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.
Nebukadnessar Daeso
1Nebukadnessar adedi mfe abien so, ɔsosoo dae bi ma ɛhaw no ara kosii sɛ, na ontumi nna. 2Ɔfrɛɛ ne nkonyaayifo, pɛadeahufo, ntafowayifo ne Kaldeafo, ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, wɔnkyerɛ no dae ko no. Wobegyinaa ɔhene no anim no, 3ɔkae se, “Maso dae bi a ɛhaw me, enti mepɛ sɛ mokyerɛ me dae ko a mesoe no, efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ mihu.”
4Na Kaldeafo no buaa no wɔ Arameike kasa mu se, “Ɔhene nkwa so! Ka dae no kyerɛ yɛn, na yɛbɛkyerɛ ase.”
5Nanso ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Kaldeafo no se, “Eyi ne gyinae a masi wɔ asɛm yi ho. Sɛ moantumi anka me dae no, na moankyerɛ me ase a, wobetwitwa mo mu asinasin, na wobebubu mo afi, ama afuw wura. 6Na sɛ moka me dae no, kyerɛ me ase a, mɛma mo akyɛde a ɛso bi mmaa da, na mabɔ mo aba so. Monka dae no, na monkyerɛ me ase.”
7Wɔkaa bio se, “Yɛsrɛ wo, Nana, ka dae no kyerɛ wʼasomfo, na yɛbɛkyerɛ wo ase.”
8Ɔhene no buae se, “Mahu mo nnaadaa no. Mahu sɛ, moretwentwɛn bere no so, na munim gyinae a masi wɔ asɛm a mekae no ho. 9Sɛ moanka dae no ankyerɛ me a, asotwe baako pɛ na ɛda hɔ ma mo. Moapam sɛ mubedi atoro adaadaa me. Mususuw sɛ asɛm no bɛsesa. Monka dae no nkyerɛ me, na ɛbɛma mahu sɛ mubetumi akyerɛ ase.”
10Kaldeafo no buaa Ɔhene no se, “Onipa teasefo biara nni hɔ a obetumi akyerɛ wo, Nana, wo dae a woaso no. Na ɔhene biara nso nni hɔ, sɛ ɔkorɔn anaa ne tumi so, a wabisa nkonyaayifo, pɛadeahufo anaa Kaldeafo saa asɛm yi bi pɛn. 11Ɔhene abisade yi yɛ den dodo. Obiara nni hɔ a obetumi aka wo dae no gye anyame. Nanso wɔn tenabea nni wiase yi mu.”
12Ɔhene no tee saa asɛm no, ne bo fuw yiye, enti ɔhyɛɛ sɛ, wonkunkum anyansafo a wɔwɔ Babilonia nyinaa. 13Na esiane ɔhene no mmaraden sɛ wonkunkum anyansafo no nti, wɔsomaa mmarima sɛ wɔnkɔhwehwɛ Daniel ne ne nnamfonom, na wonkunkum wɔn.
14Bere a, Ariok a ɔyɛ ɔhene no awɛmfo so panyin baa sɛ ɔrebekum wɔn no, Daniel faa nyansakwan so ne no kasae. 15Daniel bisaa Ariok se, “Adɛn nti na ɔhene hyɛɛ mmara a ano yɛ den saa?” Na Ariok kaa nea asi nyinaa kyerɛɛ no. 16Daniel kohuu Ɔhene no, na ɔsrɛɛ no sɛ ɔmma no bere kakra na ɔbɛba abɛkyerɛ dae no ase.
17Na Daniel kɔɔ ne fi kɔbɔɔ ne nnamfonom Hanania, Misael ne Asaria amanneɛ faa asɛm a asi no ho. 18Ɔhyɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔnsrɛ ɔsoro Nyankopɔn na ɔnnom wɔn nʼahummɔbɔ sɛnea wɔrenkum wɔn mfra anyansafo nkae a wɔwɔ Babilonia no mu. 19Anadwo no, ɔdaa kokoamsɛm no adi kyerɛɛ Daniel wɔ anisoadehu mu. Na Daniel kamfoo ɔsoro Nyankopɔn 20se,
“Ayeyi nka Onyankopɔn din daa nyinaa,
ɔno nko na ɔwɔ nyansa ne tumi.
21Ɔno na ɔsesa mmere ne nnipa nkrabea;
osi ahene, na otu wɔn ade so.
Ɔma anyansafo hu nyansa,
na ɔma nhumu ho nimdeɛ.
22Ɔda nneɛma a mu dɔ na ɛyɛ nwonwa adi,
na onim nea ahintaw wɔ sum mu;
hann atwa ne ho ahyia.
23Meda wo ase, kamfo wo mʼagyanom Nyankopɔn,
efisɛ, woama me nyansa ne tumi,
woaka nea yebisaa wo akyerɛ me,
ada nea ɔhene bisae no adi akyerɛ yɛn.”
Daniel Kyerɛ Dae No Ase
24Afei Daniel kohuu Ariok a wɔahyɛ no sɛ onkunkum anyansafo a wɔwɔ Babilonia no, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Nkunkum anyansafo a wɔwɔ Babilonia no. Fa me kɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn, na mɛkyerɛ no ne dae no ase.”
25Na ntɛm ara, Ariok de Daniel kɔɔ ɔhene no anim kae se, “Mahu nnommum a wofi Yuda no mu baako a ɔbɛkyerɛ wo, Nana, dae no ase.”
26Ɔhene no bisaa Daniel (a wɔsan frɛ no Beltesasar) no se, “Ɛyɛ nokware? Wubetumi akyerɛ me nea mihuu wɔ me dae no mu na woakyerɛ me ase?”
