Nebuchadnezzar Dreams About a Large Statue
1In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had a dream. His mind was troubled. He couldn’t sleep. 2So the king sent for those who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. He also sent for those who practiced evil magic and those who studied the heavens. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king. 3He said to them, “I had a dream. It troubles me. So I want to know what it means.”
4Then those who studied the heavens answered the king. They spoke in Aramaic. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! Tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll explain what it means.”
5The king replied to them, “I have made up my mind. You must tell me what I dreamed. And you must tell me what it means. If you don’t, I’ll have you cut to pieces. And I’ll have your houses turned into piles of trash. 6So tell me what I dreamed. Explain it to me. Then I’ll give you gifts. I’ll reward you. I’ll give you great honor. So tell me the dream. And tell me what it means.”
7Once more they replied, “King Nebuchadnezzar, tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll tell you what it means.”
8The king answered, “I know what you are doing. You are trying to gain more time. You realize that I’ve made up my mind. 9You must tell me the dream. If you don’t, you will pay for it. You have gotten together and made evil plans. You hope things will change. So you are telling me lies. But I want you to tell me what I dreamed. Then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”
10They answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what you are asking! No king has ever asked for anything like that. Not even a king as great and mighty as you has asked for it. Those who get knowledge by using magic have never been asked to do what you are asking. And those who study the heavens haven’t been asked to do it either. 11What you are asking is much too hard. No one can tell you what you dreamed except the gods. And they don’t live among human beings.”
12That made the king very angry. He ordered that all the wise men in Babylon be put to death. 13So the order was given to kill them. Men were sent out to look for Daniel and his friends. They were also supposed to be put to death.
14Arioch was the commander of the king’s guard. He went out to put the wise men of Babylon to death. So Daniel spoke to him wisely and carefully. 15He asked the king’s officer, “Why did Nebuchadnezzar give a terrible order like that?” Then Arioch explained to Daniel what was going on. 16When Daniel heard that, he went to the king. He told him he would explain the dream to him. But he needed more time.
17Then Daniel returned to his house. He explained everything to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18He asked them to pray that the God of heaven would give him mercy. He wanted God to help him understand the mystery of the king’s dream. Then he and his friends wouldn’t be killed along with Babylon’s other wise men. 19During that night, God gave Daniel a vision. He showed him what the mystery was all about. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. 20He said,
“May God be praised for ever and ever!
He is wise and powerful.
21He changes times and seasons.
He removes some kings from power.
He causes other kings to rule.
The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him.
He gives knowledge to those who have understanding.
22He explains deep and hidden things.
He knows what happens in the darkest places.
And where he is, everything is light.
23God of my people of long ago, I thank and praise you.
You have given me wisdom and power.
You have made known to me what we asked you for.
You have shown us the king’s dream.”
Daniel Tells the King What His Dream Means
24Then Daniel went to Arioch. The king had appointed him to put the wise men of Babylon to death. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king. I’ll tell him what his dream means.”
25So Arioch took Daniel to the king at once. Arioch said, “I have found a man among those you brought here from Judah. He can tell you what your dream means.”
26Nebuchadnezzar spoke to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar. The king asked him, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream? And can you tell me what it means?”
27Daniel replied, “You have asked us to explain a mystery to you. But no wise man can do that. And those who try to figure things out by using magic can’t do it either. 28But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. King Nebuchadnezzar, he has shown you what is going to happen. Here is what you dreamed while lying in bed. And here are the visions that passed through your mind.
29“Your Majesty, while you were still in bed your mind was troubled. You were thinking about things that haven’t happened yet. The God who explains mysteries showed these things to you. 30Now the mystery has been explained to me. But it isn’t because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive. It’s because God wants you to know what the mystery means, Your Majesty. He wants you to understand what went through your mind.
31“King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw a large statue standing in front of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you. 32The head of the statue was made out of pure gold. Its chest and arms were made out of silver. Its stomach and thighs were made out of bronze. 33Its legs were made out of iron. And its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay. 34While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn’t do it. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them. 35Then the iron and clay were broken to pieces. So were the bronze, silver and gold. All of them were broken to pieces. They became like straw on a threshing floor at harvest time. The wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain. It filled the whole earth.
