Daniel 2
1 Le Nebukadnezar ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe evelia me la, Nebukadnezar ku drɔ̃ewo, eƒe susu ɖe fu nɛ eye megatea ŋu dɔa alɔ̃ o.
[One night] during the second year that Nebuchadnezzar ruled, he had a dream. The dream worried him very much; and [as a result] he could not sleep.
2 Ale fia la yɔ dzotɔwo, bokɔwo, gbesalawo kple ɣletivimenunyalawo ƒo ƒu be woalĩ drɔ̃e siwo yeku la na ye. Esi wova tsi tsitre ɖe eŋkume la,
[The next morning] he summoned his men who worked magic, fortune-tellers, those who worked sorcery, and those who studied the stars. [Because he had forgotten what he had dreamed, ] he insisted that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood there in front of the king,
3 egblɔ na wo be, “Meku drɔ̃e aɖe si le fu ɖem nam eye medi be mase egɔme.”
he said, “I had a dream [last night] that worries me. [Tell me what I dreamed, because] I want to know what the dream [means].”
4 Tete ɣletivimenunyalawo gblɔ nɛ le Aramgbe me be, “O fia, nɔ agbe tegbee. Lĩ drɔ̃e la na wò subɔlawo, eye míaɖe egɔme.”
The men who studied the stars replied to the king, speaking in the Aramaic [language]. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we hope that you will live a long time! Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means!”
5 Fia la ɖo eŋu na ɣletivimenunyalawo be, “Nu si meɖo ta me kplikpaa be mawɔe nye, ne mielĩ drɔ̃e la nam eye mieɖe egɔme nam o la, mana woafli mi kakɛkakɛ eye miaƒe aƒewo azu aɖukpo.
But the king replied, “I have firmly decided that you must tell me the dream, and [also tell me] what it means. If you do not do that, I will [order my soldiers to] cut you into pieces, and to cause your houses to become only piles of stones!
6 Ke ne mielĩ drɔ̃e la eye mieɖe egɔme nam la, ekema miaxɔ nunanawo kple fetuwo kple bubudeameŋu gã aɖe tso gbɔnye.”
But if you tell me what I dreamed and what it means, I will reward you. I will give you wonderful gifts and greatly honor you. So tell me what I dreamed and what it means!”
7 Wogagblɔ be, “Fia la nelĩ drɔ̃e la na eƒe dɔlawo eye míaɖe egɔme.”
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 Tete fia la ɖo eŋu be, “Meka ɖe edzi be ɣeyiɣi ko dim miele elabena mienya ta me si meɖo kplikpaa.
The king replied, “I know that you are just trying to get more time, because you know that I will do to you what I said that I would do.
9 Ne mielĩ drɔ̃e la nam o la, tohehe ɖeka pɛ koe li na mi. Mieɖo ta me ɖeka be yewoagblɔ nya tramawo kple nya tso nu vɔ̃ɖiwo ŋuti kple mɔkpɔkpɔ be nuwo atrɔ, eya ta azɔ la, milĩ drɔ̃e la nam, ekema manya be miate ŋu aɖe egɔme nam.”
If you do not tell me what I dreamed, you will be punished. [I think that] you have all agreed to tell me lies and [other] wicked things, because you hope that I will change ([my mind/what I am thinking]). But tell me the dream, and [then] I will know that you can [also] tell me what it means.”
10 Ɣletivimenunyalawo ɖo eŋu na fia la be, “Ame aɖeke mele anyigba dzi si ate ŋu awɔ nu si fia la bia o! Nenema ke fia gã, ŋusẽtɔ aɖeke meli si bia nu sia tso eƒe dzotɔwo, bokɔwo kple ɣletivimenunyalawo si kpɔ o.
The men who studied the stars replied, “There is no one on the earth who can do what you ask! There is no king, [even] a great and mighty king, who has [ever] asked his men who work magic or his fortune-tellers or men who study the stars to do something like that!
11 Nu si fia la bia la sẽ akpa. Ame aɖeke mate ŋu aɖee afia fia la o, negbe mawuwo ko, gake womenɔa amewo dome o.”
What you are asking [us to do] is impossible. Only the gods can tell you what you dreamed, and they do not live among us!”
12 Nu sia do dɔmedzoe na fia la ale gbegbe be wòɖe gbe be woawu Babilonia nunyalawo katã.
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 Ale wòde se be woawu nunyalawo katã, eye wòɖo amewo ɖa be woadi Daniel kple etɔawo hã ne woawu wo.
