Daniel 2

1 I sit andet Regeringsaar drømte Nebukadnezar, og hans Sind blev uroligt, saa han ikke kunde sove.

In the second year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodonosor had a dream, and his spirit was terrified, and his dream went out of his mind.

2 Saa lod Kongen Drømmetyderne, Manerne, Sandsigerne og Kaldæerne kalde, for at de skulde sige ham, hvad han havde drømt. Og de kom og traadte frem for Kongen.

Then the king commanded to call together the diviners and the wise men, and the magicians, and the Chaldeans: to declare to the king his dreams: so they came and stood before the king.

3 Da sagde Kongen til dem: »Jeg har haft en Drøm, og mit Sind falder ikke til Ro, før jeg faar at vide, hvad den betyder.«

And the king said to them: I saw a dream: and being troubled in mind I know not what I saw.

4 Kaldæerne svarede Kongen (paa Aramaisk): »Kongen leve evindelig! Sig dine Trælle Drømmen, saa skal vi tyde den.«

And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac: O king, live for ever: tell to thy servants thy dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.

5 Men Kongen svarede Kaldæerne: »Mit Ord staar fast! Hvis I ikke baade kundgør mig Drømmen og tyder den, skal I hugges sønder og sammen og eders Huse gøres til Skarndynger;

And the king answering said to the Chaldeans: The thing is gone out of my mind: unless you tell me the dream, and the meaning thereof, you shall be put to death, and your houses shall be confiscated.

6 men gengiver I mig Drømmen og tyder den, faar I Skænk og Gave og stor Ære af mig. Gengiv mig, derfor Drømmen og tyd den!«

But if you tell the dream, and the meaning of it, you shall receive of me rewards, and gifts, and great honour: therefore tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

7 De svarede atter: »Kongen sige sine Trælle Drømmen, saa skal vi tyde den.«

They answered again and said: Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation of it.

8 Kongen svarede: »Nu ved jeg for vist, at I kun søger at vinde Tid, fordi I ser, mit Ord staar fast,

The king answered, and said: I know for certain that you seek to gain time, since you know that the thing is gone from me.

9 saa eders Dom kun kan blive een, hvis I ikke kundgør mig Drømmen, og at I derfor er blevet enige om at lyve for mig og føre mig bag Lyset, til der kommer andre Tider. Sig mig derfor Drømmen, saa jeg kan vide, at I ogsaa kan tyde mig den.«

If therefore you tell me not the dream, there is one sentence concerning you, that you have also framed a lying interpretation, and full of deceit, to speak before me till the time pass away. Tell me therefore the dream, that I may know that you also give a true interpretation thereof.

10 Kaldæerne svarede Kongen: »Der findes ikke et Menneske paa Jorden, som kan sige, hvad Kongen ønsker at vide; aldrig har jo heller nogen Konge, hvor stor og mægtig han end var, krævet sligt af nogen Drømmetyder, Maner eller Kaldæer;

Then the Chaldeains answered before the king, and said: There is no man upon earth, that can accomplish thy word, O king, neither doth any king, though great and mighty, ask such a thing of any diviner, or wise man, or Chaldean.

11 hvad Kongen kræver, er umuligt, og der er ingen, som kan sige Kongen det, undtagen Guderne, og de bor ikke hos de dødelige.«

For the thing that thou askest, O king, is difficult; nor can any one be found that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.

12 Herover blev Kongen vred og saare harmfuld, og han bød, at alle Babels Vismænd skulde henrettes.

Upon hearing this, the king in fury, and in great wrath, commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.

13 Da nu Befalingen var udgaaet, og man skulde til at slaa Vismændene ihjel, ledte man ogsaa efter Daniel og hans Venner for at slaa dem ihjel.

And the decree being gone forth, the wise men were slain: and Daniel and his companions were sought for, to be put to death.

14 Da henvendte Daniel sig med kloge og vel overvejede Ord til Arjok, Øversten for Kongens Livvagt, som var draget ud for at slaa Babels Vismænd ihjel.

Then Daniel inquired concerning the law and the sentence, of Arioch the general of the king’s army, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon.

15 Han tog til Orde og spurgte Arjok, Kongens Høvedsmand: »Hvorfor er saa skarp en Befaling udgaaet fra Kongen?« Og da Arjok havde sat ham ind i Sagen,

And he asked him that had received the orders of the king, why so cruel a sentence was gone forth from the face of the king. And when Arioch had told the matter to Daniel,

16 gik Daniel ind til Kongen og bad ham give sig en Frist, saa skulde han tyde Kongen Drømmen.