36“This was your dream. Now I will tell you what it means. 37King Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory. 38He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds in the sky. It doesn’t matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold.
39“After you, another kingdom will take over. It won’t be as powerful as yours. Next, a third kingdom will rule over the whole earth. The bronze part of the statue stands for that kingdom. 40Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron. Iron breaks and smashes everything to pieces. And the fourth kingdom will crush and break all the others. 41You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be divided up. But it will still have some of the strength of iron. That’s why you saw iron mixed with clay. 42The toes were partly iron and partly clay. And the fourth kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. 43You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be made up of all kinds of people. They won’t hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.
44“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It will crush all those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last forever. 45That’s what the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain means. Human hands didn’t cut out the rock. It broke the statue to pieces. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold.
“The great God has shown you what will take place in days to come. The dream is true. And you can trust the meaning of it that I have explained to you.”
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in front of Daniel. He wanted to honor him. So he ordered that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47The king said to Daniel, “I’m sure your God is the greatest God of all. He is the Lord of kings. He explains mysteries. That’s why you were able to explain the mystery of my dream.”
48Then the king put Daniel in a position of authority. He gave him many gifts. He made him ruler over the city of Babylon and the towns around it. He put him in charge of all its other wise men. 49The king also did what Daniel asked him to. He appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Maloto a Nebukadinezara
1Chaka chachiwiri cha ulamuliro wake, Nebukadinezara analota maloto; anavutika mu mtima mwake ndipo analephera kugona. 2Tsono mfumu inayitana amatsenga, owombeza, amawula ndi oyangʼana nyenyezi kuti amufotokozere zomwe analota. Pamene iwo analowa ndi kuyima pamaso pa mfumu, 3mfumuyo inawawuza kuti, “Ndalota loto lomwe likundisautsa ndipo ndikufuna kudziwa tanthauzo lake.”
4Pamenepa alawuli anati kwa mfumu mʼChiaramu, “Mukhale ndi moyo wautali mfumu! Tiwuzeni ife atumiki anu zimene mwalota, ndipo tidzakuwuzani tanthauzo lake.”
5Mfumu inayankha alawuliwo kuti, “Zimene ndatsimikiza kuchita ndi izi: Ngati inu simundifotokozera zimene ndalota ndi tanthauzo lake, mudzadulidwa nthulinthuli ndipo nyumba zanu ndidzazisandutsa bwinja. 6Koma ngati mundiwuza zimene ndalota ndi tanthauzo lake, ndidzakupatsani mphatso ndi mphotho ndi ulemu waukulu. Choncho mundiwuze zimene ndalota ndi tanthauzo lake.”
7Iwo anayankhanso kachiwiri kuti, “Mfumu iwuze atumiki ake chimene yalota, ndipo ife tidzatanthauzira.”
8Ndipo mfumu inayankha kuti, “Ine ndikudziwa kuti mukungozengereza kufuna kutaya nthawi chabe chifukwa mukuzindikira kuti izi ndi zimene ndatsimikiza kuchita. 9Ngati simundiwuza zimene ndalota, chilango chake ndi chimodzi. Inu mwagwirizana kuti mundiwuze ine bodza ndi chinyengo ndi kuyembekeza kuti ine ndisintha. Tsono mundiwuze zimene ndalota, ndipo ine ndidzadziwa kuti mukhoza kunditanthauzira.”
10Alawuli anayankha mfumu kuti, “Palibe munthu pa dziko lapansi amene akhoza kuchita chimene mfumu ikufunsa! Palibe mfumu, kaya yayikulu kapena yamphamvu bwanji imene inafunsapo amatsenga, owombeza kapena alawuli aliwonse zimenezi. 11Zimene mfumu yafunsa ndi zapatali. Palibe wina amene angathe kuwulula izi kwa mfumu kupatula milungu, ndipo sikhala pakati pa anthu.”
12Zimenezi zinapsetsa mtima mfumu ndipo inakwiya kwambiri kotero inalamula kuti anzeru onse a ku Babuloni aphedwe. 13Choncho lamulo linaperekedwa kuti anthu anzeru aphedwe, ndipo anatuma anthu kukafunafuna Danieli ndi anzake kuti iwonso aphedwe.