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 Esime Ariɔk, fiaŋusrafowo ƒe amegã yi be yeawu Babilonia nunyalawo la, Daniel ƒo nu kplii kple nunya kple ayedzedze.
Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
15 Ebia amegã la be, “Nu ka ta fia la de se sesẽ sia ɖo?” Tete Ariɔk ɖe nya la me na Daniel.
I asked Arioch, “Why has the king made such a harsh/terrible decree?” So Arioch told me all that had happened [because of the king’s dream].
16 Tete Daniel yi fia la gbɔ eye wòbia be wòana ɣeyiɣi ye be yeaɖe drɔ̃e la gɔme nɛ.
I [immediately] went to talk to the king and requested that the king give me some time, so that I could find out [what the dream was and] what the dream meant.
17 Daniel trɔ yi eƒe aƒe me eye woɖe nya la me na xɔlɔ̃awo: Hananiya, Misael kple Azaria.
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 Edo ŋusẽ xɔlɔ̃awo be woaɖe kuku na Mawu si le dziƒo be wòakpɔ nublanui na yewo le nya ɣaɣla sia ŋu ale be womawu ye kple ye xɔlɔ̃wo kpe ɖe Babilonia nunyala bubuawo ŋu o.
I urged them to ask God, who lives/rules in heaven, to have mercy on us by telling us the secret [meaning of what the king dreamed], in order that we and the other wise men in Babylon would not be executed.
19 Le zã me la, Mawu ɖe nya ɣaɣla sia fia Daniel le ŋutega me. Ale Daniel kafu dziƒo ƒe Mawu la
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 hegblɔ be, “Woakafu Mawu ƒe ŋkɔ Tso mavɔ me yi mavɔ me. Nunya kple ŋusẽ nye etɔ.
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 Eyae ɖɔa li ɣeyiɣiwo kple azãgbewo Eyae ɖoa fiawo eye wòtua fiawo. Eyae naa nunya nunyalawo Eye wònaa gɔmesese nugɔmeselawo
He determines what events will happen through the years. He removes [some] kings and gives their authority to [new] kings. He is the one who causes people to become wise and enables those who study to understand [many] things.
22 Eyae ɖea nu detowo kple nu ɣaɣlawo fiana Enyaa nu si ɣla ɖe viviti me Eye kekeli nɔa eŋu.
He reveals things that are very mysterious; he is surrounded by light, but he knows things that are hidden [as though they were] in the darkness.
23 Meda akpe na wò eye mekafu wò O, fofonyewo ƒe Mawu. Ètsɔ nunya kple ŋusẽ nam Èna menya nu tso nu si míebia wò ŋu Èna míenya fia la ƒe drɔ̃e la.”
God, whom my ancestors [worshiped], I thank you and I praise you, because you have caused me to be wise and made me strong. You have told me what my friends and I asked you to tell us; and you have revealed to us what the king demanded to know.”
24 Tete Daniel yi Ariɔk, ame si fia la ɖo na be wòawu Babilonia nunyalawo katã la gbɔ eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Mègawu Babilonia nunyalawo o. Kplɔm yi fia la gbɔ eye maɖe eƒe drɔ̃e la gɔme nɛ.”
Then I went to Arioch, the man whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men in Babylon. I said to him, “Do not kill those wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
25 Ariɔk kplɔ Daniel yi fia la gbɔ enumake, eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Mekpɔ ame aɖe le aboyo me si tso Yudatɔwo dome, ame si ate ŋu aɖe drɔ̃e la gɔme na fia la!”
So Arioch quickly took me to the king. He said to the king, “I have found [this man], one of the men whom we brought from Judah who [says he can] can tell you what your dream means!”
26 Fia la bia Daniel (ame si wogayɔna be Beltesazar la) be, “Àte ŋu agblɔ nu si mekpɔ le nye drɔ̃e la me nam eye nàɖe egɔmea?”
The king said to me, whose [new] name was Belteshazzar, “[Is this true]? Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”
27 Daniel ɖo eŋu be, “Nunyala alo bokɔ, dzotɔ alo ɣletivimenunyala aɖeke mate ŋu aɖe nya ɣaɣla si gɔme nèbia be woaɖe na ye la gɔme o
I replied, “There are no wise men or fortune-tellers or men who work magic or men who work sorcery who can tell such things to you.
