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.
Ekirooto kya Nebukadduneeza
12:1 a Yob 33:15, 18; Dan 4:5 b Lub 41:8 c Es 6:1; Dan 6:18Mu mwaka ogwokubiri ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Nebukadduneeza, Nebukadduneeza n’aloota ekirooto; ne yeeraliikirira nnyo, n’otulo ne tumubula. 22:2 a Lub 41:8 b Kuv 7:11 c nny 10; Dan 5:7 d Dan 4:6Awo kabaka n’atumya abasawo, n’abafumu, n’abalaguzi n’Abakaludaaya okumutegeeza ekirooto kye yaloota. Ne bajja ne bayimirira mu maaso ga kabaka. 32:3 Dan 4:5N’abagamba nti, “Naloota ekirooto ekimbuzizza otulo, njagala mukintegeeze n’amakulu gaakyo.”
42:4 a Ezr 4:7 b Dan 3:9; 5:10Awo Abakaludaaya ne baddamu kabaka mu lulimi Olusuuli nti, “Ayi kabaka, owangaale emirembe gyonna! Buulira abaddu bo ekirooto, nabo banaakunnyonnyola amakulu gaakyo.”
52:5 a nny 12 b Ezr 6:11; Dan 3:29Kabaka n’addamu Abakaludaaya nti, “Kino kye nsazeewo; bwe mutantegeeze kirooto ekyo, n’amakulu gaakyo, nzija kulagira mutemebwetemebwe, era n’amayumba gammwe gamenyebwemenyebwe. 62:6 nny 48; Dan 5:7, 16Kyokka bwe munaantegeeza ekirooto n’amakulu gaakyo, nnaabawa ebirabo, n’empeera, n’ekitiibwa kinene. Noolwekyo mumbuulire ekirooto n’amakulu gaakyo.”
7Ne bamuddamu nate nti, “Tubuulire ekirooto kyo, tusobole okukubuulira amakulu gaakyo.”
8Awo kabaka n’addamu nti, “Ntegeeredde ddala nga mwagala kufuna bbanga ddene, kubanga mutegedde nga kye nsazeewo mmaliridde okukikola, 92:9 a Es 4:11 b Is 41:22-24era bwe mutantegeeze kirooto, ekibonerezo kiri kimu kyokka. Mwekobaanye okunnimba n’okumbuulira ebigambo ebikyamu, nga munsuubira okukyusa ku ndowooza yange. Kale nno, muntegeeze ekirooto, munnyinnyonnyole n’amakulu gaakyo.”
102:10 nny 27Abakaludaaya ne baddamu kabaka nti, “Tewali muntu n’omu ku nsi ayinza okukola kabaka ky’asaba. Ate era tewabangawo kabaka ne bw’aba w’amaanyi atya oba wa buyinza atya, eyali asabye omulaguzi yenna newaakubadde omufumu yenna newaakubadde Omukaludaaya yenna ekintu ng’ekyo. 112:11 Dan 5:11Kabaka ky’asaba kizibu nnyo. Tewali n’omu ayinza kukibikkulira kabaka, wabula bakatonda abatalina mubiri ogwa bulijjo.”
122:12 a Dan 3:13, 19 b nny 5Ekigambo ekyo ne kisunguwaza nnyo kabaka, kyeyava alagira abagezigezi bonna mu Babulooni okuttibwa. 132:13 Dan 1:20Ekiragiro ne kiyita okutta abagezigezi bonna, era ne wabaawo abasajja abaatumibwa okunoonya Danyeri ne mikwano gye okubatta.
14Awo Danyeri n’asisinkana Aliyooki omuduumizi w’abakuumi ba kabaka, bwe yali ng’agenda okutta abagezigezi ab’e Babulooni; n’ayogera naye mu magezi n’obukalabakalaba, 15n’amubuuza nti, “Kyavudde ku ki kabaka okuwa ekiragiro eky’obukambwe bwe kityo?” Aliyooki n’annyonnyola Danyeri ensonga eyavaako ekyo. 16Awo Danyeri n’alaga eri kabaka, n’asaba aweebwe ekiseera okwogera ne kabaka, alyoke amutegeeze amakulu g’ekirooto.
172:17 Dan 1:6Awo Danyeri n’addayo ewuwe, n’ategeeza mikwano gye Kananiya, ne Misayeri ne Azaliya, 182:18 a Is 37:4 b Yer 33:3n’abagamba basabe Katonda ow’eggulu abalage ekisa ababikkulire amakulu ag’ekyama ekyo, ye ne banne baleme kuzikirizibwa wamu n’abagezigezi abalala ab’e Babulooni. 192:19 a nny 28 b Yob 33:15; Dan 1:17Mu kiro ekyo Danyeri n’afuna okwolesebwa ku kigambo ekyo, n’atendereza Katonda ow’eggulu. 202:20 a Zab 113:2; 145:1-2 b Yer 32:19N’ayogera nti,
“Erinnya lya Katonda litenderezebwenga emirembe n’emirembe,
kubanga amagezi n’obuyinza bibye.
