< Danieli 2 >
1 Katika mwaka wa pili wa utawala wa Nebukadneza, alikuwa na ndoto. Akili yake ilisumbuka, na hakuweza kulala.
[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 Ndipo mfalme alipowaita waganga na wale wenye kuongea na wafu. Lakini pia aliwaita wachawi na watu wenye hekima. Aliwataka wamwambie juu ya ndoto zake. Basi walikuja na kusimama mbele za mfalme.
[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 Mfalme akawambia, “Nilikuwa na ndoto, na akili yangu ina mashaka nataka kujua ndoto hiyo nini maana yake.”
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 Kisha watu wenye hekima wakamwambia mfalme katika Kiaramaiki, “Mfalme, aishi milele! Twambie sisi ndoto, watumishi wako, nasi tutaifunua maana yake.”
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 Mfalme akawajibu watu wenye hekima, “Jambo hili limeshamalizika. Kama hamtaweza kuiweka wazi ndoto kwangu na kuitafsiri, miili yenu itakatwa vipande vipande na nyumba zenu zitafanywa kuwa vichuguu vya uchafu.
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 Lakini kama mtaniambia ndoto na maana yake, mtapokea zawadi kutoka kwangu, thawabu, na heshima kubwa. Basi niambie ndoto na maana yake.”
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 Wakamjibu tena na kusema, “Mfalme na atuambie, watumishi wake, ndoto nasi tukwambia maana yake.”
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 Mfalme akawajibu, “Ninajua kwa hakika mnahitaji muda zaidi kwasababu mmeona maamuzi yangu ni magumu kuhusu jambo hili.
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 Lakini kama hamtaweza kuniambia ndoto, kuna sentensi moja tu kwa ajili yenu. Mmeamua kuandaa uongo na maneno ya kudanganya ambayo mmekubaliana kwa pamoja kuniambia mpaka pale nitakapobadili akili zangu. Basi, niambieni ndoto, na kisha nitajua kuwa mnaweza kuitafsiri kwa ajili yangu.”
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 Watu wenye hekima wakamjibu mfalme, “Hakuna mtu katika dunia anayeweza kutimiza matakwa ya mfalme. Hakuna mfalme yoyote mkuu na mwenye nguvu ambaye alishataka jambo kama hilo kutoka kwa wachawi, wala wenye kuongea na wafu, wala mwenye hekima.
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 Kile anachokitaka mfalme ni kigumu, na hakuna yeyote awezaye kumwambia mfalme isipokuwa miungu, ambayo haishi miongoni mwa watu.”
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 Jambo hili lilimfanya mfalme akasirike na kughadhabika sana, na alitoa amri kuwaangamiza wale wote waliojulikana kuwa ni wenye hekima zao katika Babeli.
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 Hivyo, amri ilitoka kwamba wale wote waliojulikana kwa hekima yao ni lazima wauawe. Na kwa sababu ya amri hii, walimtafuta Daniel na rafiki zake ili kwamba wauawe.
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 Ndipo Daniel alipomjibu kwa busara na umakini, Arioki, kamanda wa walinzi wa mfalme, ambaye alikuwa amekuja kuwaua wale wote waliojulikana kuwa na hekima katika Babeli.
Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
15 Danieli alimwuliza kamanda wa mfalme, “Kwanini amri ya mfalme ni ya haraka hivyo?” Hivyo, Arioki akamwambia Danieli kile kilichotokea.
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 Ndipo Danieli aliingia ndani na akaomba ahadi ya muda wa kuonana na mfalme ili kwamba aweze kuwasilisha tafsiri kwa mfalme.
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 Kisha Danieli aliingia ndani ya nyumba na aliwaelezea Hanania, Mishaeli, na Azaria, kile kilichotokea.
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 Aliwasihi kutafuta rehema kutoka kwa Mungu wa mbinguni kuhusiana na siri hii ili kwamba yeye na wao wasije wakauawa pamoja na watu wengine waliosalia waliojulikana kuwa na hekima katika Babeli.
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 Usiku ule siri ilifunuliwa kwa Danieli katika maono. Kisha Danieli akamtukuza Mungu wa mbinguni
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 na kusema, “Litukuzwa jina la Mungu milele na milele; kwa kuwa hekima na nguvu ni zake.
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 Anabadili wakati na majira; anaondoa wafalme na kuweka wafalme katika viti vyao vya enzi. Anawapa hekima wenye hekima na ufahamu kwa wenye weledi.
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 Hufunua vitu vya chini na vilifichika kwa sababu anajua kile kilicho gizani, naye anaishi pamoja na mwanga.
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 Mungu wa baba zetu, ninakushukuru na kukutukuza wewe kwa ajili ya hekima na nguvu uliyonipa. Sasa umeyafanya yawe wazi kwetu yale tuliyokuomba; umetujulisha mambo yamhusuyo mfalme.”
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 Ndipo Danieli alienda kumwona Arioki ( yule ambaye mfalme alimchagua kuua kila mtu aliyekuwa na hekima katika Babeli). Alimwendea na kumwambia, “Usiwauwe watu wenye hekima katika Babeli. Nipeleke kwa mfalme na nitamwonesha mfalme tafsiri ya ndoto yake.”
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 Kisha Arioki kwa haraka alimleta Danieli mbele za mfalme na kusema, “Nimempata miongoni wa watu wa mateka wa Yuda mtu ambaye atafunua maana ya ndoto ya mfalme.”
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 Mfalme akamwambia Danieli (ambaye alikuwa akiitwa Beliteshaza), “Je unaweza kunimbia ndoto niliyoiona na maana yake?”
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 Danieli alimjibu mfalme na kusema, “Siri ambayo mfalme ameiomba haiwezi kufunuliwa na watu wenye hekima, wala wale wenye kuongea na wafu, wala wachawi, na wala wataalamu wa nyota.
