Daniel 2
1 El segundo año de su reinado, Nabucodonosor tuvo un sueño. Su espíritu se perturbó de tal modo que no pudo dormir.
[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 El rey llamó a los magos, astrólogos, hechiceros y caldeos, para que interpretaran el sueño del rey. Fueron y se presentaron ante el rey.
[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 Él les dijo: Tuve un sueño, y mi espíritu desespera por entenderlo.
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 Entonces los caldeos respondieron al rey en lengua aramea: ¡Vive para siempre, oh rey! Dí el sueño a tus esclavos, y te diremos la interpretación.
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 El rey respondió a los caldeos: Olvidé el asunto, pero si no me dicen el sueño y su interpretación, serán despedazados y sus casas serán convertidas en muladares.
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 Sin embargo, si me declaran el sueño y su interpretación, recibirán regalos, recompensas y grandes honores de mi parte. Solo declárenme el sueño y su interpretación.
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 Respondieron por segunda vez: Diga el rey el sueño a sus esclavos, y le diremos la interpretación.
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 El rey respondió: En verdad veo que ponen dilaciones, porque saben que el asunto se me fue.
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 Si no me muestran el sueño, su sentencia será una sola. Ciertamente preparan respuesta mentirosa y perversa para presentármela, mientras pasa el tiempo. ¡Declárenme de una vez el sueño, y sabré que pueden interpretármelo!
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 Los caldeos respondieron al rey: No hay hombre en la tierra que pueda declarar lo que pide el rey. Ningún rey, aunque fuera poderoso, pidió cosa semejante a algún mago, astrólogo o caldeo.
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 Porque el asunto que el rey demanda es cosa ardua, y no hay quien lo pueda declarar al rey, excepto los ʼelohim cuya morada no está entre los hombres.
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 Por esto el rey, airado y con gran enojo, ordenó que todos los sabios de Babilonia fueran exterminados.
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 Se publicó el edicto según el cual los sabios fueran ejecutados. También buscaron a Daniel y a sus compañeros para ejecutarlos.
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 Entonces Daniel habló sabia y prudentemente a Arioc, capitán de la guardia del rey, encargado de matar a los sabios de Babilonia.
Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
15 Le preguntó a Arioc, capitán del rey: ¿Por cual razón el edicto del rey es tan urgente? Entonces Arioc informó a Daniel con respecto al asunto.
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 Daniel entró y pidió al rey que le diera tiempo para declarar la interpretación al rey.
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 Luego Daniel fue a su casa e informó el asunto a sus compañeros Ananías, Misael y Azarías,
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 para que pidieran compasión del ʼEloha del cielo con respecto a este misterio, a fin de que Daniel y sus compañeros no perecieran con el resto de los sabios de Babilonia.
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 Entonces, en una visión nocturna, el misterio le fue revelado a Daniel, por lo cual Daniel bendijo al ʼEloha del cielo.
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 Daniel habló: Bendito sea el Nombre de ʼEloha Por los siglos de los siglos, Porque la sabiduría y el poder pertenecen a Él.
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 Él cambia los tiempos y las épocas. Él remueve reyes y establece los reyes. Él da sabiduría a los sabios Y conocimiento a los de entendimiento.
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 Revela las cosas profundas y ocultas. Conoce lo que está en la oscuridad. La luz mora con Él.
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 ¡A ti, oh ʼEloha de mis antepasados, Doy gracias y alabo! Pues me diste sabiduría y fortaleza, Y me revelaste lo que te pedimos: ¡Nos diste a conocer el asunto del rey!
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 Después de esto Daniel fue a Arioc, a quien el rey designó para matar a los sabios de Babilonia, y le dijo: No mates a los sabios de Babilonia. Llévame ante el rey, y yo le mostraré la interpretación del sueño.
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 Arioc llevó prontamente a Daniel ante el rey y le dijo: Hallé a un varón de los deportados de Judá que puede dar la interpretación al rey.
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 El rey preguntó a Daniel, a quien llamaban Beltsasar: ¿Puedes tú declararme el sueño que vi y su interpretación?
