< 但以理書 2 >
1 拿步高在位第十二年,拿步高一連做了幾個夢,遂心神不寧,不能入睡。
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
2 於是君王下令召巫師、術士、方士和占星者前來給君王詳夢;他們前來了,站在君王前,
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
3 君王對他們說:「我做了一個夢,心神不寧,急於要知道這夢的究竟。」
The king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream."
4 占星者用【阿剌美語】回答君王說:「大王萬歲! 請大王給你的僕人們說出夢來,我們好給大王解釋那夢的意義。」
Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Aramaic language, "O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."
5 君王答覆占星者說:「我是言出必行的,如果你們不告訴我那夢和夢的意義,你們必被萬刮凌遲,你們的家必成為廢墟。
The king answered the Chaldeans, "The thing is gone from me: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a rubbish heap.
6 但若你們告知我那夢和夢的意義,你們必獲得我的禮物、賞報和崇高的尊榮;為此你們告訴我那夢和夢的意義罷! 」
But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and its interpretation."
7 他們又回答說:「請大王給你的僕人們說出夢來,好讓我們給大王解釋。」
They answered the second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."
8 君王回答說:「我明知你們是在想爭取時間,因為你們明知我是言出必行的;
The king answered, "I know of a certainty that you would gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me.
9 如果你們不告訴我那夢,為你們只有一個判決。那麼,你們是想在我面前說謊欺騙,專待時機的轉變。現在你們要告訴我那夢,好使我知道你們能為我解釋那夢的意義。」
But if you do not make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until such time that things might change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation."
10 占星者在君王面前回答說:「世上沒有一個人能說出大王所問的事,從來也沒有一位君王,不論他如何偉大,有勢力,向任何巫師、術士和占星者詢問過這樣的事。
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, "There is not a man on the earth who can show the king's matter, because no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
11 大王詢問的,確是件難事,沒有誰能告訴大王,除非那不與血肉之軀同居的神祇。」
It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
12 君王因此生氣,大發雷霆,下令消滅巴比倫所有的智者。
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 要殺智者的諭令發出之後,人們就搜索達尼爾和他的同伴,要將他們殺死。
So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be killed.
14 君王的衛隊長阿黎約客出發,要殺巴比倫的智者之時,達尼爾機警明智地應付了他。
Then Daniel returned an answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon;
15 達尼爾問君王的全權大臣阿黎約客說:「君王發出的諭令,為什麼這樣迫切」﹖阿黎約客遂將事情告訴了達尼爾。
he answered Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree so urgent from the king?" Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 達尼爾進去要求君王給他延長限期,好為君王詳解夢兆。
Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
17 然後回到家裏,把事情告訴了自己的同伴阿納尼雅、米沙耳和阿匝黎雅,
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 要他們為這秘密事,懇求上天的大主施恩,挽救達尼爾和他的同伴與巴比倫其餘的智者,免被殺害。
that they would seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 於是在夜間的神視中,這個秘密就啟示給達尼爾了;達尼爾遂讚美上天的大主,
Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 說:「願天主的名,從永遠直到永遠受讚美,因為智慧和能力都屬於他。
Daniel answered, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
21 是他變更四時季節,是他廢黜君王,也興立君主,賜智者以智慧,賜識者以聰敏;
He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 是他啟示隱秘深奧之事,洞悉暗中的事,因為光明居於他內。
he reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23 我祖先的天主,我稱謝讚頌你,因為你賜給了我智慧和能力。我們祈求你的事,現在你已曉諭了我們,使我們知道了君王的秘密。」
I thank you, and praise you, God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and has now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king's matter."
24 達尼爾遂去見君王委派殺戮巴比倫智者的阿黎約客,對他這樣說:「請暫且先不要殺害巴比倫的智者,帶我去見君王,我要給君王解夢。」
Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said this to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation."
25 於是阿黎約客立刻引達尼爾去見君王,對君王說:「我從猶大被擄的子民中找得一人,他會給大王解夢。」
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him, "I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation."
