How does Daniel explain the dream while disclaiming superior personal wisdom?

In Nabuchodonosor's second year, a dream terrifies him and passes from his memory. The edition reckons this year from his father Nabopolassar's death, after a period of shared rule. He summons diviners, wise men, magicians and Chaldeans; the edition explains the last as astrologers claiming to divine by stars. Answering in Syriac, they ask him to tell the dream so they can interpret it. He demands both dream and meaning, threatening death and confiscation of their houses, and promising rewards and honor for success. When they ask again, he accuses them of gaining time and preparing a deceitful interpretation. They reply that no man can meet such a demand and only gods, whose conversation is not with men, can reveal it. In fury he orders all Babylon's wise men killed. The decree takes effect and Daniel and his companions are sought for death.

Daniel asks Arioch, the army's general, why so cruel a sentence has issued. Learning the matter, he asks the king for time, then tells Ananias, Misael and Azarias to seek heaven's mercy concerning the secret so they will not perish. A night vision reveals the mystery to Daniel. He blesses the Lord's eternal name: wisdom and strength are his; he changes times and ages, removes and establishes kingdoms, gives wisdom and knowledge, reveals hidden things and knows darkness with light beside him. Daniel thanks the God of their fathers for showing what they requested.

Daniel tells Arioch not to destroy the wise men but to bring him before the king. Arioch does so in haste. Asked whether he can reveal the dream, Daniel says no human wise men can declare this secret, but heaven's God reveals mysteries and has shown the king what will happen in latter times. The secret was given to Daniel so the interpretation and the king's thoughts could be made known, not because he has more wisdom than all others.

The king saw a great, tall, terrifying statue with a fine gold head, silver breast and arms, brass belly and thighs, iron legs and feet partly iron and partly clay. A stone cut from a mountain without hands struck its feet. All its materials broke together like summer threshing-floor chaff, swept away without a place remaining. The stone became a mountain filling the earth.

Daniel identifies the king as the gold head, whose power, glory and dominion over people, beasts and birds come from God. An inferior silver kingdom follows, then a brass kingdom ruling the world, and a fourth kingdom breaking others like iron. Its divided iron-and-clay feet signify a partly strong, partly broken kingdom: its people mingle but do not hold together, as iron and clay cannot mix. The edition identifies the second kingdom with Medes and Persians and the third with Alexander. It reports competing readings of the fourth: Alexander's successors in Syria and Egypt, or Rome and its civil wars. In those kingdoms' days, God establishes an indestructible kingdom, never transferred to another people, consuming the others and lasting forever. The edition identifies it with Christ's kingdom in the Catholic Church. Daniel affirms the dream's truth and interpretation's faithfulness.

Nabuchodonosor falls on his face and worships Daniel, ordering victims and incense offered to him, and acknowledges Daniel's God as God of gods, Lord of kings and revealer of secrets. He gives Daniel gifts, makes him governor over Babylon's provinces and chief of the magistrates over its wise men. At Daniel's request, Sidrach, Misach and Abdenago are appointed over the province's works; Daniel remains in the palace.