但以理书 2
1 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了梦，心里烦乱，不能睡觉。
[One night] during the second year that Nebuchadnezzar ruled, he had a dream. The dream worried him very much; and [as a result] he could not sleep.
2 王吩咐人将术士、用法术的、行邪术的，和迦勒底人召来，要他们将王的梦告诉王，他们就来站在王前。
[The next morning] he summoned his men who worked magic, fortune-tellers, those who worked sorcery, and those who studied the stars. [Because he had forgotten what he had dreamed, ] he insisted that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood there in front of the king,
3 王对他们说：“我做了一梦，心里烦乱，要知道这是什么梦。”
he said, “I had a dream [last night] that worries me. [Tell me what I dreamed, because] I want to know what the dream [means].”
4 迦勒底人用亚兰的言语对王说：“愿王万岁！请将那梦告诉仆人，仆人就可以讲解。”
The men who studied the stars replied to the king, speaking in the Aramaic [language]. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we hope that you will live a long time! Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means!”
5 王回答迦勒底人说：“梦我已经忘了，你们若不将梦和梦的讲解告诉我，就必被凌迟，你们的房屋必成为粪堆；
But the king replied, “I have firmly decided that you must tell me the dream, and [also tell me] what it means. If you do not do that, I will [order my soldiers to] cut you into pieces, and to cause your houses to become only piles of stones!
6 你们若将梦和梦的讲解告诉我，就必从我这里得赠品和赏赐，并大尊荣。现在你们要将梦和梦的讲解告诉我。”
But if you tell me what I dreamed and what it means, I will reward you. I will give you wonderful gifts and greatly honor you. So tell me what I dreamed and what it means!”
7 他们第二次对王说：“请王将梦告诉仆人，仆人就可以讲解。”
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 王回答说：“我准知道你们是故意迟延，因为你们知道那梦我已经忘了。
The king replied, “I know that you are just trying to get more time, because you know that I will do to you what I said that I would do.
9 你们若不将梦告诉我，只有一法待你们；因为你们预备了谎言乱语向我说，要等候时势改变。现在你们要将梦告诉我，因我知道你们能将梦的讲解告诉我。”
If you do not tell me what I dreamed, you will be punished. [I think that] you have all agreed to tell me lies and [other] wicked things, because you hope that I will change ([my mind/what I am thinking]). But tell me the dream, and [then] I will know that you can [also] tell me what it means.”
10 迦勒底人在王面前回答说：“世上没有人能将王所问的事说出来；因为没有君王、大臣、掌权的向术士，或用法术的，或迦勒底人问过这样的事。
The men who studied the stars replied, “There is no one on the earth who can do what you ask! There is no king, [even] a great and mighty king, who has [ever] asked his men who work magic or his fortune-tellers or men who study the stars to do something like that!
11 王所问的事甚难。除了不与世人同居的神明，没有人在王面前能说出来。”
What you are asking [us to do] is impossible. Only the gods can tell you what you dreamed, and they do not live among us!”
12 因此，王气忿忿地大发烈怒，吩咐灭绝巴比伦所有的哲士。
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 于是命令发出，哲士将要见杀，人就寻找但以理和他的同伴，要杀他们。
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 王的护卫长亚略出来，要杀巴比伦的哲士，但以理就用婉言回答他，
Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
15 向王的护卫长亚略说：“王的命令为何这样紧急呢？”亚略就将情节告诉但以理。
I asked Arioch, “Why has the king made such a harsh/terrible decree?” So Arioch told me all that had happened [because of the king’s dream].
16 但以理遂进去求王宽限，就可以将梦的讲解告诉王。
I [immediately] went to talk to the king and requested that the king give me some time, so that I could find out [what the dream was and] what the dream meant.
17 但以理回到他的居所，将这事告诉他的同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亚撒利雅，
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 要他们祈求天上的 神施怜悯，将这奥秘的事指明，免得但以理和他的同伴与巴比伦其余的哲士一同灭亡。
I urged them to ask God, who lives/rules in heaven, to have mercy on us by telling us the secret [meaning of what the king dreamed], in order that we and the other wise men in Babylon would not be executed.