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 Isipokuwa kuna Mungu ambaye anaishi mbinguni, ambaye hufunua siri, na amekwisha kukujulisha wewe, mfalme Nebukadneza, kile kitakachotokea katika siku zijazo. Hizi ndizo Ndoto na maono ya akili zako uliyoyaona wakati ulipokuwa umelala kitandani mwako.
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 Na kwako Wewe, mfalme, mawazo yako kitandani mwako yalikuwa ni juu ya mambo yajayo, na yule afichuaye siri ameifanya ijulikane kwako kuhusu kile kilicho karibu kutokea.
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 Na kuhusu mimi, siri hii haikufunuliwa kwangu kwa sababu ya hekima yoyote niliyo nayo zaidi ya mtu yoyote anayeishi. Siri hii imefunliwa kwangu ili kwamba wewe, mfalme, uweze kufahamu maana, na ili kwamba ujuwe mawazo yaliyo ndani mwako.
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 Mfalme, uliangalia juu na ukaona sanamu kubwa. Sanamu hii ambayo ilikuwa yenye nguvu na yenye kung'aa, ilisimama mbele yako. Mng'ao wake ulikuwa unatisha.
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 Kichwa cha sanamu kilikuwa kimetengenezwa kwa dhahabu safi. Matiti yake na mikono ilikuwa ya fedha. Sehemu ya katikati na mapaja yake yalikuwa yametengenezwa kwa shaba,
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 na miguu yake ilikuwa imetengenezwa kwa chuma. Miguu yake ilikuwa ilitengenezwa kwa sehemu chuma na sehemu kwa udongo.
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 Ulitazama juu, na jiwe lilikuwa limechongwa, ingawa si kwa mikono ya wanadamu, na liliipiga sanamu katika miguu yake ya chuma na udongo, na ponda ponda.
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 Kisha chuma, udongo, fedha, na dhahabu zilivunjwa katika vipande vipande kwa wakati mmoja na yakawa kama makapi yaliyo katika sakafu za kupuria kipindi cha kiangazi. Upepo huyapeperushia mbali na hakuna alama inayoachwa. Lakini jiwe lililoipiga sanammu likawa mlima mkubwa na kuijaza dunia yote.
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 Hii ndiyo ilikuwa ndotoyako. Na sasa tutamwambia mfalme maana yake.
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 Wewe, mfalme, ni mfalme wa wafalme kwa wale ambao Mungu wa mbinguni amekupa ufalme, nguvu, uweza na heshima.
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 Amevitia mkononi mwako sehemu ambazo binadamu huishi. Amekupa wanyama wa mwituni na ndege wa angani katika mkono wako, na amekufanya wewe utawale juu yao wote. Wewe u kichwa cha dhahabu cha sanamu.
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 Baada yako, ufalme mwingine utainuka ambao ni mdogo kwako, na hata ufalme wa tatu wa shaba utatawala juu ya dunia yote.
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 Kutakuwa na ufalme wa tatu, wenye nguvu kama chuma, kwa kuwa chuma huvunja vipande vipande vitu vingine na kuponda ponda kila kitu. Itaviharibu vitu hivi vyote na kuvisaga.
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 Kama vile ulivyoona, miguu na vidole vilikuwa kwa sehemu vimetengenezwa kwa udongo na kwa sehemu vimefanywa kwa chuma, hivyo utakuwa ni ufalme uliogawanyika; baadhi ya nguvu za chuma zitakuwa ndani yake, kama tu ulivyoona kuwa chuma kimechanganyikana na udongo laini.
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 Kama vile vidole vya miguuni vilivyokuwa kwa sehemu vimetengenezwa kwa chuma na kwa sehemu vimetengenezwa kwa udongo, ndivyo ufalme utakuwa kwa sehemu una nguvu na kwa sehemu utakuwa dhaifu.
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 Kama ulivyoona chuma kimechanganywa na udongo laini, na hivyo na watu watakuwa wamechanganyikana; hawakaa kwa pamoja, kama vile chuma kisivyoweza kushikamana na udongo
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 Katika siku za wafalme hao, Mungu wa mbinguni ataanzisha ufalme ambao hautaweza kuangushwa, wala kushindwa na watu wengine. Utazivunja falme zingine vipande vipande na kuzikomesha zote, nao utadumu milele.
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 Kama tu ulivyoona, jiwe lilichongwa kutoka katika mlima, lakini si kwa mikono ya wanadamu. Lilivunja vunja chuma, shaba, udongo, fedha, na dhahabu katika vipande vipande. Mungu mkuu amekujulisha wewe, mfalme, kile kitakachotokea baada ya haya. Ndoto ni ya kweli na tafsiri yake ni ya kuaminika.
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 Mfalme Nebukadneza alianguka kifudifudi mbele ya Daniel na alimweshimu; aliamuru kwamba sadaka zitolewe na manukato yatolewe kwake.
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 Mfalme alimwambia Danieli, “Hakika Mungu wako ni Mungu wa miungu, Bwana wa wafalme, na ambaye hufunua mafumbo, kwa kuwa umekuwa ukiweza kufumbua mafumbo haya.”
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 Ndipo mfalme alimfanya Danieli kuwa wa kuheshiwa sana na alimpa zawadi nyingi nzuri. Alimfanya kuwa mtawala juu ya jimbo lote la Babeli. Danieli akawa liwali mkuu juu watu wenye hekima wa Babeli.
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 Danieli alipeleka ombi kwa mfalme, na mfalme aliwateua Shadraka, Meshaki na Abedinego kuwa watawala juu ya jimbo la Babeli. Lakini Danieli alisalia katika ikulu ya mfalme.
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.