14Danieli anayankhula mwanzeru ndi mwaulemu kwa Ariyoki, mkulu wa asilikali olondera mfumu amene anatumidwa kukapha anthu anzeru a ku Babuloni. 15Danieli anafunsa Ariyoki kapitawo wa mfumu kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani mfumu yapereka lamulo lankhanza lotere?” Kenaka Ariyoki anafotokoza nkhaniyi kwa Danieli. 16Danieli anapita mofulumira kwa mfumu ndipo anamupempha kuti amupatse nthawi kuti amuwuze zimene walota ndi tanthauzo lake.
17Kenaka Danieli anabwerera ku nyumba kwake ndi kukafotokozera anzake aja zimenezi: Hananiya, Misaeli ndi Azariya. 18Danieli anadandaulira anzake kuti apemphe kwa Mulungu wakumwamba kuti awachitire chifundo ndi kumuwululira chinsinsi, kuti iye ndi anzakewo asanyongedwe pamodzi ndi anzeru ena onse a ku Babuloni. 19Usiku Yehova anamuwululira Danieli chinsinsi chija mʼmasomphenya. Pamenepo Danieli anatamanda Mulungu wakumwamba, 20ndipo anati:
“Litamandike dzina la Mulungu ku nthawi za nthawi;
nzeru ndi mphamvu zonse ndi zake.
21Amasintha nthawi ndi nyengo;
amakweza mafumu ndipo amawatsitsanso.
Amapatsa nzeru kwa anzeru
ndi chidziwitso kwa ozindikira zinthu.
22Amavumbulutsa zinthu zozama ndi zobisika;
amadziwa zimene zili mu mdima,
ndipo kuwunika kumakhala ndi Iye.
23Ndikuyamika ndi kutamanda Inu Mulungu wa makolo anga:
mwandipatsa nzeru ndi mphamvu,
mwandiwululira zomwe tinakupemphani,
mwatiwululira maloto a mfumu.”
Danieli Atanthauzira Maloto
24Motero Danieli anapita kwa Ariyoki, amene mfumu inamusankha kuti akaphe anthu anzeru a ku Babuloni, ndipo anati kwa iye, “Musaphe anthu anzeru a ku Babuloni. Ndiperekezeni kwa mfumu, ndipo ndidzayimasulira maloto ake.”
25Ariyoki anapita naye Danieli kwa mfumu nthawi yomweyo ndipo anati, “Ndapeza munthu pakati pa akapolo ochokera ku Yuda amene akhoza kuwuza mfumu zimene maloto ake akutanthauza.”
26Mfumu inafunsa Danieli (wotchedwanso Belitesezara) kuti, “Kodi ukhoza kundiwuza zomwe ine ndinaona mʼmaloto anga ndi tanthauzo lake?”
27Danieli anayankha kuti, “Palibe munthu wanzeru, wowombeza, wamatsenga kapena wamawula amene akhoza kufotokozera mfumu chinsinsi chimene mwafuna kudziwa, 28koma kuli Mulungu kumwamba amene amawulula zinsinsi. Iye waonetsera mfumu Nebukadinezara zimene zidzachitika mʼmasiku akutsogolo. Maloto ndi masomphenya anu amene munawaona mukugona pa bedi lanu ndi awa:
29“Mukugona pa bedi, inu Mfumu, maganizo anakufikirani a zinthu zakutsogolo, ndipo Yehova wowulula zinsinsi anakuonetserani zimene zidzachitika. 30Koma chinsinsi ichi chavumbulutsidwa kwa ine, si chifukwa chakuti ndili ndi nzeru zochuluka kuposa anthu ena onse, koma kuti mfumu mudziwe tanthauzo la maloto anu ndi kuti muzindikire maganizo amene anali mu mtima mwanu.
