Daniel 2:18

Literal Standard Version

and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they do not destroy Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
urging them to ask the God of the heavens for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

Hebrew Names Version
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniyel and his companions should nor perish with the rest of the wise men of Bavel.

King James Version
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

English Standard Version
and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

New American Standard Bible
so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

New Century Version
Daniel asked his friends to pray that the God of heaven would show them mercy and help them understand this secret so he and his friends would not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon.

Amplified Bible
in order that they might seek compassion from the God of heaven regarding this secret, so that Daniel and his companions would not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Geneva Bible (1587)
That they should beseech the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his fellowes should not perish with the rest of ye wise men of Babel.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Berean Standard Bible
urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Contemporary English Version
Then he said, "Pray that the God who rules from heaven will be merciful and explain this mystery, so that we and the others won't be put to death."

Complete Jewish Bible
so that they could ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this secret, and thus save Dani'el and his companions from dying along with the other sages of Bavel.

Darby Translation
that they would desire mercies of the God of the heavens concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Easy-to-Read Version
Daniel asked his friends to pray to the God of heaven that God would be kind to them and help them understand this secret. Then Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon.

George Lamsa Translation
That they might ask mercy before the God of heaven concerning the mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Good News Translation
He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon.

Lexham English Bible
and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed.

Literal Translation
that they might pray for the mercies of God in Heaven about this secret, that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
yt they shulde beseke the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his felowes with other soch as were wyse in Babilon, perished not.

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
So that they might make a request for the mercy of the God of heaven in the question of this secret; so that Daniel and his friends might not come to destruction with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
that they might ask mercy 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.

King James Version (1611)
That they would desire mercies of the God of heauen concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellowes should not perish with the rest of the Wise men of Babylon.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
That they shoulde beseche the God of heauen for grace in this secrete, that Daniel and his felowes, with other such as were wyse in Babylon, perished not.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning this mystery; that Daniel and his friends might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

English Revised Version
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.

World English Bible
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should nor perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
hise felowis, that thei schulden axe merci of the face of God of heuene on this sacrament; and that Danyel and hise felowis schulden not perische with othere wise men of Babiloyne.

Update Bible Version
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

New English Translation
He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends would not be destroyed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

New King James Version
that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

New Living Translation
He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.

New Life Bible
He told them to ask for loving-pity from the God of heaven about this secret, so that Daniel and his friends might not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon.

New Revised Standard
and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that, tender compassion, they might seek from before the God of the heavens, concerning this secret, - that Daniel and his companions, might not be destroyed, with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven, concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Revised Standard Version
and told them to seek mercy of the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Young's Literal Translation
and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they destroy not Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴Then Daniel has replied [with] counsel and discretion to Arioch chief of the executioners of the king, who has gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁵He has answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why [is] the sentence so urgent from before the king?" Then Arioch has made the thing known to Daniel, ¹⁶and Daniel has gone up, and sought of the king that he would give him time to show the interpretation to the king. ¹⁷Then Daniel has gone to his house, and to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, he has made the thing known, ¹⁸and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they do not destroy Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.¹⁹Then to Daniel, in a vision of the night, the secret has been revealed. Then Daniel has blessed the God of the heavens. ²⁰Daniel has answered and said, "Let the Name of God be blessed from age even to age, for wisdom and might—for they are His. ²¹And He is changing times and seasons, He is causing kings to pass away, and He is raising up kings; He is giving wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those possessing understanding. ²²He is revealing deep and hidden things; He has known what [is] in darkness, and light has dwelt with Him. ²³You, O God of my fathers, I am thanking and praising, for wisdom and might You have given to me; and now, You have caused me to know that which we have sought from You, for the king's matter You have caused us to know."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they would: Daniel 3:17, 1 Samuel 17:37, Esther 4:15-17, Psalms 50:15, Psalms 91:15, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:6, Isaiah 37:4, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 18:12, Matthew 18:19, Acts 4:24-31, Acts 12:4, Romans 15:30, 2 Timothy 4:17, 2 Timothy 4:18