19 这奥秘的事就在夜间异象中给但以理显明，但以理便称颂天上的 神。
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 但以理说：“神的名是应当称颂的！从亘古直到永远，因为智慧能力都属乎他。
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 他改变时候、日期，废王，立王，将智慧赐与智慧人，将知识赐与聪明人。
He determines what events will happen through the years. He removes [some] kings and gives their authority to [new] kings. He is the one who causes people to become wise and enables those who study to understand [many] things.
22 他显明深奥隐秘的事，知道暗中所有的，光明也与他同居。
He reveals things that are very mysterious; he is surrounded by light, but he knows things that are hidden [as though they were] in the darkness.
23 我列祖的 神啊，我感谢你，赞美你；因你将智慧才能赐给我，允准我们所求的，把王的事给我们指明。”
God, whom my ancestors [worshiped], I thank you and I praise you, because you have caused me to be wise and made me strong. You have told me what my friends and I asked you to tell us; and you have revealed to us what the king demanded to know.”
24 于是，但以理进去见亚略，就是王所派灭绝巴比伦哲士的，对他说：“不要灭绝巴比伦的哲士，求你领我到王面前，我要将梦的讲解告诉王。”
Then I went to Arioch, the man whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men in Babylon. I said to him, “Do not kill those wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
25 亚略就急忙将但以理领到王面前，对王说：“我在被掳的犹大人中遇见一人，他能将梦的讲解告诉王。”
So Arioch quickly took me to the king. He said to the king, “I have found [this man], one of the men whom we brought from Judah who [says he can] can tell you what your dream means!”
26 王问称为伯提沙撒的但以理说：“你能将我所做的梦和梦的讲解告诉我吗？”
The king said to me, whose [new] name was Belteshazzar, “[Is this true]? Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”
27 但以理在王面前回答说：“王所问的那奥秘事，哲士、用法术的、术士、观兆的都不能告诉王，
I replied, “There are no wise men or fortune-tellers or men who work magic or men who work sorcery who can tell such things to you.
28 只有一位在天上的 神能显明奥秘的事。他已将日后必有的事指示尼布甲尼撒王。你的梦和你在床上脑中的异象是这样：
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. And he has shown in [your dream] what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you what you dreamed, the vision you saw [as you were lying] on your bed.
29 王啊，你在床上想到后来的事，那显明奥秘事的主把将来必有的事指示你。
O King, while you were sleeping, you dreamed about events that will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has shown you what is going to happen.
30 至于那奥秘的事显明给我，并非因我的智慧胜过一切活人，乃为使王知道梦的讲解和心里的思念。
And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else on earth that I know the meaning of this mysterious dream. It is because God wanted you to understand what you were thinking.
31 “王啊，你梦见一个大像，这像甚高，极其光耀，站在你面前，形状甚是可怕。
O King, [in your vision] you saw in front of you a huge and terrifying statue [of a man. It was] shining very brightly, and it was frightening and awesome.
32 这像的头是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是银的，肚腹和腰是铜的，
The head of the statue was [made] of pure gold. Its chest and arms [were made of] silver. Its belly and thighs [were made of] bronze.
33 腿是铁的，脚是半铁半泥的。
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 你观看，见有一块非人手凿出来的石头打在这像半铁半泥的脚上，把脚砸碎；
As you watched, something cut a rock [from a mountain, but it was] not a human [who cut it]. The rock [tumbled down and] smashed the feet of the statue, feet [that were made of] iron and clay. It smashed them to bits.
35 于是金、银、铜、铁、泥都一同砸得粉碎，成如夏天禾场上的糠秕，被风吹散，无处可寻。打碎这像的石头变成一座大山，充满天下。
Then the rest of the statue collapsed into a big heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces of the statue were as small as bits of chaff on the ground where it is threshed, and the wind blew away all the tiny pieces. There was nothing left. But the rock that smashed the statue became a large mountain that covered the whole earth.
