Daniel 2:10-18

The wise men answered the king, saying, “No one on earth can do what the king asks! No great and powerful king has ever asked the fortune-tellers, magicians, or wise men to do this; the king is asking something that is too hard. Only the gods could tell the king this, but the gods do not live among people.” When the king heard their answer, he became very angry. He ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be killed. So King Nebuchadnezzar’s order to kill the wise men was announced, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to kill them. Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, was going to kill the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and skill, saying, “Why did the king order such a terrible punishment?” Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel. So Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and asked for an appointment so that he could tell the king what his dream meant. Then Daniel went to his house and explained the whole story to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 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.