8. The king answered and said, I know of a certain that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9. But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10. The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: forasmuch as no king, lord, nor ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
11. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13. So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
14. Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
15. he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16. And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would shew the king the interpretation.
17. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18. that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.