A deadly decree

7They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will show the interpretation.”

8The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you are trying to gain time, because you have seen that the matter has gone from me.”

9But if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you, for you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the time changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can make its interpretation known to me.

10The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can make known the king’s matter, because no great and powerful king has asked for a thing like this from any diviner-priest, enchanter, or Chaldean.”

11And the thing that the king asks is difficult, and there is no other who can declare it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12Because of this, the king became furious and very enraged, and he commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

13So the decree went out, and the wise men were being killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them.