27Daniel buae se, “Nana, anyansafo, pɛadeahufo, nkonyaayifo anaa ntafowayifo biara nni hɔ a wobetumi akyerɛ ahintasɛm a worebisa yi! 28Nanso Onyankopɔn bi wɔ ɔsoro a ɔda kokoamsɛm adi, na wakyerɛ ɔhene Nebukadnessar asɛm a ebesi daakye. Wo dae no ne anisoadehu a bere a woda wo mpa so no wuhui ni:
29“Nana, bere a woreda no, wʼadwene kosisii nsɛm bi a ebesisi so. Nea ɔkyerɛ ahintasɛm mu no akyerɛ wo nea ɛrebɛba. 30Na ɛnyɛ sɛ, Nana, minim nyansa kyɛn onipa teasefo biara nti, na mmom Onyankopɔn pɛ sɛ Nana nya ahintasɛm no nkyerɛase na ɔte nea ɛbaa nʼadwene mu no ase.
31“Nana, wʼanisoadehu no mu, wuhuu ohoni kɛse bi sɛ ogyina wʼanim a ɔso pa ara na ɛheran hyerɛnn, na ne ho yɛ hu yiye. 32Sikakɔkɔɔ na wɔde yɛɛ ne ti; Dwetɛ na wɔde yɛɛ ne koko ne nʼabasa. Kɔbere na wɔde yɛɛ ne yafunu ne nʼasrɛ. 33Dade na wɔde yɛɛ nʼanan, na wɔde dade ne dɔte a wɔde afra yɛɛ ne nansabon. 34Na, Nana, worehwɛ no, ɔbo bi a nsa biara nkura mu, tew bɛhwee dade ne dɔte nansabon no so, pɛtɛw no pasaa. 35Afei Nana, ohoni mu no nyinaa, a ɛyɛ dade, dɔte, kɔbere, dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ no nyinaa yam fekɔfekɔ, maa ɛyɛɛ sɛ ahuhurubere mu awiporowbea so ntɛtɛ, maa mframa behuw ne nyinaa kɔe a, hwee anka hɔ. Nanso ɔbo a ɛpem ohoni no hwee fam no dan bepɔw kɛse a ɛkataa asase nyinaa so.
36“Nana, dae no ni o, afei, yɛrebɛkyerɛ wo ase. 37Nana, woyɛ ahene bebree so hene. Ɔsoro Nyankopɔn ayɛ wo ahene mu hene, ama wo tumi, ahoɔden ne anuonyam. 38Ɔde wiase nnipa, mmoa a wɔwɔ wuram ne nnomaa a wotu ahyɛ wo nsa. Baabiara a wɔwɔ no, wɔayɛ wo wɔn sodifo. Wo na woyɛ saa sikakɔkɔɔ ti no.
39“Na wʼahenni aba nʼawiei akyi no, ahemman a ɛnto wo de no bɛsɔre abesi wʼanan mu. Sɛ saa ahemman no gu a, ahemman kɛse foforo a ɛto so abiɛsa a kɔbere yafunu ne asrɛ no gyina hɔ ma no no bɛsɔre adi wiase so. 40Nea ebedi saa ahemman no akyi no, ɛbɛyɛ ahemman a ɛto so anan a so na ahoɔden wɔ te sɛ dade. Saa ahemman no bebubu, ayam aman a adi kan no nyinaa te sɛnea dade bubu yam biribiara a ɛne no hyia no. 41Nana, sɛnea wuhu sɛ nansabon ne nansoaa yɛ dade ne dɔte a adi afra no kyerɛ sɛ, saa ahemman yi mu bɛkyekyɛ. 42Nʼafaafa bi bɛyɛ den sɛ dade, na bi ayɛ mmerɛw sɛ dɔte. 43Saa dade ne dɔte mfrafrae no san kyerɛ sɛ, saa ahemman no bɛyɛ nnipa ahorow a wɔadi afra a wontumi nka wɔn ho mmɔ mu sɛnea dade ne dɔte ntumi nni afra no.
44“Saa ahemfo no adedi mu no, Ɔsoro Nyankopɔn bɛbɔ ahemman bi atenase a ɛrensɛe da; na obiara renni so da. Ebedwiriw ahemman ahorow yi nyinaa de wɔn aba awiei, na ɛno de, ebegyina afebɔɔ. 45Ɔbo no a nsa biara nkura mu na etwa fii bepɔw no so a ɛyam dade, kɔbere, dɔte, dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ mfrafrae ohoni no gyina hɔ ma saa ɔman no.
“Onyankopɔn kɛse akyerɛ Nana, nea ɛbɛba daakye. Dae no yɛ nokware, na ne nkyerɛase yɛ kann.”
Nebukadnessar Bɔ Daniel Aba So
46Ɔhene Nebukadnessar bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ Daniel anim, som no, na ɔhyɛɛ ne manfo se, wɔmfa afɔrebɔde mmra, na wɔnhyew aduhuam wɔ nʼanim. 47Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Daniel se, “Nokware, wo Nyankopɔn yɛ Nyankopɔn wɔ anyame mu; ɔyɛ Awurade wɔ ahene so ahintasɛm mu kyerɛfo, efisɛ wo na woatumi akyerɛ saa kokoamsɛm yi mu.”
48Afei, ɔhene no maa Daniel dibea a ɛkorɔn yiye san yɛɛ no ayɛ a ɛsom bo yiye. Ɔmaa Daniel hwɛɛ Babilonia amantam no nyinaa so, na ɔde no sii nʼanyansafo no nyinaa so hene. 49Daniel ka ma wɔyɛɛ Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego, Babilonia asase no so ahwɛfo, na Daniel yɛɛ ɔsomfo wɔ ɔhene aban mu.
