Daniel 7
1 Le Belsazar, Babilonia fia ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe gbãtɔ me la, Daniel ku drɔ̃e esime wòmlɔ eƒe aba dzi eye ŋutega geɖewo to eƒe susu me. Eŋlɔ drɔ̃e la me nyawo da ɖi.
[Previously, ] during the first year that Belshazzar was the king of Babylonia, I had a dream and a vision one night as I lay on my bed. [The next morning] I wrote down what I had dreamed. This is what I wrote:
2 Daniel gblɔ be, “Le nye ŋutega me la, mekpɔ be dziƒo ƒe ya eneawo nɔ nye ŋkume eye wonɔ atsiaƒu gã la nyamam.
I, Daniel, had a vision last night. In the vision I saw that strong winds were blowing from all four directions, stirring up [the water in] the ocean.
3 Lã gã ene siwo to vovo tso wo nɔewo gbɔ la do go tso atsiaƒu la me.
Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
4 “Gbãtɔ le abe dzata ene eye wòto hɔ̃ ƒe aʋala. Melé ŋku ɖe eŋu va se ɖe esime wotu aʋala la ɖa le eŋu, wokɔe tso anyigba, ale be wòtsi tsitre ɖe afɔ eve dzi abe amegbetɔ ene eye wotsɔ amegbetɔ ƒe dzi nɛ.
The first one resembled a lion, but it had wings like an eagle has. But as I watched, something tore off its wings {its wings were pulled off}. The beast was left there, standing on its two hind/rear legs, like a human being stands. And it was given a mind like humans have.
5 “Lã evelia si ɖi sisiblisi la nɔ tsitre ɖe nye ŋkume. Wofɔ eƒe akpa ɖeka ɖe dzi eye agbaƒuti etɔ̃ nɔ eƒe nu me le eƒe aɖuwo dome. Wogblɔ nɛ be, ‘Tso eye nàɖu lã wòasu wò!’
The second beast resembled a bear. It was crouching, and it held between its teeth three ribs [from another animal that it had killed and eaten]. Someone said to it {It was told}, “Stand up and eat as much meat [as you want]!”
6 “Le esia megbe la, mekpɔ lã bubu wònɔ nye ŋkume. Lã sia ɖi lãkle. Aʋala ene nɔ dzime nɛ abe xevi ƒe aʋalawo ene. Lã la to ta ene eye wona ŋusẽe be wòaɖu fia.
Then I saw in front of me the third of those beasts. It resembled a leopard, but it had four wings protruding from its back. The wings were like a bird’s wings. It had four heads. It was given the power/authority to rule [people].
7 “Le esia hã megbe la, megakpɔ lã enelia le nye ŋutega la me le zã me wònɔ nye ŋkume; ŋɔdzi kple vɔvɔ̃ nɔ eŋu eye wòsẽ ŋu ŋutɔ. Gaɖu titriwo nɔ nu me nɛ. Evuvua lã, ɖunɛ eye wòtua afɔ esi susɔ la dzi. Eto vovo tso lã kemɛawo gbɔ eye wòto dzo ewo.
In the vision I saw a fourth beast. It was stronger than the other beasts, and it was more terrifying. It crushed other creatures with its huge iron teeth and ate their flesh. The parts of animals that it did not grind with its teeth, it trampled [on the ground]. It was different from the other three beasts: It had ten horns [on its head].
8 “Esi menɔ dzoawo ŋu bum la, dzo bubu aɖe do ɖe nye ŋkume; dzo sue aɖe koe wònye do ɖe wo dome eye wòho dzo etɔ̃ le dzo gbãtɔwo dome le eŋgɔ. Ŋkuwo nɔ dzo sia ŋu abe amegbetɔ ƒe ŋkuwo ene eye nu si ƒoa nu adegbeƒotɔe hã nɔ eŋu.
While I was looking at those horns, I saw a little horn appear [on the head of that beast]. It tore out three of the other horns. This little horn had eyes like humans have, and it had a mouth [with which it spoke] very boastfully.
