Daniel 7
1 Nʼafọ mbụ, mgbe Belshaza bidoro ịchị ala Babilọn, Daniel rọrọ nrọ, hụkwa ọhụ dị iche iche, o dere ihe ndị ahụ nʼakwụkwọ.
[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 “Mụ bụ Daniel hụrụ nʼime ọhụ m nʼabalị, elere m anya, hụ nʼihu m oke ifufe anọ nke eluigwe ka ha na-atụgharị oke osimiri.
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 Anụ ọhịa anọ buru ibu si nʼime osimiri ahụ rịpụta. O nweghị nke yiri ibe ya.
Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
4 “Nke mbụ dị ka ọdụm, kama o nwere nku dịka ugo. Mgbe m nọ na-ele ya anya, a nyakapụrụ nku ya, welie ya, hapụ ya ka o guzo nʼelu ala nʼụkwụ ya abụọ dịka mmadụ. E nyekwara ya ụdị obi nke mmadụ nwere.
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 “Anụ ọhịa nke abụọ yiri anụ ọhịa buru ibu a na-akpọ bịa (nʼasụsụ bekee). E weliri ya nʼotu akụkụ, ọ kpụkwa ọgịrịga atọ nʼọnụ ya, nʼetiti eze ya. A gwara ya, ‘Bilie, rie anụ ka o si dị gị mma.’
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 “Mgbe nke a gasịrị, ka m nọ na-ele anya, anụ ndọgbu ọzọ pụtara, anụ ọhịa ahụ yiri agụ, ma o nwere nʼazụ ya nku anọ dịka nke nnụnụ. O nwekwara isi anọ. E nyekwara ya ike ọchịchị.
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 “Mgbe nke a gasịrị, nʼime ọhụ nke abalị, ahụrụ m anụ ọhịa nke anọ. Anụ ọhịa a na-eyi oke egwu, ọnụ apụghị ịkọwa ihe o yiri. Ọ bụkwa anụ ọhịa dị nnọọ ike, nke na-eji eze igwe ya dị ukwuu na-adọwasị ma na-etipịasịkwa ihe ọbụla, nke na-ejikwa ụkwụ ya azọgbu ihe ọbụla fọdụrụ. Ọ bụ anụ ọhịa gbara iche site nʼanụ ọhịa ndị ọzọ, bụrụkwa anụ nwere mpi iri.
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 “Mgbe m nọ na-eche banyere mpi ndị a, na mberede mpi ntakịrị ọzọ sikwa nʼetiti ha pupụta. E si nʼukwu hopu mpi atọ nʼime mpi iri mbụ ahụ nʼihu ya. Mpi ntakịrị a nwere anya dịka mmadụ, na ọnụ na-ekwu okwu jupụtara nʼịnya isi.
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 “Anọkwa m na-ele anya “hụ ka e doziri ocheeze, ebe Onye ahụ na-adị site na mbụ nọdụrụ. Uwe o yi na-acha nnọọ ezi ọcha dịka snoo, agịrị isi dị ya nʼisi na-acha ọcha dị ka ezi ogho ọcha. Ocheeze ya na-enwu ka ire ọkụ, ụkwụ igwe ya niile na-acha ọkụ.
[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 Iyi na-asọ ka ọkụ si nʼihu ya na-asọpụta. Puku kwụrụ puku na-agara ya ozi. Otu a kwa, nde kwụrụ nde ndị mmadụ guzo nʼihu ya. Ndị ikpe nọdụrụ ala, asaghekwara akwụkwọ dị iche iche.
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 “Mgbe m nọ na-ele anya, nʼihi okwu ịnya isi nke mpi ahụ na-ekwu, elegidere m anya tutu ruo mgbe e gburu anụ ọhịa ahụ, laa anụ ahụ ya nʼiyi, were ya nye ka a kpọọ ya ọkụ.
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 (Gbasara ụmụ anụ ọhịa ndị ọzọ, a napụrụ ha ọchịchị ha, ma a hapụrụ ha ka ha dịrị ndụ gaa nʼihu nwantakịrị oge).
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 “Nʼime ọhụ m nʼabalị, a hụrụ onye yiri nwa nke mmadụ, ka ọ nọ na-abịa nʼigwe ojii nke eluigwe. Onye a bịara nso nʼebe onye ahụ na-adị site na mbụ nọ. E dubatakwara ya nʼihu ya.