of the God of heaven: Chal. from before God. Daniel and his fellows should not perish. or, they should not destroy Daniel, etc. Genesis 18:28, Malachi 3:18, 2 Peter 2:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:16 - It is not Deuteronomy 29:29 - secret Nehemiah 1:4 - the God Isaiah 45:11 - Ask Daniel 2:23 - and hast Daniel 2:28 - that revealeth Daniel 2:30 - but Jonah 1:9 - the God Malachi 3:16 - spake James 1:5 - let James 5:16 - The effectual Revelation 16:11 - the God

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
And God sees all that He has done, and behold, [it is] very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2:7
And YHWH God forms the man—dust from the ground, and breathes into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becomes a living creature.

Genesis 2:9
and YHWH God causes to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2:11
the name of the first [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Havilah where the gold [is],

Genesis 2:12
and the gold of that land [is] good; the bdellium and the shoham stone [are] there;

Genesis 2:13
and the name of the second river [is] Gihon, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Cush;

Genesis 3:12
And the man says, "The woman whom You placed with me—she has given to me from the tree, and I eat."

Ruth 3:1
And her mother-in-law Naomi says to her, "My daughter, do I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

Proverbs 18:22
[Whoever] has found a wife has found good, || And brings out goodwill from YHWH.

1 Corinthians 7:36
and if anyone thinks [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought to be so, what he wills let him do; he does not sin—let him marry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret,.... His view in sending for them, and informing them of this whole affair, was to engage them in prayer to God with him; even to that God that made the heaven, and dwells there, and is above all, and sees and knows what is done in earth, and rules both in heaven and in earth according to his will; to entreat his mercy, whose mercies are manifold, and not plead any merits of their own; and that he would, in compassion to them, and the lives of others that were in danger, make known this secret of the king's dream, and the interpretation of it; which could never be found out by the sagacity of men, or by any art they are masters of: this Daniel requested of them, as knowing that it was their duty and interest, as well as his, to unite in prayer unto God on this account, and that the joint and fervent prayer of righteous men avails much with him:

that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon; which they were in danger of: this was the mercy they were to implore, being in distress, and this the interest they had in this affair; a strong argument to induce them to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret - That they would implore of God that he would show his mercy to them in revealing this secret, that their lives might be spared. In the margin, as in the Chaldee, this is “from before the God of heaven.” All depended now on God. It was clear that human skill was exhausted, and that no reliance could be placed on any ability which man possessed. The art of the Chaldeans had failed, and Daniel, as well by this failure as by the promptings of his own feelings, must now have perceived that the only hope was in God, and that his favor in the case was to be obtained only by prayer. As his three friends were equally interested in the issue, and as it was an early principle of religion, and one found in all dispensations (compare Matthew 18:19), that “united” prayer has special power with God, it was natural and proper to call on his friends to join with him in asking this favor from Him who alone could grant it. It was the natural and the last resource of piety, furnishing an example of what all may do, and should do, in times of perplexity and danger.

That Daniel and his fellows should not perish - Margin, “or, they should not destroy Daniel.” The leading in the margin is most in accordance with the Chaldee, though the sense is substantially the same. The word “fellows” is the same which is before rendered “companions.”

With the rest of the wise men of Babylon - It seems to have been certain that the decree would be executed on the Chaldeans, soothsayers, etc. And, indeed, there was no reason “why” the decree should not be executed. They had confessed their inability to comply with the king’s command, and whatever Daniel could now do could not be construed in their favor as furnishing any reason why the decree should not be executed on them. It was presumed, therefore, that the law, severe as it seemed to be, would be carried into effect on them, and we may suppose that this was probably done. The only hope of their escaping from the common lot was in the belief that the God whom they served would now interpose in their behalf.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. That they would desire mercies — For this Daniel had requested a little time; and doubtless both he and his three companions prayed incessantly till God gave the wished for revelation; but whether it was given that same sight, we do not know.