King James Bible
"And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain."
Nebuchadnezzar's death sentence is officially issued against all Babylonian wise men after they failed to both tell and interpret his dream. This sweeping execution order reflects the absolute power of ancient monarchs and the precarious position of court advisors who served at the king's pleasure. Though Daniel wasn't present during the initial confrontation with the king, he and his Hebrew companions are included in the condemned group as members of the wise men's guild. This crisis moment sets up Daniel's dramatic intervention and reveals how his fate is tied to the Babylonian system he serves.