212:21 a Dan 7:25 b Yob 12:19; Zab 75:6-7 c Yak 1:5Ategeera ebiseera n’ebiro;
assaawo bakabaka era aggyawo bakabaka;
awa amagezi abagezigezi,
era n’okumanyisa abo abategeevu.
222:22 a Yob 12:22; Zab 25:14; Dan 5:11 b Zab 139:11-12; Yer 23:24; Beb 4:13 c Is 45:7; Yak 1:17Abikkula ebyama ebyakisibwa edda;
amanyi ebifa mu nzikiza,
n’ekitangaala kibeera naye.
232:23 a Kuv 3:15 b Dan 1:17Nkwebaza era nkutendereza, Ayi Katonda wa bajjajjange
ompadde amagezi n’amaanyi,
ombikkulidde ekyo kye twakusabye,
otutegeezezza ekirooto kya kabaka.”
Danyeri Ategeeza Amakulu ag’Ekirooto
242:24 nny 14Awo Danyeri n’alaga eri Aliyooki, kabaka gwe yali alonze okuzikiriza abasajja abagezigezi aba Babulooni, n’amugamba nti, “Tozikiriza basajja bagezigezi ba Babulooni. Ntwala eri kabaka mmutegeeze amakulu g’ekirooto kye.”
252:25 Dan 1:6; 5:13; 6:13Amangwago, Aliyooki n’atwala Danyeri eri kabaka, n’ategeeza kabaka nti, “Nsanze omusajja, omu ku baawaŋŋangusibwa okuva mu Yuda, asobola okutegeeza kabaka amakulu g’ekirooto kye.”
262:26 Dan 1:7Kabaka n’abuuza Danyeri eyayitibwanga Berutesazza nti, “Oyinza okuntegeeza ekirooto kye nalabye, n’amakulu gaakyo?”
272:27 nny 10Danyeri n’addamu kabaka nti, “Tewali muntu mugezigezi, newaakubadde omufumu, newaakubadde omulaguzi, newaakubadde omulogo asobola okutegeeza kabaka ekigambo kye yasabye. 282:28 a Lub 40:8; Am 4:13 b Lub 49:1; Dan 10:14 c Dan 4:5Waliwo Katonda ow’omu ggulu annyonnyola abantu ebitategeerekeka. Abikkulidde Kabaka Nebukadduneeza ebigenda okubaawo mu nnaku ez’enkomerero. Ekirooto n’okwolesebwa bye wafuna nga weebase bye bino.
29“Bwe wali ng’ogalamidde mu kitanda kyo, ayi kabaka omutima gwo ne gutandika okulowooza ku bintu ebiribaawo, era oyo abikkula ebigambo ebitategeerekeka bantu abaabulijjo, yakulaze ebigenda okubaawo. 302:30 Is 45:3; Dan 1:17; Am 4:13Naye ekigambo kino ekitategeerekeka bantu abaabulijjo kimbikkuliddwa, si lwa kuba nga ndi mugezi okusinga abantu abalala bonna, naye nkifunye bwe ntyo, kabaka ategeere amakulu gaakyo, era otegeere ebirowoozo bye wafuna mu mutima gwo.
312:31 Kbk 1:7“Watunula, ayi kabaka, era laba, mu maaso go nga wayimiriddewo ekifaananyi ekinene. Ekifaananyi ekyo kyali kinene nnyo, nga kimasamasa nnyo nnyini era nga kya ntiisa. 32Omutwe gwakyo gwali gwa zaabu ennongoose, ekifuba kyakyo n’emikono gyakyo nga bya ffeeza, n’olubuto lwakyo n’ebisambi byakyo nga bya kikomo, 33n’amagulu gaakyo nga ga kyuma. N’ebigere byakyo ekitundu ekimu kyali kya kyuma, n’ekitundu ekirala nga kya bbumba. 342:34 a Zek 4:6 b nny 44-45; Zab 2:9; Is 60:12; Dan 8:25Awo bwe wali ng’okyakitunuulira, olwazi ne lutemebwa, naye si na ngalo, ejjinja ne livaako ne likuba ekifaananyi ku bigere byakyo eby’ekyuma n’ebbumba, ne libyasaayasa. 352:35 a Zab 1:4; 37:10; Is 17:13 b Is 2:3; Mi 4:1Ekyuma n’ebbumba, n’ekikomo, ne zaabu, byonna ne biyasibwayasibwa wamu, ne bifuuka ng’ebisusunku eby’omu gguuliro mu biro eby’omusana omungi; kibuyaga n’abifuuwa obutalekaawo na kimu. Naye ejjinja eryakuba ekifaananyi ne lifuuka olusozi olunene, ne lujjula ensi yonna.
