Daniel 2

1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams. And his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

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

2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

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.

3 And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.

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.«

4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever. Tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

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

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me. If ye do not make the dream and the interpretation of it known to me, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

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;

6 But if ye show the dream and the interpretation of it, ye shall receive gifts and rewards and great honor from me. Therefore show the dream and the interpretation of it to me.

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!«

7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

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

8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing has gone from me.

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

9 But if ye do not make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you, for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me till the time is changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation of it.

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.«

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth who can show the king's matter. Inasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

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;

11 And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

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

12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

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

13 So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain. And they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

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.

14 Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who went forth to kill the wise men of Babylon.

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.

15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

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,

16 And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

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

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

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

18 that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions should nor perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

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.

19 Then the secret was shown to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

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

20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his.

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

21 And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

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

22 He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

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

23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and has now made known to me what we desired of thee, for thou have made known to us the king's matter.

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!«

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.

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!«

25 Then Arioch brought Daniel in before the king in haste, and said thus to him: I have found a man of the sons of the captivity of Judah, who will make known the interpretation to the king.

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!«

26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are thou able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it?

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?«

27 Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king has demanded, neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, can show to the king,

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

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. And he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

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

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter. And he who reveals secrets has made known to thee what shall come to pass.

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.

30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living man, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou may know the thoughts of thy heart.

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.

31 Thou, O king, saw, and, behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the appearance of it was fearful.

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.

32 As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,

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

33 its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay.

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

34 Thou looked until a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

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

35 Then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, was broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

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.

36 This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

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

37 Thou, O king, are a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory.

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

38 And wherever the sons of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, he has given into thy hand, and has made thee to rule over them all. Thou are the head of gold.

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.

39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

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.

40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things. And as iron that crushes all these, it shall break in pieces and crush.

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.

41 And whereas thou saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom. But there shall be of the strength of the iron in it, inasmuch as thou saw the iron mixed with miry clay.

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.

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

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

43 And whereas thou saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, but they shall not cling one to another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

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.

44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty of it be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

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;

45 Inasmuch as thou saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. And the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

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.«

46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors to him.

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

47 The king answered to Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since thou have been able to reveal this secret.

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.«

48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

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.

49 And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the gate of the king.

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