但以理書 2
1 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了夢，心裏煩亂，不能睡覺。
[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 王吩咐人將術士、用法術的、行邪術的，和迦勒底人召來，要他們將王的夢告訴王，他們就來站在王前。
[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 王對他們說：「我做了一夢，心裏煩亂，要知道這是甚麼夢。」
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 迦勒底人用亞蘭的言語對王說：「願王萬歲！請將那夢告訴僕人，僕人就可以講解。」
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 王回答迦勒底人說：「夢我已經忘了，你們若不將夢和夢的講解告訴我，就必被凌遲，你們的房屋必成為糞堆；
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 你們若將夢和夢的講解告訴我，就必從我這裏得贈品和賞賜，並大尊榮。現在你們要將夢和夢的講解告訴我。」
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 他們第二次對王說：「請王將夢告訴僕人，僕人就可以講解。」
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 王回答說：「我准知道你們是故意遲延，因為你們知道那夢我已經忘了。
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 你們若不將夢告訴我，只有一法待你們；因為你們預備了謊言亂語向我說，要等候時勢改變。現在你們要將夢告訴我，因我知道你們能將夢的講解告訴我。」
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說：「世上沒有人能將王所問的事說出來；因為沒有君王、大臣、掌權的向術士，或用法術的，或迦勒底人問過這樣的事。
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 王所問的事甚難。除了不與世人同居的神明，沒有人在王面前能說出來。」
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，王氣忿忿地大發烈怒，吩咐滅絕巴比倫所有的哲士。
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 於是命令發出，哲士將要見殺，人就尋找但以理和他的同伴，要殺他們。
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 王的護衛長亞略出來，要殺巴比倫的哲士，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 向王的護衛長亞略說：「王的命令為何這樣緊急呢？」亞略就將情節告訴但以理。
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 但以理遂進去求王寬限，就可以將夢的講解告訴王。
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，將這事告訴他的同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅，
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 要他們祈求天上的上帝施憐憫，將這奧祕的事指明，免得但以理和他的同伴與巴比倫其餘的哲士一同滅亡。
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 這奧祕的事就在夜間異象中給但以理顯明，但以理便稱頌天上的上帝。
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 但以理說：「上帝的名是應當稱頌的！從亙古直到永遠，因為智慧能力都屬乎他。
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 他改變時候、日期，廢王，立王，將智慧賜與智慧人，將知識賜與聰明人。
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 他顯明深奧隱秘的事，知道暗中所有的，光明也與他同居。
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 我列祖的上帝啊，我感謝你，讚美你；因你將智慧才能賜給我，允准我們所求的，把王的事給我們指明。」
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 於是，但以理進去見亞略，就是王所派滅絕巴比倫哲士的，對他說：「不要滅絕巴比倫的哲士，求你領我到王面前，我要將夢的講解告訴王。」
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 亞略就急忙將但以理領到王面前，對王說：「我在被擄的猶大人中遇見一人，他能將夢的講解告訴王。」
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 王問稱為伯提沙撒的但以理說：「你能將我所做的夢和夢的講解告訴我嗎？」
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說：「王所問的那奧祕事，哲士、用法術的、術士、觀兆的都不能告訴王，
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 只有一位在天上的上帝能顯明奧祕的事。他已將日後必有的事指示尼布甲尼撒王。你的夢和你在床上腦中的異象是這樣：
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，你在床上想到後來的事，那顯明奧祕事的主把將來必有的事指示你。
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 至於那奧祕的事顯明給我，並非因我的智慧勝過一切活人，乃為使王知道夢的講解和心裏的思念。
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，你夢見一個大像，這像甚高，極其光耀，站在你面前，形狀甚是可怕。
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 這像的頭是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是銀的，肚腹和腰是銅的，
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 腿是鐵的，腳是半鐵半泥的。
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 你觀看，見有一塊非人手鑿出來的石頭打在這像半鐵半泥的腳上，把腳砸碎；
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 於是金、銀、銅、鐵、泥都一同砸得粉碎，成如夏天禾場上的糠詷，被風吹散，無處可尋。打碎這像的石頭變成一座大山，充滿天下。
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 「這就是那夢；我們在王面前要講解那夢。
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 王啊，你是諸王之王。天上的上帝已將國度、權柄、能力、尊榮都賜給你。
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獸，並天空的飛鳥，他都交付你手，使你掌管這一切。你就是那金頭。
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 在你以後必另興一國，不及於你；又有第三國，就是銅的，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 第四國，必堅壯如鐵，鐵能打碎剋制百物，又能壓碎一切，那國也必打碎壓制列國。
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 你既見像的腳和腳指頭，一半是窯匠的泥，一半是鐵，那國將來也必分開。你既見鐵與泥攙雜，那國也必有鐵的力量。
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 那腳指頭，既是半鐵半泥，那國也必半強半弱。
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 你既見鐵與泥攙雜，那國民也必與各種人攙雜，卻不能彼此相合，正如鐵與泥不能相合一樣。
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 當那列王在位的時候，天上的上帝必另立一國，永不敗壞，也不歸別國的人，卻要打碎滅絕那一切國，這國必存到永遠。
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 你既看見非人手鑿出來的一塊石頭從山而出，打碎金、銀、銅、鐵、泥，那就是至大的上帝把後來必有的事給王指明。這夢準是這樣，這講解也是確實的。」
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 當時，尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，並且吩咐人給他奉上供物和香品。
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 王對但以理說：「你既能顯明這奧祕的事，你們的上帝誠然是萬神之神、萬王之主，又是顯明奧祕事的。」
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 於是王高抬但以理，賞賜他許多上等禮物，派他管理巴比倫全省，又立他為總理，掌管巴比倫的一切哲士。
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、亞伯尼歌管理巴比倫省的事務，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.