31“Inu mfumu, munaona chinthu chowumba chachikulu chimene chinayima pamaso panu. Chowumbachi chinali chonyezimira mʼmaonekedwe. 32Mutu wa chowumbacho unali wagolide wabwino kwambiri. Chifuwa ndi manja ake zinali zasiliva. Mimba ndi ntchafu zake zinali zamkuwa. 33Miyendo yake inali yachitsulo, mapazi ake anali achitsulo chosakaniza ndi dongo. 34Inu mukuona, mwala unagamuka, koma osati ndi manja a munthu. Unagwera fanolo pa mapazi ake achitsulo chosakaniza ndi dongo aja ndi kuwaphwanya. 35Tsono chitsulo, dongo, mkuwa, siliva ndi golide zonse zinaphwanyika pamodzi ndikukhala tizidutswa towuluka ndi mphepo ngati mungu wa mowombera tirigu nthawi ya chilimwe. Zonse zinawuluka ndi mphepo osasiyako chilichonse. Koma mwala umene unagwera pa chowumba chija unasanduka phiri lalikulu ndi kudzaza dziko lonse lapansi.
36“Maloto aja ndi amenewa; tidzafotokoza tanthauzo lake kwa mfumu. 37Inu mfumu, ndinu mfumu ya mafumu. Mulungu wakumwamba wakupatsani ufumu, ulamuliro ndi mphamvu ndi ulemerero; 38Iye anayika mʼmanja mwanu anthu ndi nyama zakuthengo ndi mbalame zamlengalenga. Kulikonse kumene zikhala, iye anakuyikani wolamulira wa zonse. Inu ndinu mutu wagolidewo.
39“Pambuyo pa inu, ufumu wina udzadzuka, wochepa mphamvu poyerekeza ndi wanuwu. Padzabweranso ufumu wachitatu, wamkuwa, udzalamulira dziko lonse lapansi. 40Pomaliza, padzakhala ufumu wachinayi, wolimba ngati chitsulo popeza chitsulo chimaphwanya ndi kutikita chilichonse. Ndipo monga chitsulo chimaphwanya zinthu ndikuteketeratu, choncho udzawononga ndi kuphwanya maufumu ena onse. 41Ndipo monga munaonera kuti mapazi ndi zala zake zinali za chitsulo chosakaniza ndi dongo, choncho uwu udzakhala ufumu wogawikana; komabe udzakhala ndi mphamvu zina zachitsulo zotikita. 42Monga zala zinali za chitsulo chosakaniza ndi dongo, choncho ufumu uwu udzakhala pangʼono wolimba ndi pangʼono wofowoka. 43Ndipo monga munaona chitsulo chosakanizidwa ndi dongo, choncho anthu adzakhala wosakanizana ndipo sadzagwirizana, monga muja chitsulo sichingasakanizike ndi dongo.
44“Pa nthawi ya mafumu amenewo, Mulungu wakumwamba adzakhazikitsa ufumu umene sudzawonongedwa, kapenanso kuperekedwa kwa anthu ena. Udzawononga maufumu onse aja ndi kuwatheratu, koma iwo wokha udzakhalapobe mpaka muyaya. 45Limeneli ndilo tanthauzo la masomphenya a mwala umene unagamuka pa phiri, koma osati ndi manja a anthu; mwala umene unaphwanya chitsulo, mkuwa, dongo, siliva ndi golide mʼtizidutswa.
“Mulungu wamkulu wakuonetsani mfumu chimene chidzachitika kutsogolo. Malotowo ndi woona ndipo tanthauzo lake ndi lodalirika.”
46Pamenepo mfumu Nebukadinezara inadzigwetsa chafufumimba pamaso pa Danieli ndi kumupatsa ulemu. Ndipo inalamula kuti anthu onse amuthirire Danieli nsembe ndi kumufukizira lubani. 47Mfumu inati kwa Danieli, “Zoonadi, Mulungu wako ndi Mulungu wa milungu ndi Ambuye wa mafumu ndi wowulula zinsinsi, pakuti iwe wathadi kuwulula chinsinsi ichi.”
48Ndipo mfumu inamukweza Danieli ndi kumupatsa mphatso zambiri. Anamuyika kuti akhale wolamulira chigawo chonse cha Babuloni ndi kutinso akhale woyangʼanira anthu ake onse anzeru. 49Komanso, monga mwa pempho la Danieli, mfumu inayika Sadirake, Mesaki ndi Abedenego, kuti akhale oyangʼanira chigawo cha Babuloni, pamene Danieliyo ankakhazikika mʼbwalo la mfumu.