36 “这就是那梦；我们在王面前要讲解那梦。
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 王啊，你是诸王之王。天上的 神已将国度、权柄、能力、尊荣都赐给你。
You are a king [who rules] over [many other] kings. The God who rules in heaven has caused you to rule over them and has given you great power [DOU] and has honored you.
38 凡世人所住之地的走兽，并天空的飞鸟，他都交付你手，使你掌管这一切。你就是那金头。
He has caused you to be the ruler over all people, and [even] the animals and birds are controlled by you. [So] the head [of the statue] represents you.
39 在你以后必另兴一国，不及于你；又有第三国，就是铜的，必掌管天下。
But after your [kingdom/rule] ends, there will be another [great] kingdom, [but it] will not be as great as yours. [The silver parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. Then there will be a third [great] kingdom [whose king] will rule over the whole earth. The bronze parts [of the statue represent] that kingdom.
40 第四国，必坚壮如铁，铁能打碎克制百物，又能压碎一切，那国也必打碎压制列国。
After that kingdom ends, there will be a fourth [great] kingdom. The iron [parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. [The army of] that kingdom will smash the previous kingdoms, just like iron smashes everything that it strikes.
41 你既见像的脚和脚指头，一半是窑匠的泥，一半是铁，那国将来也必分开。你既见铁与泥搀杂，那国也必有铁的力量。
The feet and toes of the statue that you saw, that were a mixture of iron and clay, indicate that the kingdom they represent will [later] be divided.
42 那脚指头，既是半铁半泥，那国也必半强半弱。
Some parts of that kingdom will be as strong as iron, but some parts will not remain together, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
43 你既见铁与泥搀杂，那国民也必与各种人搀杂，却不能彼此相合，正如铁与泥不能相合一样。
The mixture of iron and clay [in the statue] shows also that the rulers of those kingdoms that separate from each other will try to form alliances with each other as a result of members of the royal families of those kingdoms marrying each other. But that will not succeed, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
44 当那列王在位的时候，天上的 神必另立一国，永不败坏，也不归别国的人，却要打碎灭绝那一切国，这国必存到永远。
But while those kings are ruling, God who rules in heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. No one will ever defeat its king. He will completely destroy all those kingdoms, but his kingdom will remain forever.
45 你既看见非人手凿出来的一块石头从山而出，打碎金、银、铜、铁、泥，那就是至大的 神把后来必有的事给王指明。这梦准是这样，这讲解也是确实的。”
That is the meaning of the rock that something cut from the mountain, the rock that will crush to tiny bits the statue that is made of iron, bronze, silver, and gold. O king, the great God has shown you what will truly happen in the future. And you can trust [what I told you about] the meaning of the dream.”
46 当时，尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，并且吩咐人给他奉上供物和香品。
Then King Nebuchadnezzar prostrated himself in front of me [in great respect]. He commanded [his people] that they burn incense and burn an offering of grain to honor me.
47 王对但以理说：“你既能显明这奥秘的事，你们的 神诚然是万神之神、万王之主，又是显明奥秘事的。”
The king said to me, “[Your God has enabled] you to tell me the meaning of this dream/mystery, so now I truly know that your God is greater than all the other gods and all other kings. He reveals [to people] things that they cannot know.”
48 于是王高抬但以理，赏赐他许多上等礼物，派他管理巴比伦全省，又立他为总理，掌管巴比伦的一切哲士。
Then the king gave many gifts to me, and he [also] appointed me to rule over the entire province of Babylon, and [also] to be the boss of all his wise men.
49 但以理求王，王就派沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌管理巴比伦省的事务，只是但以理常在朝中侍立。
I asked the king to appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to [also] have important positions in Babylon province, and the king did what I asked him to do. But [I did my work while] I stayed at the king’s palace.
