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 Nebuchadnezzar, he had dreams. His mind was troubled, and he could not sleep.

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 summoned the magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead. He also called the sorcerers and wise men. He wanted them to tell him about his dreams. So they came in 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.«

The king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my mind is anxious to know what the dream means.”

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

Then the wise men spoke to the king in Aramaic, “King, live forever! Tell the dream to us, your servants, and we will reveal the meaning.”

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;

The king replied to the wise men, “This matter has been settled. If you do not reveal the dream to me and interpret it, your bodies will be torn apart and your houses made into rubbish heaps.

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 will tell me the dream and its meaning, you will receive gifts from me, a reward, and great honor. So tell to me the dream and its meaning.”

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

They replied again and said, “Let the king tell us, his servants, the dream and we will tell you its meaning.”

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, “I know for certain that you want more time because you see how firm my decision is about this.

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.«

But if you do not tell me the dream, there is only one sentence for you. You have decided to prepare false and deceptive words that you agreed together to say to me until I change my mind. So then, tell me the dream, and then I will know you can interpret it for me.”

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;

The wise men replied to the king, “There is not a man on earth able to meet the king's demand. There is no great and powerful king who has demanded such a thing from any magician, or from anyone who claims to speak with the dead, or from a wise man.

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

What the king demands is difficult, and there is no one who can tell it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

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

This made the king angry and very furious, and he gave an order to destroy all those in Babylon who were known for their wisdom.

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.

So the decree went out that all those who were known for their wisdom were to be put to death. Because of this decree, they searched for Daniel and his friends so they could 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 replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch the commander of the king's bodyguard, who had come to kill all those in Babylon who were known for their wisdom.

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,

Daniel asked the king's commander, “Why is the king's decree so urgent?” So Arioch told Daniel what had happened.

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

Then Daniel went in and requested an appointment with the king so that he could present the interpretation to the king.

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

Then Daniel went to his house and explained to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.

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.

He urged them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and they might not be killed with the rest of the men of Babylon who were known for their wisdom.

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

That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised 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 said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and power belong to him.

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

He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and places kings on their thrones. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

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

He reveals the deep and hidden things because he knows what is in the darkness, and the light lives 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!«

God of my ancestors, I thank you and praise you for the wisdom and power you gave to me. Now you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the matter that concerns the king.”

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!«

Then Daniel went in to see Arioch (the one the king appointed to kill everyone who was wise in Babylon). He went and said to him, “Do not kill the wise men in Babylon. Take me to the king and I will show the king the interpretation of his dream.”

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 quickly brought in Daniel before the king and said, “I have found among the exiles of Judah a man who will reveal the meaning of the king's dream.”

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 said to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me the dream that I saw and its meaning?”

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

Daniel answered the king and said, “The mystery that the king has asked about cannot be revealed by those who have wisdom, nor by those who claim to speak with the dead, nor by magicians, and not by astrologers.

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:

Nevertheless, there is a God who lives in the heavens, who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, what will happen in the days to come. These were your dream and the visions of your mind as you lay on your bed.

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.

As for you, king, your thoughts on your bed were about things to come, and the one who reveals mysteries has made known to you what is about to happen.

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.

As for me, this mystery was not revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than any other living person. This mystery was revealed to me so that you, king, may understand the meaning, and so that you may know the thoughts deep within you.

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.

King, you looked up and you saw a large statue. This statue, which was very powerful and bright, stood before you. Its brightness was terrifying.

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

The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its breast and arms were of silver. Its middle and its thighs were made of bronze,

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

and its legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.

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

You looked up, and a stone was cut out, although not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and it shattered them.

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 the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold at the same time were broken into pieces and became like the chaff of the threshing floors in the summer. The wind carried them away and there was no trace of them left. 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 was your dream. Now we will tell the king the meaning.

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

You, king, are king of the kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the honor.

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.

He has given into your hand the place where the human beings live. He has given over the animals of the fields and the birds of the heavens into your hand, and he has made you rule over them all. You are the statue's 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.

After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze will rule over all the earth.

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.

There will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks other things into pieces and shatters everything. It will shatter all these things and crush them.

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.

Just as you saw, the feet and toes were partly made of baked clay and partly made of iron, so it will be a divided kingdom; some of the strength of iron will be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.

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

As the toes of the feet were partly made of iron and partly made of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

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.

As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so the people will be a mixture; they will not stay together, just as iron does not mix 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;

In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be conquered by another people. It will break the other kingdoms into pieces and put an end to all of them, and it will remain forever.

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.«

Just as you saw, a stone was cut out of the mountain, but not by human hands. It broke the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to you, king, what will happen after this. The dream is true and this interpretation is reliable.”

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

King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face before Daniel and honored him; he commanded that an offering be made and that incense be offered up to him.

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.«

The king said to Daniel, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and the one who reveals mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

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 made Daniel highly honored and gave him many wonderful gifts. He made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon. Daniel became chief governor over the wisest 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.

Daniel made a request of the king, and the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be administrators over the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.