36“Ekyo kye kyali ekirooto; kaakano tunaategeeza kabaka amakulu gaakyo. 372:37 a Ez 26:7 b Yer 27:7Ggwe, ayi kabaka, ggwe kabaka wa bakabaka, Katonda ow’eggulu gwe yawa obwakabaka, n’obuyinza, n’amaanyi, n’ekitiibwa; 382:38 Yer 27:6; Dan 4:21-22era akukwasizza abantu n’ensolo ez’omu nsiko, n’ennyonyi ez’omu bbanga. Buli we bibeera, akuwadde okubifuga, era ggwe mutwe ogwa zaabu.
39“Bw’olivaawo, obwakabaka obulala buliddawo, obutenkanankana bubwo. N’oluvannyuma waliddawo obwakabaka obwokusatu nga bwa kikomo obulifuga ensi yonna. 402:40 Dan 7:7, 23Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo byonna waliddawo obwakabaka obwokuna obuliba obw’amaanyi ng’ekyuma; era ng’ekyuma ekimenyaamenya ne kibetentabetenta buli kintu, era ng’ekyuma bwe kimenyaamenya obutundutundu, bwe kityo bwe kiribetentabetenta ne kimenyaamenya obwakabaka obulala bwonna. 41Nga bwe walaba ebigere n’obugere ekitundu nga kya bbumba ery’omubumbi, n’ekitundu nga kya kyuma, bwe butyo obwakabaka bwe buligabanyizibwamu; ate nga bulisigala n’amaanyi ag’ekyuma, nga bwe walaba ekyuma nga kitabuddwamu ebbumba. 42Ng’obugere bwe bwali, ekitundu nga kya kyuma n’ekitundu ekirala nga kya bbumba, n’obwakabaka buno buliba bwe butyo, ekitundu ekimu nga ky’amaanyi n’ekitundu ekirala nga kinafu. 43Era nga bwe walaba ekyuma nga kitabuddwamu ebbumba bwe batyo n’abantu bwe baliba so tebalisigala bumu, ng’ekyuma bwe kitasobola kwetabula bulungi na bbumba.
442:44 a Zab 2:9; 1Ko 15:24 b Is 60:12 c Zab 145:13; Is 9:7; Dan 4:34; 6:26; 7:14, 27; Mi 4:7, 13; Luk 1:33“Mu biro ebya bakabaka abo, Katonda w’eggulu alissaawo obwakabaka obutalizikirizibwa, so tebuliweebwa bantu balala. Bulizikiriza obwakabaka obwo bwonna, ne bubumalawo, naye bwo bulibeerera emirembe gyonna. 452:45 a Is 28:16 b Dan 8:25Gano ge makulu ag’okwolesebwa okukwata ku jjinja eryatemebwa mu lusozi, eritatemebwa na ngalo za muntu; eryabetentabetenta ekyuma, n’ekikomo, n’ebbumba, ne ffeeza, ne zaabu.
“Katonda omukulu abikkulidde kabaka ebigenda okubaawo mu biro eby’omu maaso. Ekirooto kituufu n’amakulu gaakyo tegabuusibwabuusibwa.”
462:46 a Dan 8:17; Bik 10:25 b Bik 14:13Awo Kabaka Nebukadduneeza ne yeeyaliira ku lubuto lwe mu maaso ga Danyeri n’amuwa ekitiibwa, n’alagira okuwaayo obubaane n’ebiweebwayo eri Danyeri. 472:47 a Dan 11:36 b Dan 4:25 c nny 22, 28Kabaka n’agamba Danyeri nti, “Mazima Katonda wo ye Katonda wa bakatonda era ye Mukama wa bakabaka, era omubikkuzi w’ebyama ebyakisibwa, kubanga osobozebbwa okututegeeza ekyama ekyakisibwa.”
482:48 nny 6; Dan 4:9; 5:11Awo kabaka n’akuza Danyeri n’amufuula omuntu omukulu ennyo, n’amuwa n’ebirabo bingi. N’amufuula mufuzi w’essaza lyonna erya Babulooni, n’amuwa n’obuvunaanyizibwa obw’okukulira abasajja abagezigezi bonna ab’e Babulooni. 492:49 Dan 1:7Awo Danyeri n’asaba kabaka akuze ne Saddulaaki, ne Mesaki, ne Abeduneego; kabaka n’abafuula abakulembeze n’abawa ebifo eby’obuvunaanyizibwa mu ssaza ery’e Babulooni, Danyeri ye n’asigala awali kabaka.