28 gake Mawu aɖe le dziƒo, ame si ɖea nu ɣaɣlawo fiana. Eɖe nu si ava dzɔ le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna la me fia Fia Nebukadnezar. Wò drɔ̃e kple ŋutega siwo to wò susu me esi nèmlɔ wò aba dzi la le ale:
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. And he has shown in [your dream] what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you what you dreamed, the vision you saw [as you were lying] on your bed.
29 “Esi nèmlɔ anyi la, O fia, wò susu trɔ ɖe nu siwo ava dzɔ la ŋu eye ame si ɖea nya ɣaɣlawo fiam la ɖe nu siwo ava dzɔ la fia wò.
O King, while you were sleeping, you dreamed about events that will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has shown you what is going to happen.
30 Le nye gome la, woɖe nya ɣaɣla sia fiam, menye esi nunya le asinye wu ame bubu siwo le agbe la ta o, ke boŋ be wò, O fia, nànya gɔmeɖeɖe la eye be nàse nu si to wò susu me la gɔme.
And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else on earth that I know the meaning of this mysterious dream. It is because God wanted you to understand what you were thinking.
31 “Èɖo ŋku anyi, O fia eye nèkpɔ legba gã aɖe, elolo nɔ dzo dam eye eƒe dzedzeme dzi ŋɔ.
O King, [in your vision] you saw in front of you a huge and terrifying statue [of a man. It was] shining very brightly, and it was frightening and awesome.
32 Wowɔ legba la ƒe ta kple sika nyuitɔ, wowɔ eƒe akɔta kple abɔwo kple klosalo, wowɔ eƒe ƒodo kple atawo kple akɔbli,
The head of the statue was [made] of pure gold. Its chest and arms [were made of] silver. Its belly and thighs [were made of] bronze.
33 wowɔ eƒe afɔwo kple gayibɔ eye wowɔ eƒe afɔwo ƒe akpa aɖewo kple gayibɔ, akpa aɖewo kple tsu.
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 Esi nènɔ ŋku lém ɖe nuwo ŋu la, wolã agakpe aɖe me, ke menye kple amegbetɔ ƒe asi o. Ege va dze legba la ƒe afɔ siwo wowɔ kple gayibɔ kple tsu la dzi eye wògbã wo gudugudu.
As you watched, something cut a rock [from a mountain, but it was] not a human [who cut it]. The rock [tumbled down and] smashed the feet of the statue, feet [that were made of] iron and clay. It smashed them to bits.
35 Tete gayibɔ la, tsu la, akɔbli la, klosalo la kple sika la gbã gudugudu le ɣeyiɣi ɖeka ma me eye wozu abe tsro le lugbɔƒe le dzomeŋɔli ene. Ya ƒo wo dzoe eye wo teƒe megadze o. Ke kpe si dze legba la, trɔ zu to gã aɖe eye wòxɔ anyigba blibo la dzi.
Then the rest of the statue collapsed into a big heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces of the statue were as small as bits of chaff on the ground where it is threshed, and the wind blew away all the tiny pieces. There was nothing left. But the rock that smashed the statue became a large mountain that covered the whole earth.
36 “Drɔ̃e lae nye si. Azɔ la míaɖe egɔme na fia la.
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 O fia, wòe nye fiawo dzi fia la. Mawu si le dziƒo la tsɔ dziɖuɖu kple ŋusẽ kpakple bubu,
You are a king [who rules] over [many other] kings. The God who rules in heaven has caused you to rule over them and has given you great power [DOU] and has honored you.
38 amegbetɔwo, gbemelãwo kple dziƒoxeviwo de asiwò me. Afi sia afi si wole la, Mawu na nènye wo katã dzi ɖula. Wòe nye ta ma si nye sika.
He has caused you to be the ruler over all people, and [even] the animals and birds are controlled by you. [So] the head [of the statue] represents you.
39 “Fiaɖuƒe bubu aɖe, si made tɔwò nu o la, ava ɖe tɔwò yome. Emegbe la, fiaɖuƒe etɔ̃lia si nye akɔblitɔ la aɖu anyigba katã dzi.
But after your [kingdom/rule] ends, there will be another [great] kingdom, [but it] will not be as great as yours. [The silver parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. Then there will be a third [great] kingdom [whose king] will rule over the whole earth. The bronze parts [of the statue represent] that kingdom.
40 Le nuwuwu la, fiaɖuƒe enelia ava, si asẽ abe gayibɔ ene elabena gayibɔ gbãa nu sia nu eye abe ale si gayibɔ gbãa nu sia nu gudugudu ene la, nenemae wòagbã fiaɖuƒe bubuawoe.
