Daniel 4

1 Kong Nebukadnezar til alle Folk, Stammer og Tungemaal, som bor paa hele Jorden: Fred være med eder i rigt Maal!

'Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

2 De Tegn og Undere, den højeste Gud har øvet imod mig, finder jeg for godt at kundgøre.

It hath seemed good unto me to declare the signs and wonders that God Most High hath wrought toward me.

3 Hvor store er dog hans Tegn, hvor vældige dog hans Undere! Hans Rige er et evigt Rige, hans Herredømme fra Slægt til Slægt.

How great are His signs! and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.

4 Jeg, Nebukadnezar, levede tryg i mit Slot og livsglad i mit Palads.

I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

5 Men da skuede jeg et Drømmesyn, og det slog mig med Rædsel, og Tankebilleder paa mit Leje og mit Hoveds Syner forfærdede mig.

I saw a dream which made me afraid; and imaginings upon my bed and the visions of my head affrighted me.

6 Derfor paabød jeg, at alle Babels Vismænd skulde føres frem for mig, for at de skulde tyde mig Drømmen.

Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

7 Saa kom Drømmetyderne, Manerne, Kaldæerne og Stjernetyderne ind, og jeg sagde dem Drømmen, men de kunde ikke tyde mig den.

Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

8 Men til sidst traadte Daniel, som har faaet Navnet Beltsazzar efter min Guds Navn, og i hvem hellige Guders Aand er, frem for mig, og jeg sagde ham Drømmen:

But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told the dream before him:

9 Beltsazzar, du Øverste for Drømmetyderne, i hvem jeg ved, at hellige Guders Aand er, og hvem ingen Hemmelighed er for svar! Hør, hvad jeg saa i Drømme, og tyd mig det!

O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret causeth thee trouble, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

10 Dette var mit Hoveds Syner paa mit Leje: Jeg skuede, og se, et Træ stod midt paa Jorden, og det var saare højt.

Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

11 Træet voksede og blev vældigt, dets Top naaede Himmelen, og det saas til Jordens Ende;

The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.

12 dets Løv var fagert, dets Frugter mange, saa der var Føde til alle derpaa; under det fandt Markens Dyr Skygge, i dets Grene boede Himmelens Fugle, og alt Kød fik Næring deraf.

The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the branches thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

13 Og videre skuede jeg i mit Hoveds Syner paa mit Leje, og se, en Vægter, en Hellig, kom ned fra Himmelen.

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.

14 Han raabte med høj Røst: »Fæld Træet, hug Grenene af, afriv Løvet og spred Frugterne; Dyrene skal fly fra deres Bo derunder og Fuglene fra dets Grene!

He cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.

15 Dog skal I lade Stubben med Rødderne blive i Jorden, men bundet med en Kæde af Jern og Kobber i Markens Græs; af Himmelens Dug skal han vædes, og som Dyrene skal han æde Markens Urter;

Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even in a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth;

16 hans Menneskehjerte skal fratages ham og et Dyrehjerte gives ham, og syv Tider skal gaa hen over ham.

Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

17 Saaledes er det fastsat ved Vægternes Raad, og ved de Helliges Bud er Sagen afgjort, for at de levende maa sande, at den Højeste er Herre over Menneskenes Rige og kan give det, til hvem han vil, og ophøje den ringeste blandt Menneskene til Hersker over det!«

The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men.

18 Det var dette Drømmesyn, som jeg, Kong Nebukadnezar, skuede, og du, Beltsazzar, tyd mig det! Thi ingen af mit Riges Vismænd kan tyde mig det; du derimod evner det, thi i dig bor hellige Guders Aand.

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.'

19 Saa stod Daniel, som havde faaet Navnet Beltsazzar, en Stund rædselslagen, og hans Tanker forfærdede ham. Men Kongen tog til Orde og sagde: »Beltsazzar, lad ikke Drømmen og dens Udtydning forfærde dig!« Men Beltsazzar svarede: »Herre, maatte Drømmen gælde dine Fjender og dens Udtydning dine Avindsmænd!

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while, and his thoughts affrighted him. The king spoke and said: 'Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, affright thee.' Belteshazzar answered and said: 'My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries.