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 respondió al rey: El misterio que el rey demanda no se lo pueden revelar ni sabios, ni astrólogos, ni magos ni adivinos.
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 Pero ʼElah existe en los cielos, Quien revela los misterios, Quien informa al rey Nabucodonosor lo que acontecerá en los últimos días. Este fue tu sueño y las visiones que tuviste en tu cama:
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 Cuando tú estabas en tu cama, oh rey, tus pensamientos se dirigieron hacia lo que ocurrirá en lo futuro. El que revela misterios te mostró lo que sucederá.
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 A mí me fue revelado el misterio, no porque hay más sabiduría en mí que en cualquier otro humano, sino para que se declare la interpretación al rey y que entiendas tus pensamientos.
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 Tú mirabas, oh rey, y ¡ahí estaba una estatua colosal! Esta estatua gigantesca, cuyo esplendor era muy sublime, estaba en pie ante ti. Su aspecto era asombroso.
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 La cabeza de esta estatua era de oro fino, su pecho y sus brazos de plata, su vientre y sus muslos de bronce,
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 sus piernas de hierro, sus pies, en parte de hierro y en parte de barro cocido.
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 Estabas mirando hasta que fue lanzada una piedra no con manos. Golpeó a la estatua en sus pies de hierro y barro, y los desmenuzó.
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 Entonces fueron desmenuzados juntamente el hierro, el barro cocido, el bronce, la plata y el oro. Fueron como conchas de grano trillado en las eras de verano que el viento arrebata sin que de ellas quede algún rastro. Pero la piedra que golpeó a la estatua se volvió una gran montaña que llenó toda la tierra.
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 Éste es el sueño, y ahora diremos al rey su interpretación:
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 Tú, oh rey, eres el rey de reyes, a quien el ʼElah del cielo te dio el reino y el poder, la fortaleza y el esplendor.
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 Él entregó en tu mano las bestias del campo y las aves del espacio dondequiera que viven los hijos de hombres. Te dio el dominio sobre todo. ¡Tú eres la cabeza de oro!
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 Después de ti, se levantará otro reino inferior al tuyo, y luego un tercer reino de bronce, el cual dominará sobre toda la tierra.
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 Como el hierro, el cuarto reino será fuerte. El hierro desmenuza y rompe todas las cosas. Así desmenuzará y quebrantará todo.
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 Lo que viste de los pies y los dedos, en parte de barro cocido de alfarero y en parte de hierro, representan un reino dividido. Pero habrá en él algo de la solidez del hierro, según viste el hierro mezclado con el barro cocido.
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 Por ser los dedos de los pies en parte de hierro y en parte de barro cocido, el reino será en parte fuerte y en parte débil.
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 Según viste el hierro mezclado con el barro, se mezclarán por medio de alianzas humanas, pero no se unirán el uno con el otro, como el hierro no se mezcla con el barro.
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 En los días de estos reyes, el ʼElah del cielo establecerá un reino que jamás será destruido, ni será dejado a otro pueblo, sino que desmenuzará y consumirá a todos estos reinos. Pero él permanecerá para siempre,
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 tal como viste que una piedra fue lanzada de la montaña no con mano, la cual desmenuzó el hierro, el bronce, el barro, la plata y el oro. El gran ʼElah mostró al rey lo que va a suceder en lo futuro. El sueño es verdadero, y su interpretación es fiel.
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 Entonces el rey Nabucodonosor se postró, hizo reverencia a Daniel y mandó que le ofrecieran presentes e incienso.
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 Y el rey habló a Daniel: ¡Ciertamente tu ʼElah es un ʼElah de ʼelahs, ʼAdón de reyes y revelador de misterios, pues pudiste revelar este misterio!
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 Entonces el rey promovió a Daniel, le dio muchos presentes grandes y lo constituyó gobernador de toda la provincia de Babilonia y jefe de todos los sabios de Babilonia.
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 Entonces Daniel solicitó del rey y obtuvo que designara a Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego como jefes de la administración de la provincia de Babilonia, pero Daniel permaneció en la corte del rey.
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.
