Ndoto Ya Nebukadneza
12:1 Mwa 20:3; 41:8; Ay 33:15-18; Es 6:1; Dan 6:18; 4:5Katika mwaka wa pili wa utawala wake, Nebukadneza aliota ndoto. Mawazo yake yakasumbuka na hakuweza kulala. 22:2 Mwa 41:8; Kut 7:11; Yer 27:9; Isa 9:13; 44:25; Dan 4:6Hivyo mfalme akawaita waganga, wasihiri, wachawi na wanajimu ili wamwambie ndoto yake aliyokuwa ameota. Walipoingia ndani na kusimama mbele ya mfalme, 32:3 Dan 4:5akawaambia, “Niliota ndoto inayonisumbua, nami nataka nijue maana yake.”
42:4 Ezr 4:7; Neh 2:3; Dan 5:10Ndipo wanajimu wakamjibu mfalme kwa lugha ya Kiaramu,2:4 Kutoka hapa hadi Dan 7:28, mwandishi aliandika na Kiaramu. “Ee mfalme, uishi milele! Waambie watumishi wako hiyo ndoto, nasi tutaifasiri.”
52:5 Ezr 6:11; Dan 3:29; Mwa 41:32Mfalme akawajibu wanajimu, “Nimeamua hivi kwa uthabiti: Ikiwa hamtaniambia ndoto yangu ilikuwa ipi na kuifasiri, mtakatwa vipande vipande na nyumba zenu zitafanywa kuwa vifusi. 62:6 Dan 5:7, 16Lakini mkiniambia ndoto yangu na kuielezea, mtapokea kwangu zawadi, tuzo na heshima kubwa. Basi niambieni ndoto yangu na mnifasirie.”
7Wakajibu kwa mara nyingine, “Mfalme na awaambie watumishi wake ndoto yake, nasi tutaifasiri.”
8Ndipo mfalme akajibu, “Nina hakika kuwa mnajaribu kupata muda zaidi, kwa sababu mnatambua kuwa nimeamua hivi kwa uthabiti: 92:9 Es 4:11; Isa 41:22-24; 2:10Ikiwa hamtaniambia ndoto yangu, ipo adhabu moja tu kwenu. Mmefanya shauri kuniambia habari za kunipotosha na mambo maovu, mkitumaini kwamba hali itabadilika. Hivyo basi, niambieni hiyo ndoto, nami nitajua kuwa mwaweza kunifasiria.”
102:10 Dan 3:8; 4:7; 5:8Wanajimu wakamjibu mfalme, “Hakuna mtu duniani ambaye anaweza kufanya analotaka mfalme! Vilevile hakuna mfalme hata awe mkuu na mwenye uweza namna gani, aliyeuliza kitu kama hicho kwa mganga au kwa msihiri, wala kwa mnajimu yeyote. 112:11 Kut 8:10; Mwa 41:38; Dan 5:11Anachouliza mfalme ni kigumu mno. Hakuna yeyote awezaye kumfunulia mfalme isipokuwa miungu, nao hawaishi miongoni mwa wanadamu.”
122:12 Dan 3:13-19; Mit 16:14; 28:15Jambo hili lilimkasirisha na kumghadhibisha mfalme mno hata kuagiza kuuawa kwa wenye hekima wote wa Babeli. 132:13 Dan 1:20; 5:19Hivyo amri ikatolewa ya kuwaua wenye hekima, nao watu wakatumwa kuwatafuta Danieli na rafiki zake ili wawaue.
14Wakati Arioko, mkuu wa askari wa walinzi wa mfalme, alikuwa amekwenda kuwaua watu wenye hekima wa Babeli, Danieli akazungumza naye kwa hekima na busara. 15Akamuuliza huyo afisa wa mfalme, “Kwa nini mfalme ametoa amri kali hivyo?” Ndipo Arioko akamweleza Danieli jambo hilo. 16Aliposikia jambo hili, Danieli akamwendea mfalme, akamwomba ampe muda ili aweze kumfasiria ile ndoto.
17Ndipo Danieli akarudi nyumbani kwake na kuwaeleza rafiki zake Hanania, Mishaeli na Azaria jambo hilo. 182:18 Isa 37:4; Yer 33:3; Ufu 11:13; Ezr 1:2; Neh 1:4Aliwasihi waombe rehema kutoka kwa Mungu wa mbinguni kuhusu siri hii, ili yeye na rafiki zake wasije wakauawa pamoja na wenye hekima wengine wa Babeli. 192:19 Ay 33:15; Dan 1:17; Hes 12:6; Yos 22:23Wakati wa usiku lile fumbo lilifunuliwa kwa Danieli katika maono. Ndipo Danieli akamhimidi Mungu wa mbinguni, 202:20 Za 113:2; 145:1-2; Ay 9:4; Yer 32:19; Ay 12:13na akasema:
“Lihimidiwe jina la Mungu milele na milele;
hekima na uweza ni vyake.