20 Det Træ, du saa, og som voksede og blev vældigt, saa Toppen naaede Himmelen og det saas over hele Jorden,

The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

21 hvis Løv var fagert, og hvis Frugter var mange, det, som alle fik Næring af, under hvilket Markens Dyr fandt Bo, og i hvis Grene Himmelens Fugle byggede Rede,

whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation;

22 det er dig selv, o Konge, som er blevet stor og mægtig, hvis Storhed er vokset, saa den naar Himmelen, og hvis Herredømme rækker til Jordens Ende.

it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

23 Og naar Kongen saa, at en Vægter, en Hellig, steg ned fra Himmelen og bød: Fæld Træet og ødelæg det! Dog skal I lade Stubben med Rødderne blive i Jorden, men bundet med en Kæde af Jern og Kobber i Markens Græs; af Himmelens Dug skal han vædes, og med Markens Dyr skal han dele Lod, indtil syv Tider er gaaet hen over ham —

And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying: Hew down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even in a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him —

24 saa betyder det, o Konge, og det er den Højestes Raad, som er udgaaet over min Herre Kongen:

this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king,

25 Du skal udstødes af Menneskenes Samfund og bo blandt Markens Dyr; Urter skal du have til Føde som Kvæget, og af Himmelens Dug skal du vædes; og syv Tider skal gaa hen over dig, til du skønner, at den Højeste er Herre over Menneskenes Rige og kan give det, til hvem han vil.

that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.

26 Men naar der blev givet Paabud om at levne Træets Stub med Rødderne, saa betyder det, at dit Rige atter skal blive dit, saa snart du skønner, at Himmelen har Magten.

And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

27 Derfor, o Konge, lad mit Raad være dig til Behag. Gør Ende paa dine Synder med Retfærd og paa dine Misgerninger med Barmhjertighed mod de fattige, om din Lykke maaske kunde vare!«

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by almsgiving, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of thy prosperity.'

28 Alt dette ramte nu Kong Nebukadnezar.

All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 Tolv Maaneder senere, da Kongen vandrede paa Taget af det kongelige Palads i Babel,

At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon.

30 udbrød han: »Er dette ikke det store Babel, som jeg byggede til Kongesæde ved min vældige Magt, min Herlighed til Ære?«

The king spoke, and said: 'Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

31 Men før Kongen endnu havde talt ud, lød en Røst fra Himmelen: »Det gives dig til Kende, Kong Nebukadnezar, at dit Kongedømme er taget fra dig!

While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven: 'O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: the kingdom is departed from thee.

32 Af Menneskenes Samfund skal du udstødes og bo blandt Markens Dyr; Urter skal du have til Føde som Kvæget; og syv Tider skal gaa hen over dig, til du skønner, at den Højeste er Herre over Menneskenes Rige og kan give det, til hvem han vil!«

And thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.'

33 I samme Stund fuldbyrdedes Ordet paa Nebukadnezar; han blev udstødt af Menneskenes Samfund og aad Græs som Kvæget, og hans Legeme vædedes af Himmelens Dug, til hans Haar blev langt som Ørnefjer og hans Negle som Fuglekløer.

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

34 Men da Tiden var omme, løftede jeg, Nebukadnezar, mine Øjne til Himmelen og fik min Forstand igen, og jeg priste den Højeste og lovede og ærede ham, som lever evindelig, hvis Herredømme er evigt, og hvis Rige staar fra Slægt til Slægt.

'And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever; for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom from generation to generation;

35 Alle, som bor paa Jorden, er for intet at regne; han handler efter sit Tykke med Himmelens Hær og med dem, som bor paa Jorden, og ingen kan holde hans Haand tilbage og sige til ham: »Hvad gør du?«

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and He doeth according to His will in the host of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him: What doest Thou?

36 I samme Stund fik jeg min Forstand igen; jeg fik ogsaa min Herlighed og Glans igen, mit Rige til Ære; mine Raadsherrer og Stormænd søgte mig, jeg blev genindsat i mit Rige, og endnu større Magt blev mig givet.

At the same time mine understanding returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendour returned unto me; and my ministers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added unto me.

37 Nu lover, ophøjer og ærer jeg, Nebukadnezar, Himmelens Konge: Alle hans Gerninger er Sandhed, hans Veje Retfærd, og han kan ydmyge dem, som vandrer i Hovmod.

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven; for all His works are truth, and His ways justice; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.'