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 E nyere ya ike ọchịchị, ebube na ike ịbụ eze; mba niile dị iche iche na ndị niile na-asụ asụsụ dị iche iche kpọrọ isiala nye ya. Ọchịchị ya bụ ọchịchị na-adị ruo mgbe ebighị ebi, nke na-agaghị agabiga. O nwekwaghị onye nwere ike ịkwatu alaeze ya.
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 “Mụ onwe m, bụ Daniel, ọhụ a m hụrụ tụrụ mmụọ m ụjọ nke ukwuu, mekwa ka obi m ma jijiji.
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 Ejekwuuru m otu nʼime ndị guzo nʼebe ahụ nso jụọ ya ihe ihe ndị a niile pụtara. “Ọ gwara m ma kọwakwara m ihe ihe ndị a pụtara.
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 ‘Anụ ọhịa anọ ndị a bụ alaeze anọ nke ga-ebili nʼụwa.
[He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
18 Ma ọ bụ ndị nsọ nke Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, ga-anara alaeze. Ọ ga-abụkwa nke ha ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.’
But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
19 “Mgbe ahụ, achọrọ m ịmata ihe banyere anụ ọhịa nke anọ ahụ, nke ahụ gbara iche site nʼanụ ọhịa ndị ọzọ, na-eyikwa oke egwu, nke nwere eze dịka igwe, na mbọ yiri nke e ji bronz kpụọ. Nke ahụ na-adọwasị ndị mmadụ, na nke na-azọgbukwa ndị fọdụrụ.
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 Asịkwa m ya kọwaara m ihe mpi iri ahụ dị ya nʼisi pụtara, na ihe banyere mpi nke ọzọ puputara, na ihe mere e ji nyakapụ mpi atọ ahụ nʼihi ya. Asị m ya kọwakwara m ihe banyere mpi ahụ, nke nwere anya, na ọnụ na-ekwu okwu jupụtara nʼịnya isi, ma dịkwa ka ọ dị ike karịa ndị ọzọ.
[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 Mgbe m na-ele anya, ahụrụ m ka mpi a na-alụso ndị nsọ ọgụ na-emerikwa.
While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
22 Tutu ruo mgbe onye ahụ na-adị site na mbụ bịara kpee ikpe nke gaara ndị nsọ nke Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, ma oge bịakwara mgbe ha natara alaeze ahụ.
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 “Nke a bụ ihe o kwuru: ‘Anụ ọhịa nke anọ a bụ alaeze nke ga-apụta nʼụwa. Ọ ga-adị iche site nʼalaeze ndị ọzọ. Ọ ga-azọpịa, kụrie, ma bibiekwa ụwa niile.
[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 Mpi iri ahụ nọchiri anya ndị eze iri ga-esi nʼalaeze ya pụta. Mgbe ndị eze a ga na-achị, eze ọzọ, nke dị iche site na ndị bụrụ ya ụzọ ga-ebilikwa, ma merie ndị eze atọ ndị ọzọ ahụ ma laa ha nʼiyi.
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 Ọ ga-ekwu okwu kwugide Onye kachasị ihe niile elu. O ga-emekpa ndị nsọ ahụ. Ọ ga-agbalịkwa ịgbanwe iwu niile na omenaala niile. A ga-enyefe ndị nsọ nʼaka ya afọ atọ na ọkara.
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 “‘Ma a ga-emeghe ụlọ ikpe, napụkwa ya ike niile, kpochapụ ya ma laakwa ya nʼiyi kpamkpam.
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 Mgbe ahụ, ike ọchịchị, ike na ịdị ukwuu nke alaeze niile dị nʼokpuru eluigwe ka a ga-enyefe nʼaka ndị nsọ, bụ ndị nke Onye ahụ kachasị ihe niile elu. Alaeze ya ga-adịgidekwa ruo mgbe ebighị ebi. Ndị niile na-achị achị ga-erubere ya isi, kpọọkwa isiala nye ya.’
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 “Nke a bụ ọgwụgwụ okwu ahụ. Mụ onwe m, bụ Daniel, echiche m mere ka m tụọ egwu nke ukwu, ihu m gbanwere dịka onye ahụ na-adịghị, ma o nweghị onye ọbụla m gwara ihe m hụrụ.”
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].