212:21 Dan 7:25; Ay 12:19; Rum 13:1; Yak 1:5; Yer 27:5; Za 75:6-7; 2Sam 14:17; Dan 4:17Yeye hubadili nyakati na majira;
huwaweka wafalme na kuwaondoa.
Huwapa hekima wenye hekima,
na maarifa wenye ufahamu.
222:22 Mwa 40:8; 1Kor 2:10; Ay 12:22; Ebr 4:13; Isa 45:7; Yak 1:17; Za 139:11-12; Dan 4:17Hufunua siri na mambo yaliyofichika;
anajua yale yaliyo gizani,
nayo nuru hukaa kwake.
232:23 Mwa 31:5; Kut 3:15; Dan 1:17; Eze 28:3Ninakushukuru na kukuhimidi,
Ee Mungu wa baba zangu:
Umenipa hekima na uwezo,
umenijulisha kile tulichokuomba,
umetujulisha ndoto ya mfalme.”
Danieli Aifasiri Ndoto
242:24 Eze 28:3Ndipo Danieli akamwendea Arioko, ambaye mfalme alikuwa amemteua kuwaua wenye hekima wa Babeli, akamwambia, “Usiwaue wenye hekima wa Babeli. Nipeleke kwa mfalme, nami nitamfasiria ndoto yake.”
252:25 Dan 5:13; 6:13; Kum 21:10; Dan 1:6Arioko akampeleka Danieli kwa mfalme mara moja na kumwambia, “Nimempata mtu miongoni mwa watu wa uhamisho kutoka Yuda ambaye anaweza kumwambia mfalme maana ya ndoto yake.”
262:26 Dan 1:7Mfalme akamuuliza Danieli (aliyeitwa pia Belteshaza), “Je, unaweza kuniambia nilichoona katika ndoto yangu na kuifasiri?”
272:27 Mwa 41:8Danieli akajibu, “Hakuna mwenye hekima, msihiri, mganga au mwaguzi anayeweza kumweleza mfalme siri aliyouliza, 282:28 Yer 10:7; Amo 4:13; Dan 4:5; Mwa 40:8; Dan 10:14; Mt 24:6; Eze 28:3; Dan 1:20lakini yuko Mungu mbinguni afunuaye siri. Amemwonyesha Mfalme Nebukadneza kitakachotokea siku zijazo. Ndoto yako na maono yaliyopita mawazoni mwako ulipokuwa umelala kitandani mwako ni haya:
29“Ee mfalme, ulipokuwa umelala kitandani, yalikujia mawazo kuhusu mambo yatakayotokea baadaye, naye mfunuaji wa siri akakuonyesha ni kitu gani kitakachotokea. 302:30 Mwa 41:16; Mdo 3:12; Isa 45:3; Amo 4:13; Dan 1:7Kwangu mimi, nimefunuliwa siri hii, si kwa sababu nina hekima kubwa kuliko watu wengine wanaoishi, bali ni ili wewe, ee mfalme, upate kujua tafsiri, na ili uweze kuelewa kile kilichopita mawazoni mwako.
312:31 Isa 25:3-5; Hab 1:7“Ee mfalme, ulitazama, na mbele yako ilisimama sanamu kubwa, kubwa mno kupita kiasi, sanamu iliyongʼaa na kutisha kwa kuonekana kwake. 32Kichwa cha ile sanamu kilikuwa kimetengenezwa kwa dhahabu safi, kifua chake na mikono yake vilikuwa vya fedha, tumbo lake na mapaja yake vilikuwa vya shaba, 33miguu yake ilikuwa ya chuma, na nyayo zake zilikuwa chuma nazo sehemu nyingine zilikuwa udongo wa mfinyanzi uliochomwa. 342:34 Ay 12:19; Zek 4:6; Isa 60:12; Dan 8:25; Ay 34:24; Za 2:9Ulipokuwa unaangalia, jiwe lilikatwa, lakini si kwa mikono ya mwanadamu. Lile jiwe liliipiga ile sanamu kwenye nyayo zake za chuma na udongo wa mfinyanzi, na kuivunja. 352:35 Isa 41:15-16; 2:3; Ufu 11:15; Za 37:10; Isa 17:13; Zek 12:3; Za 1:4Ndipo ile chuma, ule udongo wa mfinyanzi, ile shaba, ile fedha na ile dhahabu vikavunjika vipande vipande kwa wakati mmoja, na vikawa kama makapi katika sakafu ya kupuria nafaka wakati wa kiangazi. Upepo ukavipeperusha bila kuacha hata alama. Lakini lile jiwe lililoipiga ile sanamu likawa mlima mkubwa mno na kuijaza dunia yote.
