Daniel Explains the Dream

²⁴ Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”

²⁵ Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the ^[a]captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

²⁶ The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

²⁷ Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. ^28 (A)But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar ^(B)what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: ²⁹ As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; ^(C)and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. ^30 (D)But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, ^(E)and that you may ^[b]know the thoughts of your heart.

³¹ “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. ^32 (F)This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and ^[c]thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of ^[d]clay. ³⁴ You watched while a stone was cut out ^(G)without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. ^35 (H)Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became ^(I)like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that ^(J)no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image ^(K)became a great mountain ^(L)and filled the whole earth.

³⁶ “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. ^37 (M)You, O king, are a king of kings. ^(N)For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; ^38 (O)and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—^(P)you are this head of gold. ³⁹ But after you shall arise ^(Q)another kingdom ^(R)inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. ⁴⁰ And ^(S)the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. ⁴¹ Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. ⁴² And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, ^(T)so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly ^[e]fragile. ⁴³ As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. ⁴⁴ And in the days of these kings ^(U)the God of heaven will set up a kingdom ^(V)which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; ^(W)it shall ^[f]break in pieces and ^[g]consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. ^45 (X)Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Daniel and His Friends Promoted

^46 (Y)Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering ^(Z)and incense to him. ⁴⁷ The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly ^(AA)your God is the God of ^(AB)gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” ^48 (AC)Then the king promoted Daniel ^(AD)and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and ^(AE)chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ Also Daniel petitioned the king, ^(AF)and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel ^(AG)sat in ^[h]the gate of the king.

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was ^[i]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ² And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³ So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ Then a herald cried ^[j]aloud: “To you it is commanded, ^(AH)O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵ that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁶ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall ^(AI)be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

⁷ So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

⁸ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ^(AJ)came forward and accused the Jews. ⁹ They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ^(AK)“O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ¹¹ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^12 (AL)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have ^(AM)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in ^(AN)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(AO)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(AP)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(AQ)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our ^(AR)God whom we serve is able to ^(AS)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(AT)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Saved in Fiery Trial

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²² Therefore, because the king’s command was ^[k]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his ^[l]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

²⁵ “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, ^(AU)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like ^(AV)the^[m] Son of God.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the ^[n]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the ^(AW)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. ²⁷ And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men ^(AX)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His ^(AY)Angel^[o] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ^29 (AZ)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the ^(BA)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be ^(BB)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; ^(BC)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

³⁰ Then the king ^[p]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Serving for God’s Glory

⁷ But ^(A)the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^(B)“love will cover a multitude of sins.” ^9 (C)Be hospitable to one another ^(D)without grumbling. ^10 (E)As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, ^(F)as good stewards of ^(G)the manifold grace of God. ^11 (H)If anyone speaks, let him speak as the ^[a]oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that ^(I)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the ^[b]dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for God’s Glory

¹² Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice ^(J)to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that ^(K)when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are ^[c]reproached for the name of Christ, ^(L)blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ^[d]On their part He is blasphemed, ^(M)but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a ^[e]busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this ^[f]matter.

¹⁷ For the time has come ^(N)for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, ^(O)what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God ^(Q)commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Shepherd the Flock

5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a ^(R)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the ^(S)glory that will be revealed: ^2 (T)Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, ^(U)not by compulsion but ^[g]willingly, ^(V)not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as ^(W)being ^[h]lords over ^(X)those entrusted to you, but ^(Y)being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when ^(Z)the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive ^(AA)the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

⁵ Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, ^(AB)all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

⁸ Be ^[i]sober, be ^[j]vigilant; ^[k]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But ^[l]may the God of all grace, ^(AE)who called ^[m]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, ^[n]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ^11 (AF)To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Farewell and Peace

¹² By ^(AG)Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying ^(AH)that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

¹³ She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does ^(AI)Mark my son. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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