Danihelis Prophetæ 2

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

In the second year of [his] reign Nabuchodonosor dreamed a dream, and his spirit was amazed, and his sleep departed from him.

2 Praecepit ergo rex, ut convocarentur arioli, et magi, et malefici, et Chaldaei: ut indicarent regi somnia sua: qui cum venissent, steterunt coram rege.

And the king gave orders to call the enchanters, and the magicians, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to declare to the king his dreams. And they came and stood before the king.

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

And the king said to them, I have dreamed, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

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

And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, [saying], O king, live for ever: do thou tell the dream to thy servants, and we will declare the interpretation.

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

The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing has departed from me: if ye do not make known to me the dream and the interpretation, ye shall be destroyed, and your houses shall be spoiled.

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

But if ye make known to me the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and presents and much honour: only tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

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

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

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

And the king answered and said, I verily know that ye are trying to gain time, because ye see that the thing has gone from me.

9 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.

If then ye do not tell me the dream, I know that ye have concerted to utter before me a false and corrupt tale, until the time shall have past: tell me my dream, and I shall know that ye will also declare to me the interpretation thereof.

10 Respondentes ergo Chaldaei 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 Chaldaeo.

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is no man upon the earth, who shall be able to make known the king’s matter: forasmuch as no great king or ruler asks such a question of an enchanter, magician, or Chaldean.

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

For the question which the king asks is difficult, and there is no one else who shall answer it before the king, but the gods, whose dwelling is not with any flesh.

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

Then the king in rage and anger commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

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

So the decree went forth, and they began to slay the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to slay [them].

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

Then Daniel answered [with] counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the royal guard, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon; [saying],

15 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,

Chief magistrate of the king, wherefore has the peremptory command proceeded from the king? So Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.

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

And Daniel intreated the king to give him time, and that he might [thus] declare to the king the interpretation of it.

17 Et ingressus est domum suam, Ananiaeque et Misaeli, et Azariae sociis suis indicavit negotium:

So Daniel went into his house, and made known the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias, his friends.

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

And they sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning this mystery; that Daniel and his friends might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

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

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven, and said,

20 et locutus ait: Sit nomen Domini benedictum a saeculo et usque in saeculum: quia sapientia et fortitudo eius sunt.

May the name of God be blessed from everlasting and to everlasting: for wisdom and understanding are his.

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

And he changes times and seasons: he appoints kings, and removes [them], giving wisdom to the wise, and prudence to them that have understanding:

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

he reveals deep and secret [matters]; knowing what is in darkness, and the light is with him.

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

I give thanks to thee, and praise [thee], O God of my fathers, for thou hast given me wisdom and power, and hast made known to me the things which we asked of thee; and thou hast made known to me the king’s vision.

24 Post haec 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.

And Daniel came to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon, but bring me in before the king, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.

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

Then Arioch in haste brought in Daniel before the king, and said to him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judea, who will declare the interpretation to the king.

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

And the king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltasar, Canst thou declare to me the dream which I saw, and the interpretation thereof?

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

And Daniel answered before the king, and said, The mystery which the king asks [the explanation of] is not [in the power] of the wise men, magicians, enchanters, [or] soothsayers to declare to the king.

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

But there is a God in heaven revealing mysteries, and he has made known to king Nabuchodonosor what things must come to pass in the last days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are as follows,

29 Tu rex cogitare coepisti in stratu tuo, quid esset futurum post haec: et qui revelat mysteria, ostendit tibi quae ventura sunt.

O king: thy thoughts upon thy bed arose [as to] what must come to pass hereafter: and he that reveals mysteries has made known to thee what must come to pass.

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

Moreover, this mystery has not been revealed to me by reason of wisdom which is in me beyond all [others] living, but for the sake of making known the interpretation to the king, that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart.

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

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold an image: that image was great, and the appearance of it excellent, standing before thy face; and the form of it was terrible.

32 Huius statuae caput ex auro optimo erat, pectus autem et brachia de argento, porro venter, et femora ex aere.

[It was] an image, the head of which was of fine gold, its hands and breast and arms of silver, [its] belly and thighs of brass,

33 tibiae autem ferreae, pedum quaedam pars erat ferrea, quaedam autem fictilis.

its legs of iron, its feet, part of iron and part of earthenware.

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

Thou sawest until a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and earthenware, and utterly reduced them to powder.

35 Tunc contrita sunt pariter ferrum, testa, aes, argentum, et aurum, et redacta quasi in favillam aestivae areae, quae rapta sunt vento: nullusque locus inventus est eis: lapis autem, qui percusserat statuam, factus est mons magnus, et implevit universam terram.

Then once for all the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, were ground to powder, and became as chaff from the summer threshingfloor; and the violence of the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them: and the stone which had smitten the image became a great mountain, and filled all the earth.

36 hoc est somnium. Interpretationem quoque eius dicemus coram te, rex.

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

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

Thou, O king, art a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given a powerful and strong and honourable kingdom,

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

in every place where the children of men dwell: and he has given into thine hand the wild beasts of the field, and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and he has made thee lord of all.

39 Et post te consurget regnum aliud minus te argenteum: et regnum tertium aliud aereum, quod imperabit universae terrae.

Thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and a third kingdom which is the brass, which shall have dominion over all the earth;

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

and a fourth kingdom, which shall be strong as iron: as iron beats to powder and subdues all things, so shall it beat to powder and subdue.

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

And whereas thou sawest the feet and the toes, part of earthenware and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet there shall be in it of the strength of iron, as thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware.

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

And [whereas] the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of earthenware, part of the kingdom shall be strong, and [part] of it shall be broken.

43 Quod autem vidisti ferrum mistum testae ex luto, commiscebuntur quidem humano semine, sed non adhaerebunt sibi, sicut ferrum misceri non potest testae.

Whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware, they shall be mingled with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave together, as the iron does not mix itself with earthenware.

44 In diebus autem regnorum illorum suscitabit Deus caeli regnum, quod in aeternum non dissipabitur, et regnum eius alteri populo non tradetur: comminuet autem, et consumet universa regna haec: et ipsum stabit in aeternum.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and his kingdom shall not be left to another people, [but] it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all [other] kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

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

Whereas thou sawest that a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it beat to pieces the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; the great God has made known to the king what must happen hereafter: and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof sure.

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

Then king Nabuchodonosor fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and gave orders to offer to him gifts and incense.

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

And the king answered and said to Daniel, Of a truth your God is a God of gods, and Lord of kings, who reveals mysteries; for thou hast been able to reveal this mystery.

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

And the king promoted Daniel, and gave him great and abundant gifts, and set him over the whole province of Babylon, and [made him] chief satrap over all the wise men of Babylon.

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

And Daniel asked of the king, and he appointed Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the king’s palace.