362:36 Mwa 40:12“Hii ndiyo iliyokuwa ndoto, nasi sasa tutamfasiria mfalme. 372:37 Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Yer 27:7; Dan 4:26Ee mfalme, wewe ni mfalme wa wafalme. Mungu wa mbinguni amekupa wewe utawala, uweza, nguvu na utukufu. 382:38 Dan 4:21; Yer 27:6; Dan 5:18Mikononi mwako amewaweka wanadamu, wanyama wa kondeni, na ndege wa angani. Popote waishipo amekufanya wewe kuwa mtawala juu yao wote. Wewe ndiye kile kichwa cha dhahabu.
392:39 Dan 7:5“Baada yako, ufalme mwingine utainuka, ulio dhaifu kuliko wako. Baadaye utafuata ufalme wa tatu, ule wa shaba, nao utatawala juu ya dunia yote. 402:40 Dan 7:7; Yn 11:48; Dan 7:232:40 Ufu 12:3; Eze 40:2; Dan 8:7-10Hatimaye, kutakuwako na ufalme wa nne, wenye nguvu kama chuma, kwa maana chuma huvunja na kupondaponda kila kitu; kama vile chuma ivunjavyo vitu vipande vipande, ndivyo ufalme huo utakavyopondaponda na kuvunjavunja nyingine zote. 41Kama vile ulivyoona kuwa kwa sehemu nyayo na vidole vilikuwa vya udongo wa mfinyanzi uliochomwa na kwa sehemu nyingine chuma, hivyo huu utakuwa ufalme uliogawanyika; hata hivyo utakuwa na sehemu zenye nguvu za chuma ndani yake, kama vile ulivyoona chuma imechanganywa na udongo wa mfinyanzi. 42Kama vile vidole vyake vya miguu vilikuwa kwa sehemu chuma na sehemu udongo wa mfinyanzi, hivyo ufalme huo kwa sehemu utakuwa na nguvu na kwa sehemu udhaifu. 43Kama vile ulivyoona chuma kikiwa kimechanganyikana na udongo wa mfinyanzi uliochomwa, ndivyo watu watakavyokuwa mchanganyiko, wala hawatabaki wameungana tena, kama vile chuma kisivyoweza kuchanganyikana na udongo wa mfinyanzi.
442:44 Mwa 27:29; Mt 21:43-44; 1Sam 9:20; Isa 60:12; Ufu 11:15; 1Kor 15:24-25; Za 145:13; Isa 9:7; Dan 4:34; 6:26; 7:14, 27; Oba 1:12; Mik 4:7, 13; Lk 1:33“Katika siku za wafalme hao, Mungu wa mbinguni atauweka ufalme ambao kamwe hautaangamizwa, wala hautaachiwa taifa jingine. Utaziponda zile falme zote na kuzikomesha, bali wenyewe utadumu milele. 452:45 Isa 28:16; Dan 8:25; Mwa 41:25; Ufu 22:6Hii ndiyo maana ya maono ya jiwe lililochongwa kutoka mlimani, lakini si kwa mikono ya mwanadamu, lile jiwe ambalo lilivunja chuma, shaba, udongo wa mfinyanzi, fedha na dhahabu vipande vipande.
“Mungu Mkuu amemwonyesha mfalme kile kitakachotokea wakati ujao. Ndoto hii ni ya kweli na tafsiri yake ni ya kuaminika.”
462:46 Mdo 10:25; Dan 8:17; Mdo 14:13; Ezr 6:10Ndipo Mfalme Nebukadneza akaanguka kifudifudi mbele ya Danieli kumpa heshima, akaagiza wamtolee Danieli sadaka na uvumba. 472:47 Kum 10:17; Dan 11:36; 4:25; 1Tim 6:15; Dan 4:25; 4:9Mfalme akamwambia Danieli, “Hakika Mungu wako ni Mungu wa miungu, na Bwana wa wafalme, na mfunuaji wa siri zote, kwa maana umeweza kufunua siri hii.”
482:48 Es 8:2; Dan 8:27; Mwa 41:40; 2Fal 25:28; Dan 1:20; 4:9; 5:11Ndipo mfalme akamweka Danieli nafasi ya juu, na kumpa zawadi nyingi tele. Akamfanya kuwa mtawala wa jimbo lote la Babeli, na kumweka kuwa mkuu wa wenye hekima wote. 492:49 Dan 3:30; Mit 28:12; 1:7; Es 2:19; Amo 5:15; Dan 6:2; 3:30Zaidi ya hayo, kwa ombi la Danieli, mfalme akawateua Shadraki, Meshaki na Abednego kuwa wasimamizi wa jimbo la Babeli, huku Danieli akibaki katika ukumbi wa mfalme.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
1In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers2:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 4, 5 and 10 to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.2:3 Or was”
4Then the astrologers answered the king,2:4 At this point the Hebrew text has in Aramaic, indicating that the text from here through the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic. “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
5The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
7Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
8Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”
10The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
12This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
24Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”
25Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”
26The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
27Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:
29“As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31“Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36“This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39“After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
