light lives with him."

23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

"God of my fathers, I thank you and praise you. You gave me wisdom and power. You have told me what we asked you for. You have shown us what the king dreamed."

24Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to Arioch, the man the king told to kill the wise men. Daniel said, "Do not kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what the dream means."

25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

Arioch hurried and brought Daniel to the king. He said, "I have found a man among the people brought here from Judah. He can tell the king what the dream means."

26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

The king said to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, "Can you tell me the dream I saw? Can you tell me what it means?"

27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

Daniel answered the king, "No wise man can tell the king this secret. No star reader, magician, or fortune teller can tell it either."

28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

"But there is a God in heaven who tells secrets. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Here is the dream you saw while lying in bed."

29As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

"O king, as you lay in bed, you thought about what would happen later. God, who tells secrets, has shown you what will come."

30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

"This secret was not shown to me because I am wiser than other people. It was shown so the king could be told what it means. It was shown so you could understand your own thoughts."

31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

"O king, you looked and saw a huge statue. It was tall and shining bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked frightening."

32This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

"The statue's head was made of pure gold. Its chest and arms were silver. Its stomach and upper legs were bronze."

33His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

"Its lower legs were iron. Its feet were part iron and part clay."

34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

"As you watched, a stone was cut out. No human hands cut it. It hit the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them."

35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

"Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold all broke into bits. They became like dry straw blown away from a field in summer. The wind carried them off, and nothing was left. But the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth."

36This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

"That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means."

37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

"O king, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven gave you your kingdom, your power, your strength, and your glory."

38And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

"Wherever people live, and the wild animals and the birds, he has put them in your hand. He made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold."

39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

"After you, another kingdom will rise. It will not be as great as yours. Then a third kingdom, the bronze one, will rule the whole earth."

40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

"Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Iron smashes and crushes everything. That kingdom will smash and crush all the others."

41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

"You saw the feet and toes made partly of baked clay and partly of iron. So this kingdom will be split apart. But some of the strength of iron will still be in it, as you saw iron mixed with wet clay."

42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

"The toes were part iron and part clay. So the kingdom will be partly strong and partly easy to break."

43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

"You saw iron mixed with wet clay. In the same way, the people will mix with one another. But they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay."

44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

"In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. It will never be handed over to other people. It will break all these kingdoms and end them. It will stand forever."

45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

"You saw a stone cut from the mountain, but not by human hands. It broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen later. The dream is true, and what it means is sure."

46Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed with his face to the ground before Daniel. He gave orders that a gift and sweet-smelling smoke be offered to Daniel.

47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

The king said to Daniel, "Your God is truly the God above all gods. He is the Lord over kings, and he tells secrets. You were able to tell me this secret."

48Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

Then the king gave Daniel a high place and many fine gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon. He put Daniel in charge of all the wise men there.

49Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Daniel asked the king for one thing. The king put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the work of the province. Daniel himself stayed at the king's court.