Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, troubling dreams disturb his spirit and rob him of sleep. He summons the empire's recognized wisdom specialists and tells them that he is anxious to understand what he has seen. Their initial response follows the normal pattern: if the king will tell the dream, they will supply the interpretation.
I1n the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. 2So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, 3he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.” 4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
The king abruptly raises the stakes by demanding both the dream and its interpretation, backing the command with promises of lavish reward and threats of brutal destruction. When the astrologers try to delay by asking him to repeat the dream, Nebuchadnezzar concludes that they are buying time and planning deception. The issue is no longer simply interpretation but whether any claimed wisdom can penetrate the king's hidden mind.
5The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble. 6But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.” 7They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.” 8The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final. 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”
The astrologers finally confess that no one on earth can do what the king demands and that only the gods could reveal such a thing, though they say the gods do not dwell with mortals. Their answer enrages Nebuchadnezzar, who orders the destruction of all the wise men of Babylon. The decree reaches beyond the court specialists to Daniel and his companions, drawing them directly into the crisis.
10The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer. 11What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.” 12This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.