Daniel 2

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

In anno secundo regni Nabuchodonosor vidit Nabuchodonosor somnium, et conterritus est spiritus eius, et somnium eius fugit ab eo.

2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

Præcepit autem rex, ut convocarentur arioli, et magi, et malefici, et Chaldæi: ut indicarent regi somnia sua: qui cum venissent, steterunt coram rege.

3 he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

Et dixit ad eos rex: Vidi somnium: et mente confusus ignoro quid viderim.

4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

Responderuntque Chaldæi regi Syriace: Rex in sempiternum vive: dic somnium servis tuis, et interpretationem eius indicabimus.

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

Et respondens rex ait Chaldæis: Sermo recessit a me: nisi indicaveritis mihi somnium, et coniecturam eius, peribitis vos, et domus vestræ publicabuntur.

6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

Si autem somnium, et coniecturam eius narraveritis, præmia, et dona, et honorem multum accipietis a me: somnium igitur, et interpretationem eius indicate mihi.

7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

Responderunt secundo, atque dixerunt: Rex somnium dicat servis suis, et interpretationem illius indicabimus.

8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final.

Respondit rex, et ait: Certe novi quod tempus redimitis, scientes quod recesserit a me sermo.

9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”

Si ergo somnium non indicaveritis mihi, una est de vobis sententia, quod interpretationem quoque fallacem, et deceptione plenam composueritis, ut loquamini mihi donec tempus pertranseat. Somnium itaque dicite mihi, ut sciam quod interpretationem quoque eius veram loquamini.

10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.

Respondentes ergo Chaldæi coram rege, dixerunt: Non est homo super terram, qui sermonem tuum, rex, possit implere: sed neque regum quisquam magnus et potens verbum huiuscemodi sciscitatur ab omni ariolo, et mago, et Chaldæo.

11 What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

Sermo enim, quem tu quæris, rex, gravis est: nec reperietur quisquam, qui indicet illum in conspectu regis: exceptis diis, quorum non est cum hominibus conversatio.

12 This response made the king so furious with anger that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Quo audito, rex in furore, et in ira magna præcepit ut perirent omnes sapientes Babylonis.

13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

Et egressa sententia, sapientes interficiebantur: quærebanturque Daniel, et socii eius, ut perirent.

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel replied with discretion and tact.

Tunc Daniel requisivit de lege, atque sententia ab Arioch principe militiæ regis, qui egressus fuerat ad interficiendos sapientes Babylonis.

15 “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. At this time Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

Et interrogavit eum, qui a rege potestatem acceperat, quam ob causam tam crudelis sententia a facie regis esset egressa. Cum ergo rem indicasset Arioch Danieli,

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

Daniel ingressus rogavit regem ut tempus daret sibi ad solutionem indicandam regi.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Et ingressus est domum suam, Ananiæque et Misaeli, et Azariæ sociis suis indicavit negotium:

18 urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

ut quærerent misericordiam a facie Dei cæli super sacramento isto, et non perirent Daniel, et socii eius cum ceteris sapientibus Babylonis.

19 During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

Tunc Danieli mysterium per visionem nocte revelatum est: et benedixit Daniel Deum cæli,

20 and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

et locutus ait: Sit nomen Domini benedictum a sæculo et usque in sæculum: quia sapientia et fortitudo eius sunt.

21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Et ipse mutat tempora, et ætates: transfert regna, atque constituit: dat sapientiam sapientibus, et scientiam intelligentibus disciplinam:

22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

Ipse revelat profunda, et abscondita, et novit in tenebris constituta: et lux cum eo est.

23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Tibi Deus patrum nostrorum confiteor, teque laudo: quia sapientiam, et fortitudinem dedisti mihi: et nunc ostendisti mihi quæ rogavimus te, quia sermonem regis aperuisti nobis.

24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

Post hæc Daniel ingressus ad Arioch, quem constituerat rex ut perderet sapientes Babylonis, sic ei locutus est: Sapientes Babylonis ne perdas: introduc me in conspectu regis, et solutionem regi narrabo.

25 Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”

Tunc Arioch festinus introduxit Danielem ad regem, et dixit ei: Inveni hominem de filiis transmigrationis Iuda, qui solutionem regi annunciet.