Daniel went in and desired of the king, that he would give him time to resolve the question and declare it to the king.

17 Saa gik Daniel hjem og satte sine Venner Hananja, Misjael og Azarja ind i Sagen,

And he went into his house, and told the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias his companions:

18 og han paalagde dem at bede Himmelens Gud om Barmhjertighed, saa han aabenbarede Hemmeligheden, for at ikke Daniel og hans Venner skulde blive henrettet med Babels andre Vismænd.

To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Da blev Hemmeligheden aabenbaret Daniel i et Nattesyn; og Daniel priste Himmelens Gud,

Then was the mystery revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven,

20 tog til Orde og sagde: »Lovet være Guds Navn fra Evighed og til Evighed, thi ham tilhører Visdom og Styrke!

And speaking he said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from eternity and for evermore: for wisdom and fortitude are his.

21 Han lader Tider og Stunder skifte, afsætter og indsætter Konger, giver de vise deres Visdom og de indsigtsfulde deres Viden;

And he changeth times and ages: taketh away kingdoms and establisheth them, giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding.

22 han aabenbarer det dybe og lønlige; han ved, hvad Mørket gemmer, og Lyset bor hos ham.

He revealeth deep and hidden things, and knoweth what is in darkness: and light is with him.

23 Dig, mine Fædres Gud, takker og priser jeg, fordi du gav mig Visdom og Styrke, og nu har du kundgjort mig, hvad vi bad dig om; thi hvad Kongen vil vide, har du kundgjort os!«

To thee, O God of our fathers, I give thanks, and I praise thee: because thou hast given me wisdom and strength: and now thou hast shewn me what we desired of thee, for thou hast made known to us, the king’s discourse.

24 Derfor gik Daniel til Arjok, hvem Kongen havde paalagt at henrette Babels Vismænd, og sagde til ham: »Henret ikke Babels Vismænd, men før mig frem for Kongen, saa vil jeg tyde ham Drømmen!«

After this Daniel went in to Arioch, to whom the king had given orders to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and he spoke thus to him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will tell the solution to the king.

25 Saa førte Arjok i Hast Daniel frem for Kongen og sagde til ham: »Jeg har blandt de bortførte Judæere fundet en Mand, som vil tyde Kongen Drømmen!«

Then Arioch in haste brought in Daniel to the king, and said to him: I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Juda, that will resolve the question to the king.

26 Kongen tog til Orde og spurgte Daniel, som havde faaet Navnet Beltsazzar: »Er du i Stand til at kundgøre mig den Drøm, jeg har haft, og tyde den?«

The king answered, and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltassar: Thinkest thou indeed that thou canst tell me the dream that I saw, and the interpretation thereof?

27 Daniel svarede Kongen: »Den Hemmelighed, Kongen ønsker at vide, kan Vismænd, Manere, Drømmetydere og Stjernetydere ikke sige Kongen;

And Daniel made answer before the king, and said: The secret that the king desireth to know, none of the wise men, or the philosophers, or the diviners, or the soothsayers can declare to the king.

28 men der er en Gud i Himmelen, som aabenbarer Hemmeligheder, og han har kundgjort Kong Nebukadnezar, hvad der skal ske i de sidste Dage:

But there is a God in heaven that revealeth mysteries, who hath shewn to thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, what is to come to pass in the latter times. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

29 Du tænkte, o Konge, paa dit Leje over, hvad der skal ske i Fremtiden, og han, som aabenbarer Hemmeligheder, kundgjorde dig, hvad der skal ske.

Thou, O king, didst begin to think in thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth mysteries shewed thee what shall come to pass.

30 Og mig er denne Hemmelighed aabenbaret, ikke ved nogen Visdom, som jeg har forud for alle andre levende Væsener, men for at Drømmen kan blive tydet Kongen, saa du kan kende dit Hjertes Tanker.

To me also this secret is revealed, not by any wisdom that I have more than all men alive: but that the interpretation might be made manifest to the king, and thou mightest know the thoughts of thy mind.

31 Du saa, o Konge, for dig en vældig Billedstøtte; denne Billedstøtte var stor og dens Glans overmaade stærk; den stod foran dig, og dens Udseende var forfærdeligt.

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue: this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before thee, and the look thereof was terrible.

32 Billedstøttens Hoved var af fint Guld, Bryst og Arme af Sølv, Bug og Lænder af Kobber,

The head of this statue was of fine gold, but the breast and the arms of silver, and the belly and the thighs of brass:

33 Benene af Jern og Fødderne halvt af Jern og halvt af Ler.

And the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Saaledes skuede du, indtil en Sten reves løs, dog ikke ved Menneskehænder, og ramte Billedstøttens Jern— og Lerfødder og knuste dem;

Thus thou sawest, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands: and it struck the statue upon the feet thereof that were of iron and of clay, and broke them in pieces.

