Genesis 41:8 Cross References - NSB

⁸ The king was upset the next morning. So he called his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.

⁶ Joseph saw that they were upset when he came to them in the morning.

⁸ »We both had dreams,« they answered him, »but there is no one to tell us what they mean.« »Is it not God who can tell what dreams mean?« Joseph asked them. »Tell me all about them.«

¹¹ Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.

²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. So Pharaoh continued to be stubborn. He would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as Jehovah predicted.

⁷ »But the magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing.

¹⁸ The magicians tried to use their magic to make gnats appear, but they failed. There were gnats everywhere! ¹⁹ The magicians said to the king: »It is the finger of God!« (God has done this!) But the king was stubborn. Just as Jehovah predicted, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

¹¹ The magicians were not able to appear before Moses, because they were covered with boils, like all the other Egyptians.

³¹ »‘Do not turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am Jehovah your God.

⁶ »‘If any of you go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against you and will no longer consider you one of my people.

⁹ »When you come into the land that Jehovah your God gives you, do not follow the disgusting practices of the nations that are there. ¹⁰ »Do not sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars. Do not let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms. ¹¹ »Do not allow them to consult the spirits of the dead. ¹² »Jehovah your God hates people who do these disgusting things. That is why he is driving those nations out of the land as you advance. ¹³ »Be perfect (without blemish) with Jehovah your God. ¹⁴ »These nations whom you shall possess listened to observers of clouds and to diviners. As for you, Jehovah your God has not allowed you to do so.

¹² »He keeps shrewd (crafty) (cunning) people from carrying out their plans so that they cannot do anything successfully. ¹³ »He catches the wise with their own craftiness. The plans of schemers are quickly halted.

¹⁴ Jehovah is intimate with those who respect him. He reveals the intent of his covenant to them.

³ »The Egyptians will become discouraged. I will bring their plans to nothing. They will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

¹¹ The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools. The wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh: »I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings?« ¹² Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what Jehovah of Hosts has purposed (planned) (resolved) against Egypt. ¹³ The officials of Zoan have become fools. The leaders of Memphis (Noph) are deceived. The cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.

¹⁴ »I will do things that shock and amaze them. I will destroy the wisdom of those who claim to know and understand (discern).«

¹⁹ People will say to you: »Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter.« Should people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living?

¹² Keep all your magic spells and charms. You have used them since you were young. Perhaps they will be of some help to you. Perhaps you can frighten your enemies. ¹³ »You are powerless in spite of the advice you get. Let your astrologers come forward and save you! Let those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens tell you from month to month what is going to happen to you.

²⁰ The king found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire realm. This was in every matter of wisdom and understanding.

¹ It was the second year of his reign. He was troubled and could not sleep. Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and was disturbed by them. ² The king summoned the magicians, enchanters (conjurers), sorcerers, and the Chaldeans and commanded them to tell the king about his dreams. They came in and stood before the king. ³ The king said: »I had a dream that troubles me and I want to understand what the dream means.« ⁴ The Chaldeans spoke in the Syrian language: »O king, may you live for a very long time. Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.« ⁵ The king answered: »I have decided. If you do not make the dream known to me and it’s interpretation you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill (foul smelling pile of rubbish). ⁶ »But if you tell me the dream and what it means you will receive gifts and rewards and great honor from me. Therefore tell me the dream and the interpretation of it.« ⁷ They answered the second time. They said: »Let the king tell his servants the dream. Then we will tell the interpretation.« ⁸ The king responded: »I am certain that you bargain for time, because you see my command is firm. ⁹ »If you do not tell me my dream, the law will apply to you. You are stalling by speaking lies to me until I change my requirements. Tell me the dream, and I will know that you can show me the interpretation of it.« ¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered: »There is no man on earth who can do what the king requires. No king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. ¹¹ »It is a rare thing that the king requires. There is no other person who can show it to the king, except the gods, and they do not live with humans.«

²⁷ Daniel answered: »Wise men, enchanters, magicians, and soothsayers cannot show the secret the king demanded. ²⁸ »There is a God in heaven that reveals secrets. He made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in days to come. Your dream and visions are these:

⁵ »I saw a dream that made me afraid. When I saw this vision my thoughts troubled me.

⁷ »The magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came to me. I told the dream to them. They did not explain the dream to me.

¹⁹ »Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation trouble you. Belteshazzar answered: My lord, the dream may be to them that hate you and the interpretation to your adversaries.

⁶ Then the king's countenance (appearance) changed in him. His thoughts troubled him. The joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other. ⁷ The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. / The king spoke to the wise men of Babylon: »Whoever reads this writing, and shows me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck. He will be the third ruler in the kingdom«. ⁸ All the king’s wise men came. But they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

¹¹ »There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In your fathers day, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

²⁸ »This is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were very troubled. My appearance was changed. I kept the matter in my heart.«

²⁷ I, Daniel, fainted from exhaustion, and was sick for days. Then I rose up, and did the king's business. I wondered about the vision, but none understood it.

¹⁶ I heard and my body trembled! My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness entered into my bones and I tremble. I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the people who invade us.

¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod. Astrologers arrived in Jerusalem from the east.

²² »Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

¹⁸ The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said: What is this babbler saying? Others: He seems to be advocating strange gods because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹ It is written: »I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.« (Isaiah 29:14)

¹⁸ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. It is written: »He catches the wise in their own craftiness (deception).« (Job 5:13) ²⁰ And again: »Jehovah knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (useless) (empty).« (Psalm 94:11)