26 君王對名叫貝耳特沙匝的達尼爾說道:「你能告訴我,我所見的夢和夢的意義嗎﹖」
The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"
27 達尼爾回答君王說:「大王所問的奧秘,不是智者、術士、巫師和占卜者所能告訴大王的;
Daniel answered before the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded is such that no wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, can show to the king;
28 但是,在天上有一位啟示奧秘的大主! 他已將那日後要發生的事曉諭給大王。大王! 你在床上腦中所得的夢,所見的神視是這樣:
but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head on your bed, are these:
29 大王你睡在床上忽然想到日後所要發生的事,啟示奧秘的那位,把要發生的事已曉諭給你。
as for you, O king, your thoughts came into your mind on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what shall happen.
30 這奧秘已啟示給我,並非因為我比任何活人更有智慧,而只是為把夢兆告訴大王,叫你知道你心心中的思念。」「
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
31 大王! 你夢見一尊巨大的立像。這尊立像異常高大,非常光輝燦爛,立在君王面前,相貌可怕。
You, O king, saw, and look, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was extraordinary, stood before you; and its appearance was awesome.
32 這尊立像,頭是純金的,胸和臂是銀的,腹和股是銅的。
As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,
its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.
34 大王,你在觀望,忽有一塊石頭,未經手鑿即滾下,擊中了立像,把鐵泥的腳,打得粉碎;
You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35 同時鐵、泥、銅、銀和金立即完全粉碎,有如夏天禾場上的糠秕,被風吹去,無蹤無影;那塊擊碎立像的石頭卻變成了一座大山,佔據了全地。」「
Then was the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king.
37 大王! 你是王中之王,上天大主賜給了你領土、勢力、權威和尊榮,
You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
38 凡有人居住的地方,田野的走獸,天空的飛鳥,都交在你手中,由你統治這一切,你便是那屬金的頭。
and wherever human beings dwell, the animals of the field and the birds of the sky has he given into your hand, and has made you to rule over them all: you are the head of gold.
39 在你以後,將興起另一個比你稍弱的國家,以後興起第三個國家,屬銅,她要統轄大地;
After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; and another third kingdom of bronze, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 相繼而來的是第四個,堅強如鐵的國家,就如鐵能粉碎擊破一切,這個國家也要如鐵粉碎擊破一切,
The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
41 至於你見腳和趾,一部分是泥,一部分是鐵,表示這個國家必要分裂,然而國內仍有鐵的堅強,正如你見鐵與泥相混一樣。
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 腳趾一部分是鐵,一部份是泥,表示這個國家一部分強,一部分弱。
As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 你見鐵與泥混合,是說他們要與其他人種相混合,但是彼此不能相合,就如鐵不能與泥相混合一樣。
And whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mix with one another but they shall not hold together, even as iron does not mix with clay.
44 在這些君王時代,上天的大主必要興起一個永不滅亡的國家,她的王權也決不歸於其他民族,她要粉碎和毀滅這一切邦國,惟獨她永存弗替,
In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 就如你所見那塊未經手鑿,即從山上滾下的石頭,把鐵、銅、泥、銀和金打得粉碎一樣。偉大的天主已曉諭了大王,今後將要發生的事。這夢是真實的,夢的解釋也是正確的。」
Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall happen hereafter: and the dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."
46 拿步高於是俯首至地,叩拜達尼爾,下令給他奉上禮物和香品,
Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.
47 然後開口對達尼爾說:「的確,你們的天主是萬神的天主,萬王的主宰,奧秘的啟示者,因為你能啟示這個奧秘。」
The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing you have been able to reveal this secret."
48 王遂擢升達尼爾,賞賜他很多珍貴的禮品,派他治理巴比倫全省,做巴比倫所有智者的首領。
Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 達尼爾要求君王委任沙得辣客、默沙客和阿貝得乃哥掌管巴比倫省的政務;達尼爾自己卻留在朝廷內。
Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.