35 og paa een Gang knustes Jern, Ler, Kobber, Sølv og Guld og blev som Avner fra Somrens Tærskepladser, og Vinden bar det sporløst bort; men Stenen, som ramte Billedstøtten, blev til et stort Bjerg, der fyldte hele Jorden.

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer’s thrashingfloor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 Saaledes var Drømmen, og nu vil vi tyde Kongen den:

This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof before thee, O king.

37 Du, o Konge, Kongernes Konge, hvem Himmelens Gud gav Kongedømme, Magt, Styrke og Ære,

Thou art a king of kings: and the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, and strength, and power, and glory:

38 i hvis Haand han gav Menneskene, saa vide de bor, Markens Dyr og Himmelens Fugle, saa han gjorde dig til Hersker over dem alle, — du er Hovedet, som var af Guld.

And all places wherein the children of men, and the beasts of the field do dwell: he hath also given the birds of the air into thy hand, and hath put all things under thy power: thou therefore art the head of gold.

39 Men efter dig skal der komme et andet Rige, ringere end dit, og derpaa atter et tredje Rige, som er af Kobber, og hvis Herredømme skal strække sig over hele Jorden.

And after thee shall rise up another kingdom, inferior to thee, of silver: and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all the world.

40 Siden skal der komme et fjerde Rige, stærkt som Jern; thi Jern knuser og søndrer alt; og som Jern sønderslaar, skal det knuse og sønderslaa alle hine Riger.

And the fourth kingdom shall be as iron. As iron breaketh into pieces, and subdueth all things, so shall that break and destroy all these.

41 Men naar du saa Fødderne og Tæerne halvt af Pottemagerler og halvt af Jern, betyder det, at det skal være et Rige uden Sammenhold; dog skal det have noget af Jernets Fasthed, thi du saa jo, at Jern var blandet med Ler.

Arid whereas thou sawest the feet, and the toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be divided, but yet it shall take its origin from the iron, according as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay.

42 Og at Tæerne var halvt af Jern og halvt af Ler, betyder, at Riget delvis skal være stærkt, delvis svagt.

And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43 Og naar du saa, at Jernet var blandet med Ler, betyder det, at de skal indgaa Ægteskaber med hverandre, men dog ikke indbyrdes holde sammen, saa lidt som Jern kan blandes med Ler.

And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall be mingled indeed together with the seed of man, but they shall not stick fast one to another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.

44 Men i hine Kongers Dage vil Himmelens Gud oprette et Rige, som aldrig i Evighed skal forgaa, og Herredømmet skal ikke gaa over til noget andet Folk; det skal knuse og tilintetgøre alle hine Riger, men selv staa i al Evighed;

But in the days of those kingdoms the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be delivered up to another people, and it shall break in pieces, and shall consume all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever.

45 thi du saa jo, at en Sten reves løs fra Klippen, dog ikke ved Menneskehænder, og knuste Jern, Ler, Kobber, Sølv og Guld. En stor Gud har kundgjort Kongen, hvad der skal ske herefter; og Drømmen er sand og Tydningen troværdig.«

According as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and broke in pieces, the clay, and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath shewn the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is faithful.

46 Saa faldt Kong Nebukadnezar paa sit Ansigt og bøjede sig for Daniel, og han bød, at man skulde bringe ham Ofre og Røgelse.

Then king Nabuchodonosor fell on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer in sacrifice to him victims and incense.

47 Og Kongen tog til Orde og sagde til Daniel: »I Sandhed, eders Gud er Gudernes Gud og Kongernes Herre, og han kan aabenbare Hemmeligheder, siden du har kunnet aabenbare denne Hemmelighed.«

And the king spoke to Daniel, and said: Verily your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of hidden things: seeing thou couldst discover this secret.

48 Derpaa ophøjede Kongen Daniel og gav ham mange store Gaver, og han satte ham til Herre over hele Landsdelen Babel og til Overherre over alle Babels Vismænd.

Then the king advanced Daniel to a high station, and gave him many and great gifts: and he made him governor over all the provinces of Babylon, and chief of the magistrates over all the wise men of Babylon.

49 Men paa Daniels Bøn overdrog Kongen Sjadrak, Mesjak og Abed-Nego at styre Landsdelen Babel, medens Daniel selv blev i Kongens Gaard.

And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago over the works of the province of Babylon: but Daniel himself was in the king’s palace.