After that kingdom ends, there will be a fourth [great] kingdom. The iron [parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. [The army of] that kingdom will smash the previous kingdoms, just like iron smashes everything that it strikes.
41 Abe ale si nèkpɔe be wowɔ afɔwo kple afɔbidɛwo ƒe akpa aɖewo kple tsu kple gayibɔ ene la, nenemae fiaɖuƒe sia amae, ke gayibɔ ƒe ŋusẽ aɖe anɔ eme abe ale si nèkpɔ wotsaka gayibɔ kple tsu ene. Ale fiaɖuƒe la ƒe akpa aɖe asẽ eye akpa aɖe masẽ o.
The feet and toes of the statue that you saw, that were a mixture of iron and clay, indicate that the kingdom they represent will [later] be divided.
42 Abe ale si wowɔ afɔbidɛawo ƒe akpa aɖe kple gayibɔ eye wowɔ akpa aɖe kple tsu ene la, nenemae fiaɖuƒe sia ƒe akpa aɖe asẽ ŋu eye akpa aɖe masẽ ŋu o.
Some parts of that kingdom will be as strong as iron, but some parts will not remain together, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
43 Eye abe ale si nèkpɔ wotsaka gayibɔ kple tsu ene la, nenema ameawo amae eye womawɔ ɖeka o, abe gayibɔ kple tsu ene.
The mixture of iron and clay [in the statue] shows also that the rulers of those kingdoms that separate from each other will try to form alliances with each other as a result of members of the royal families of those kingdoms marrying each other. But that will not succeed, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
44 “Le fia mawo ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me la, Mawu si le dziƒo la aɖo fiaɖuƒe aɖe anyi si magbã akpɔ gbeɖe o eye womagblẽe ɖi na ame bubuwo o. Agbã fiaɖuƒe mawo katã eye wòahe woƒe nuwuwu vɛ, ke eya ŋutɔ anɔ anyi tegbee.
But while those kings are ruling, God who rules in heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. No one will ever defeat its king. He will completely destroy all those kingdoms, but his kingdom will remain forever.
45 Esiae nye ŋutega tso agakpe si tso toa me la ƒe gɔmeɖeɖe, ke menye kple amegbetɔ ƒe asi o, enye agakpe si gbã gayibɔ la, akɔbli la, tsu la, klosalo la kple sika la gudugudu. “Mawu gã la ɖe nu si ava dzɔ la fia fia la. Drɔ̃e la nye nyateƒe eye woaka ɖe eƒe gɔmeɖeɖe dzi.”
That is the meaning of the rock that something cut from the mountain, the rock that will crush to tiny bits the statue that is made of iron, bronze, silver, and gold. O king, the great God has shown you what will truly happen in the future. And you can trust [what I told you about] the meaning of the dream.”
46 Tete Nebukadnezar tsyɔ mo anyi hede ta agu na Daniel eye wòɖe gbe be woasa vɔ eye woado dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ na Daniel.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar prostrated himself in front of me [in great respect]. He commanded [his people] that they burn incense and burn an offering of grain to honor me.
47 Fia la gblɔ na Daniel be, “Nyateƒee, miaƒe Mawu la nye mawuwo dzi Mawu kple fiawo ƒe Aƒetɔ kple ame si ɖea nya ɣaɣlawo fiana elabena ète ŋu ɖe nya ɣaɣla la fia.”
The king said to me, “[Your God has enabled] you to tell me the meaning of this dream/mystery, so now I truly know that your God is greater than all the other gods and all other kings. He reveals [to people] things that they cannot know.”
48 Tete fia la tsɔ Daniel da ɖe ɖoƒe kɔkɔ aɖe eye wòtsɔ nunana geɖewo nɛ. Etsɔe ɖo Babilonia nuto la katã me nu, eye wòna wòzu Babilonia nunyalawo katã ƒe tatɔ.
Then the king gave many gifts to me, and he [also] appointed me to rule over the entire province of Babylon, and [also] to be the boss of all his wise men.
49 Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, le Daniel ƒe kokoƒoƒo nu la, ewɔ Sadrak, Mesak kple Abednego Babilonianyigba la ƒe dziɖuɖudɔwo dzi kpɔlawoe. Ke Daniel ŋutɔ nɔ fia la ƒe ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe.
I asked the king to appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to [also] have important positions in Babylon province, and the king did what I asked him to do. But [I did my work while] I stayed at the king’s palace.