9 “Esi menɔ ŋku lém ɖe eŋu la, “woɖo fiazikpuiwo woƒe nɔƒewo. Tete Blema Mawu va nɔ eƒe nɔƒe. Eƒe awu fu tititi abe sno ene eye eƒe taɖa fu abe ɖetifu ene. Eƒe fiazikpui nɔ bibim kple dzo.
[Then] while I watched, thrones were put in the places [where they belonged], and [God], the one who had been living forever, sat on one of the thrones. His clothes were as white as snow, and his hair was as white as pure/clean wool. His throne had wheels that were blazing with fire, and his throne was [also] blazing.
10 Dzotɔsisi aɖe nɔ sisim le eŋgɔ. Ame akpe akpewo nɔ esubɔm, ame akpe ewo teƒe akpe ewo nɔ tsitre ɖe eŋgɔ. Ʋɔnu la ɖi anyi eye woke agbalẽawo.
A fire was rushing out of in front of him like a stream. Many thousands [of people] (OR, [angels]) [were there] serving him, and millions [of other people] (OR, [angels]) were standing in front of him. They started (the court session/judging people), and they opened the books [in which they had written the record of all the good and bad things that people had done].
11 “Meyi ŋkuléle ɖe nuwo ŋu dzi le adegbeƒonya siwo lãdzo la nɔ gbɔgblɔm la ta. Meyi nukpɔkpɔ dzi va se ɖe esime wowu lã la eye wotsɔ eƒe ŋutilã kukua ƒu gbe ɖe dzo bibi la me.
While I was watching, I could hear the little horn speaking very boastfully. As I [continued to] watch, the [fourth] beast was killed. Its corpse was thrown into a fire and completely burned.
12 Woxɔ ŋusẽ le lã bubuawo si gake wona be woanɔ agbe hena ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe ko.
The power/authority of the other [three] beasts was taken away from them, but they were allowed to continue to live for a while.
13 “Le nye ŋutega me le zã me la, mekpɔ ame aɖe si le abe amegbetɔ vi ene wògbɔna kple dziƒo ƒe lilikpowo. Egogo Blema Mawu la eye wokplɔe yi eŋkumee.
While I [continued to] see the vision that night, I saw someone who resembled a human being. He was coming [closer to me], surrounded by clouds. Then he was taken to [God], the one who had been living forever.
14 Wotsɔ ŋusẽ, bubu kple gãnyenye ƒe ŋusẽ nɛ eye amewo katã kple dukɔwo katã kple ame siwo tso gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me la subɔe. Eƒe dziɖuɖu nye dziɖuɖu si anɔ anyi tegbee, dziɖuɖu si nu matso o eye eƒe fiaɖuƒe nye esi womagbã gbeɖe o.
He was honored and given great authority to rule over all the nations in the world, in order that people from every people-group and every nation, people from all language groups, would worship/serve him. He will rule forever; he will never stop ruling. The kingdom that he rules will never be destroyed.
15 “Nye, Daniel, nye gbɔgbɔ tsi dzi le menye eye ŋutega siwo mekpɔ la ɖe fu nam.
As for me, Daniel, I was very terrified by what I had seen in that vision, and I did not know what to think about it.
16 Mete ɖe ame siwo nɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma la dometɔ ɖeka ŋu eye mebia nu siawo katã ƒe gɔmeɖeɖe nyuitɔ tso egbɔ. “Ale wògblɔe nam eye wòna nu siawo katã ƒe gɔmeɖeɖem.
I went to one of those who were standing in front of the throne of God, and I asked him to tell me what it meant. So he told me the meaning of it.
17 ‘Lã gã eneawoe nye fiaɖuƒe ene siwo ava dzɔ tso anyigba dzi.
[He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
18 Ke Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la ƒe ame kɔkɔewo axɔ fiaɖuƒe la eye wòanye wo tɔ tegbee, ɛ̃, tegbetegbe.’
But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
19 “Tete medi be manya lã enelia ƒe gɔmeɖeɖe tututu. Lã sia to vovo sãa tso bubuawo gbɔ eye ŋɔdzi nɔ eŋu ŋutɔ kple eƒe gaɖuwo kple akɔblifewo. Enye lã si vuvua nu, ɖua eƒe nu lélewo eye wòtua afɔ nu sia nu si susɔ la dzi.
