^{5 Ref} The king made answer and said to the Chaldaeans, This is my decision: if you do not make clear to me the dream and the sense of it, you will be cut in bits and your houses made waste.

^{6 Ref} But if you make clear the dream and the sense of it, you will have from me offerings and rewards and great honour: so make clear to me the dream and the sense of it.

^{7 Ref} A second time they said in answer, Let the king give his servants an account of his dream, and we will make clear the sense.

^{8 Ref} The king made answer and said, I am certain that you are attempting to get more time, because you see that my decision is fixed;

^{9 Ref} That if you do not make my dream clear to me there is only one fate for you: for you have made ready false and evil words to say before me till the times are changed: so give me an account of the dream, and I will be certain that you are able to make the sense of it clear.

^{10 Ref} Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in answer, There is not a man on earth able to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean.

^{11 Ref} The king's request is a very hard one, and there is no other who is able to make it clear to the king, but the gods, whose living-place is not with flesh.

^{12 Ref} Because of this the king was angry and full of wrath, and gave orders for the destruction of all the wise men of Babylon.

^{13 Ref} So the order went out that the wise men were to be put to death; and they were looking for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.