Daniel 2:2-13

2The king sent for the magicians, psychics, sorcerers, and astrologers so that they could tell him what he had dreamed. So they came to the king.

3The king said to them, “I had a dream, and I’m troubled by it. I want to know what the dream was.”

4The astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! Tell us the dream, and we’ll interpret it for you.”

5The king answered the astrologers, “I meant what I said! If you don’t tell me the dream and its meaning, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into piles of rubble.

6But if you tell me the dream and its meaning, I will give you gifts, awards, and high honors. Now tell me the dream and its meaning.”

7Once more they said, “Your Majesty, tell us the dream, and we’ll tell you its meaning.”

8The king replied, “I’m sure you’re trying to buy some time because you know that I meant what I said.

9If you don’t tell me the dream, you’ll all receive the same punishment. You have agreed among yourselves to make up a phony explanation to give me, hoping that things will change. So tell me the dream. Then I’ll know that you can explain its meaning to me.”

10The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can tell the king what he asks. No other king, no matter how great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, psychic, or astrologer.

11What you ask is difficult, Your Majesty. No one can tell what you dreamed except the gods, and they don’t live with humans.”

12This made the king so angry and furious that he gave an order to destroy all the wise advisers in Babylon.

13So a decree was issued that the wise advisers were to be killed, and some men were sent to find Daniel and his friends and kill them.