Then I wanted to know what the fourth beast signified—[the beast] that was different from the other three, the beast that crushed [those that it attacked] with its bronze claws, and [then] ate [their flesh] with its iron teeth, and trampled on the parts of their bodies [that it did not eat].
20 Medi hã be manya nu tso eƒe dzo ewo siwo nɔ eƒe ta kple dzo bubu si wòto, esi ŋgɔ dzo etɔ̃ ho le, dzo si ŋu dzedzeme nɔ wu bubuawo eye esi ŋu ŋkuwo kple nu si ƒoa nu adegbeƒotɔe nɔ la ŋu.
[I also wanted to know about] the ten horns on its head, and about the horn that appeared later, which got rid of three of the other horns. [I wanted to know what it meant that] it had eyes and a mouth with which it spoke very boastfully. [The beast that was represented by] that horn was more terrifying than the other beasts.
21 Esi melé ŋku ɖe eŋu la, dzo sia nɔ aʋa wɔm kple ame kɔkɔeawo eye wònɔ wo dzi ɖum.
While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
22 Va se ɖe esime Blema Mawu la va eye wòtso afia na Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la ƒe ame kɔkɔeawo eye ɣeyiɣia de be fiaɖuƒe la nazu wo tɔ.
But then the Supreme God, the one who had been living forever, came and judged in favor of the people who belonged to him. And [I knew that] it was time for God’s people to receive authority [to rule].
23 “Ena gɔmeɖeɖe siam. ‘Lã eneliae nye fiaɖuƒe enelia si ado ɖe anyigba dzi. Ato vovo tso fiaɖuƒe bubuawo katã gbɔ, aɖu anyigba blibo la dzi, atu afɔ edzi eye wòagbãe.
[Then] the man who was standing there said [to me], “The fourth beast represents an empire that will exist on the earth; that [empire] will be different from all [other] empires. [The army of] that empire will crush/kill [people all over] the world and trample [on their bodies].
24 Dzo ewoawo nye fia ewo siwo ado tso fiaɖuƒe sia me. Le woawo yome la, fia bubu aɖe ava, ato vovo tso esiwo do ŋgɔ nɛ la gbɔ eye wòaɖu fia etɔ̃ dzi.
As for its ten horns, they represent ten kings who will rule that empire, [one after the other]. Then another [king] will appear. He will be different from the previous kings. He will defeat the three kings [that were represented by the three horns that were pulled out].
25 Aƒo nu atsi tsitre ɖe Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la ŋu, ate eƒe ame kɔkɔeawo ɖe to eye wòate kpɔ be yeatrɔ ɣeyiɣi ɖoɖowo kple sewo. Woatsɔ ame kɔkɔeawo ade asi nɛ ƒe ɖeka, ƒe eve alo ƒe afã.
He will revile the Supreme God, and he will oppress God’s people. He will try to change the [sacred] festivals and their [religious] laws/regulations. He will control them for three and a half years.
26 “‘Ke ʋɔnu la aɖi anyi, woaxɔ eƒe ŋusẽ le esi eye woagbãe gudugudu tegbetegbe.
But there will be a session/meeting of the court/judges in heaven, and that king’s authority/power will be taken away, and he will be completely destroyed.
27 Ekema woatsɔ dziɖuɖu, ŋusẽ kple fiaɖuƒewo ƒe gãnyenye le dziƒo blibo la ana ame kɔkɔeawo, Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la ƒe amewo. Eƒe fiaɖuƒe la anye fiaɖuƒe mavɔ, dziɖulawo katã asubɔe eye woaɖo toe.’
Then all the power and the greatness of all the kingdoms on the earth will be given to the people who belong to the Supreme God. The kingdom that he rules (OR, they rule) will endure forever. And the rulers of all the nations on the earth will serve and obey him (OR, them).”
28 “Esiae nye nya la ƒe nuwuwu. Nye, Daniel, nye susuwo ɖe fu nam ŋutɔŋutɔ, nye ŋkume fu kpĩi ke medzra nya la ɖo ɖe nye dzi me.”
That is [what I saw in] my vision/dream. I, Daniel, was terrified, with the result that my face became pale. But I did not tell anyone about the vision [that I had seen].