26 The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”

Respondit rex, et dixit Danieli, cuius nomen erat Baltassar: Putasne vere potes mihi indicare somnium, quod vidi, et interpretationem eius?

27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

Et respondens Daniel coram rege, ait: Mysterium, quod rex interrogat, sapientes, magi, arioli, et aruspices nequeunt indicare regi:

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:

Sed est Deus in cælo revelans mysteria, qui indicavit tibi rex Nabuchodonosor, quæ ventura sunt in novissimis temporibus. Somnium tuum, et visiones capitis tui in cubili tuo huiuscemodi sunt:

29 As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

Tu rex cogitare cœpisti in strato tuo, quid esset futurum post hæc: et qui revelat mysteria, ostendit tibi quæ ventura sunt.

30 And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

Mihi quoque non in sapientia, quæ est in me plus quam in cunctis viventibus, sacramentum hoc revelatum est: sed ut interpretatio regi manifesta fieret, et cogitationes mentis tuæ scires.

31 As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

Tu rex videbas, et ecce quasi statua una grandis: statua illa magna, et statura sublimis stabat contra te, et intuitus eius erat terribilis.

32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

Huius statuæ caput ex auro optimo erat, pectus autem et brachia de argento, porro venter, et femora ex ære:

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

tibiæ autem ferreæ, pedum quædam pars erat ferrea, quædam autem fictilis.

34 As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

Videbas ita, donec abscissus est lapis de monte sine manibus: et percussit statuam in pedibus eius ferreis, et fictilibus, et comminuit eos.

35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Tunc contrita sunt pariter ferrum, testa, æs, argentum, et aurum, et redacta quasi in favillam æstivæ areæ, quæ rapta sunt vento: nullusque locus inventus est eis: lapis autem, qui percusserat statuam, factus est mons magnus, et implevit universam terram.

36 This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

Hoc est somnium. Interpretationem quoque eius dicemus coram te, rex.

37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.

Tu rex regum es: et Deus cæli, regnum, et fortitudinem, et imperium, et gloriam dedit tibi:

38 Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

et omnia, in quibus habitant filii hominum, et bestiæ agri: volucres quoque cæli dedit in manu tua, et sub ditione tua universa constituit: tu es ergo caput aureum.

39 But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

Et post te consurget regnum aliud minus te argenteum: et regnum tertium aliud æreum, quod imperabit universæ terræ.

40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.

Et regnum quartum erit velut ferrum: quomodo ferrum comminuit, et domat omnia, sic comminuet, et conteret omnia hæc.

41 And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.

Porro quia vidisti pedum, et digitorum partem testæ figuli, et partem ferream: regnum divisum erit, quod tamen de plantario ferri orietur, secundum quod vidisti ferrum mistum testæ ex luto.

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

Et digitos pedum ex parte ferreos, et ex parte fictiles: ex parte regnum erit solidum, et ex parte contritum.

43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

Quod autem vidisti ferrum mistum testæ ex luto, commiscebuntur quidem humano semine, sed non adhærebunt sibi, sicut ferrum misceri non potest testæ.

44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

In diebus autem regnorum illorum suscitabit Deus cæli regnum, quod in æternum non dissipabitur, et regnum eius alteri populo non tradetur: comminuet autem, et consumet universa regna hæc: et ipsum stabit in æternum.

45 And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Secundum quod vidisti, quod de monte abscissus est lapis sine manibus, et comminuit testam, et ferrum, et æs, et argentum, et aurum, Deus magnus ostendit regi quæ ventura sunt postea: et verum est somnium, et fidelis interpretatio eius.

46 At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him.

Tunc rex Nabuchodonosor cecidit in faciem suam, et Danielem adoravit, et hostias, et incensum præcepit ut sacrificarent ei.

47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

Loquens ergo rex, ait Danieli: Vere Deus vester Deus deorum est, et Dominus regum, et revelans mysteria: quoniam tu potuisti aperire hoc sacramentum.

48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

Tunc rex Danielem in sublime extulit, et munera multa, et magna dedit ei: et constituit eum principem super omnes provincias Babylonis: et præfectum magistratuum super cunctos sapientes Babylonis.

49 And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

Daniel autem postulavit a rege: et constituit super opera provinciæ Babylonis, Sidrach, Misach, et Abdenago: Ipse autem Daniel erat in foribus regis.