² So the king summoned the magicians,^(A) enchanters, sorcerers^(B) and astrologers^[a](C) to tell him what he had dreamed.^(D) When they came in and stood before the king,

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king,^[a](A) “May the king live forever!^(B) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

⁵ The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided:^(C) If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces^(D) and your houses turned into piles of rubble.^(E)

¹⁰ The astrologers^(A) answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.^(B)

⁸ At this time some astrologers^[a](A) came forward and denounced the Jews.

⁷ The king summoned the enchanters,^(A) astrologers^[a](B) and diviners.^(C) Then he said to these wise^(D) men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,^(E) and he will be made the third^(F) highest ruler in the kingdom.”^(G)

¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods^(A) in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom^(B) like that of the gods.^(C) Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.^(D)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(A) king^(B) of the Babylonians,^[a] was slain,^(C)

Daniel’s Prayer

9 In the first year of Darius^(A) son of Xerxes^[a](B) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian^[b] kingdom—