King James Bible
"The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?"
Nebuchadnezzar addresses Daniel by his Babylonian court name, reflecting Daniel's position as an exile serving in a foreign administration. This dual identity—Hebrew Daniel and Babylonian Belteshazzar—highlights the tension of maintaining faith while functioning in a pagan court. The king asks if Daniel can reveal not just the interpretation but the dream itself—a test no wise man had passed. This extraordinary demand arose from Nebuchadnezzar's suspicion that his advisors were stalling, making Daniel's task humanly impossible. Beyond revealing the forgotten dream, Daniel must also explain its meaning. This double requirement sets up the dramatic demonstration of God's sovereignty over human wisdom and earthly kingdoms that follows in Daniel's response.