Daniel 2

1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, whereat his spirit was troubled, and his sleep that was upon him was gone.

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

2 Then said the king to call the magicians, and the astrologers and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to solve for the king his dreams: and they came and placed themselves 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 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.

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

4 Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Aramic, O king, live for ever: recite the dream to thy servants, and we will tell the interpretation.

Responderuntque Chaldæi regi syriace: Rex, in sempiternum vive! dic somnium servis tuis, et interpretationem ejus indicabimus.

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The decree is firmly resolved on by me: If ye do not make known unto me the dream with its interpretation, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be changed into a dunghill.

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

6 But if ye tell the dream and its interpretation, then shall ye receive gifts and rewards and great honor from me. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.

Si autem somnium, et conjecturam ejus narraveritis, præmia, et dona, et honorem multum accipietis a me. Somnium igitur, et interpretationem ejus indicate mihi.

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

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

8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye wish to gain time, because ye see the decree is firmly resolved on by me:

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

9 That if ye do not make known unto me the dream, there is but one sentence for you; for ye have prepared lying and deceptive words to speak before me, till the time be changed. Therefore relate to me the dream, and I shall know that ye can tell 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 ejus veram loquamini.

10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the habitable earth that can tell the king's matter: wherefore no mighty and powerful king ever hath asked such a thing of any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

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 hujuscemodi sciscitatur ab omni ariolo, et mago, et Chaldæo.

11 And the matter which the king requireth is difficult, and there is no other that can tell it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

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 For all this cause the king became angry, and very furious; and he commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

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

13 And the law went forth and [some of] the wise men were slain: and they sought Daniel and his companions to slay them.

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

14 Then made Daniel representations with intelligence and prudence to Aryoch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon.

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

15 He commenced and said to Aryoch the king's commander, Wherefore is the law so hasty from the king? Then made Aryoch the matter known 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 But Daniel went in, and requested of the king that he would give him time, that he might tell the interpretation to the king.

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

17 Then went Daniel to his house, and made the matter known to Chananyah, Mishael, and 'Azaryah, his companions.

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

18 In order that they might pray for mercy of the God of heaven concerning this secret: so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed 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 ejus cum ceteris sapientibus Babylonis.

19 Thereupon was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then did Daniel bless the God of heaven.

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

20 Daniel commenced and said, May the name of God be blessed from eternity and to all eternity; for wisdom and might are his;

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

21 And he changeth times and seasons; he removeth kings, and raiseth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those that possess understanding.

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

22 He it is that revealeth what is deep and secret; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

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

23 To thee, O God of my father, do I give thanks, and I praise thee, who hast given me wisdom and might, and because thou hast made known unto me what we prayed for of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.

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 did Daniel go in unto Aryoch, whom the king had ordered to destroy the wise men of Babylon, He went and said thus unto him, the wise men of Babylon must thou not destroy: bring me before the king, and I will tell unto the king 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 Then did Aryoch bring Daniel before the king in haste, and thus he said unto him, Here have I found a man out of the children of the exiles of Judah, who will make known unto the king the interpretation.

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

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

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

27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or soothsayers, can tell unto the king;

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 that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what is to be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy couch, 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 hujuscemodi sunt.

29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts, when thou wast on thy couch, rose [within thee] concerning what is to come to pass hereafter; and the Revealer of secrets hath made known to thee what is to come to pass.

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

30 But as for me, this secret hath not been revealed to me because of any wisdom that is in me more than in all other living; but for the sake that men might make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest understand the thoughts of thy heart.

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 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was a large image; this image was mighty, and its brightness was excellent; it stood opposite to thee; and its form was fear-inspiring.

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

32 As regardeth this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its belly and its thighs of copper,

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

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

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

34 Thou didst look on till the moment that a stone tore itself loose, not through [human] hands, and it struck the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and ground them to pieces.

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

35 Then were the iron, the clay, the copper, the silver, and the gold ground up together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no trace was found of them; and the stone that had stricken the image became a mighty 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 is the dream; and its interpretation will we relate before the king.

Hoc est somnium: interpretationem quoque ejus dicemus coram te, rex.

37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven hath given kingdom, power, and strength, and honor:

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

38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, hath he given the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven into thy hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art the 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 And after thee there will arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of copper, which will bear rule over all the earth.

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

40 And the fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; forasmuch as iron grindeth up and beateth down all things, and as iron that breaketh [every thing], will it grind up and break all these.

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

41 And that thou sawest the feet and toes, and part of them of potter's clay, and part of them of iron, [signifieth] that it will be a divided kingdom, although there will be in it of the strength of the iron; forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mingled with miry 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 part of them of iron, and part of them of clay: so will the kingdom 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 And whereas thou sawest iron mingled with miry clay: so will they mingle themselves among the seed of men; but they will not cleave firmly one to another, even as iron cannot be mingled 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 But in the days of these kings will the God of heaven set up a kingdom: which shall to eternity not be destroyed, and its rule shall not be transferred to any other people; [but] it will grind up and make an end of all these kingdoms, while it will itself endure for ever.

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

45 Whereas thou sawest that out of the mountain a stone tore itself loose, not through [human] hands, and that it ground up the iron, the copper, the clay, the silver, and the gold: the great God hath made known to the king what is to come to pass after this. And the dream is reliable, and its interpretation certain.

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 ejus.

46 Then did king Nebuchadnezzar fall upon his face, and he bowed down to Daniel, and ordered that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.

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

47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and the revealer of secrets; because thou hast been able to reveal this secret.

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 did the king elevate Daniel, and gave him many great presents, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the superintendents 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 Then requested Daniel of the king, that he might appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and 'Abed-nego, over the public service of the province of Babylon; but Daniel remained in the gate of the king.

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