Daniel 2
1 Nebukadnessar adedie mfeɛ mmienu so, ɔsosoo daeɛ bi ma ɛhaa no ara kɔsii sɛ, na ɔntumi nna.
[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 Ɔfrɛɛ ne nkonyaayifoɔ, pɛadeɛhunufoɔ, ntafowayifoɔ ne Kaldeafoɔ bisaa wɔn sɛ, wɔnkyerɛ no daeɛ ko no. Wɔbɛgyinaa ɔhene no anim no,
[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 ɔkaa sɛ, “Maso daeɛ bi a ɛha me, enti mepɛ sɛ monkyerɛ me daeɛ ko a mesoeɛ no, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ mehunu.”
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 Na Kaldeafoɔ no buaa no wɔ Arameike kasa mu sɛ, “Ɔhene nkwa so! Ka daeɛ no kyerɛ yɛn, na yɛbɛkyerɛ aseɛ.”
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 Nanso, ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Kaldeafoɔ no sɛ, “Yei ne gyinaeɛ a masi wɔ asɛm yi ho. Sɛ moantumi anka me daeɛ no, na moankyerɛ me aseɛ a, wɔbɛtwitwa mo mu asinasini, na wɔbɛbubu mo afie, ama afu wira.
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 Na sɛ moka me daeɛ no, kyerɛ me aseɛ a, mɛma mo akyɛdeɛ a ɛso bi mmaa da, na mabɔ mo aba so. Monka daeɛ no, na monkyerɛ me aseɛ.”
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 Wɔkaa bio sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, Nana, ka daeɛ no kyerɛ wʼasomfoɔ, na yɛbɛkyerɛ wo aseɛ.”
But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
8 Ɔhene no buaa sɛ, “Mahunu mo nnaadaa no. Mahunu sɛ, moretwentwɛn ɛberɛ no so, na monim gyinaeɛ a masi asɛm a mekaeɛ no ho.
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 Sɛ moanka daeɛ no ankyerɛ me a, asotwe baako pɛ na ɛda hɔ ma mo. Moapam sɛ mobɛdi atorɔ adaadaa me. Mosusu sɛ asɛm no bɛsesa. Monka daeɛ no nkyerɛ me, na ɛbɛma mahunu sɛ mobɛtumi akyerɛ aseɛ.”
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 Kaldeafoɔ no buaa Ɔhene no sɛ, “Onipa teasefoɔ biara nni hɔ a ɔbɛtumi akyerɛ wo, Nana, wo daeɛ a woaso no. Na ɔhene biara nso nni hɔ, sɛ ɔkorɔn anaa ne tumi so, a wabisa nkonyaayifoɔ, pɛadeɛhunufoɔ anaa Kaldeafoɔ saa asɛm yi bi pɛn.
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 Ɔhene abisadeɛ yi yɛ den dodo. Obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛtumi aka wo daeɛ no gye anyame. Nanso, wɔn tenabea nni ewiase yi mu.”
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 Ɔhene no tee saa asɛm yi no, ne bo fuu yie, enti ɔhyɛɛ sɛ, wɔnkunkum anyansafoɔ a wɔwɔ Babilonia nyinaa.
The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
13 Na ɛsiane ɔhene no mmara den sɛ wɔnkunkum anyansafoɔ no enti, wɔsomaa mmarima sɛ wɔnkɔhwehwɛ Daniel ne ne nnamfonom, na wɔnkunkum wɔn.
And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
14 Ɛberɛ a, Ariok a ɔyɛ ɔhene no awɛmfoɔ so panin baa sɛ ɔrebɛkum wɔn no, Daniel faa nyansakwan so ne no kasaeɛ.
Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
15 Daniel bisaa Ariok sɛ, “Adɛn enti na ɔhene hyɛɛ mmara a ano yɛ den saa?” Na Ariok kaa deɛ asi nyinaa kyerɛɛ no.
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 kɔhunuu Ɔhene no, na ɔsrɛɛ no sɛ ɔmma no berɛ kakra na ɔbɛba abɛkyerɛ daeɛ no ase.
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 Na Daniel kɔɔ ne fie kɔbɔɔ ne nnamfonom Hanania, Misael ne Asaria asɛm a asie.
Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
18 Ɔhyɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔmmisa ɔsoro Onyankopɔn sɛ, ɔnnom wɔn nʼahummɔborɔ sɛdeɛ wɔrenkum wɔn mfra anyansafoɔ nkaeɛ a wɔwɔ Babilonia no mu.
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 Anadwo no, ɔdaa kɔkoamsɛm no adi kyerɛɛ Daniel wɔ anisoadehunu mu. Na Daniel kamfoo ɔsoro Onyankopɔn
And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
20 na ɔkaa sɛ, “Nkamfoɔ nka Onyankopɔn din daa nyinaa, ɔno nko na ɔwɔ nyansa ne tumi.
saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
21 Ɔno na ɔsesa mmerɛ ne nnipa hyɛberɛ; ɔsi ahene, na ɔtu wɔn adeɛ so. Ɔma anyansafoɔ hunu nyansa, na ɔma nhunumu ho nimdeɛ.
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 Ɔda nneɛma a emu dɔ na ɛyɛ nwanwa adi, na ɔnim deɛ ahinta wɔ sum mu; hann atwa ne ho ahyia.
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 Meda wo ase, kamfo wo mʼagyanom Onyankopɔn, ɛfiri sɛ, woama me nyansa ne tumi; woaka deɛ yɛbisaa wo akyerɛ me, ada deɛ ɔhene bisaeɛ no adi akyerɛ yɛn.”
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 Afei, Daniel kɔhunuu Ariok a wɔahyɛ no sɛ ɔnkunkum anyansafoɔ a wɔwɔ Babilonia no, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nkunkum anyansafoɔ a wɔwɔ Babilonia no. Fa me kɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn, na mɛkyerɛ no ne daeɛ no ase.”
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 Na ntɛm ara, Ariok de Daniel kɔɔ ɔhene no anim kaa sɛ, “Mahunu atukɔfoɔ a wɔfiri Yuda no mu baako a ɔbɛkyerɛ wo, Nana, daeɛ no ase.”
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 Ɔhene no bisaa Daniel (a wɔsane frɛ no Beltesasar) no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ nokorɛ? Wobɛtumi akyerɛ me deɛ mehunuu wɔ me daeɛ no mu na woakyerɛ me aseɛ?”
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 buaa sɛ, “Nana, anyansafoɔ, pɛadeɛhunufoɔ, nkonyaayifoɔ anaa ntafowayifoɔ biara nni hɔ a wɔbɛtumi akyerɛ ahintasɛm a worebisa yi!
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 Nanso, Onyankopɔn bi wɔ ɔsoro a ɔda kɔkoamsɛm adi, na wakyerɛ ɔhene Nebukadnessar asɛm a ɛbɛsi daakye. Wo daeɛ no ne anisoadehunu a ɛberɛ a woda wo mpa so no wohunuiɛ nie:
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 “Nana, ɛberɛ a woreda no, wʼadwene kɔsisii nsɛm bi a ɛbɛsisi so. Deɛ ɔkyerɛ ahintasɛm mu no akyerɛ wo deɛ ɛrebɛba.
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 ɛnnyɛ sɛ, Nana, menim nyansa kyɛn onipa teasefoɔ biara enti, na mmom Onyankopɔn pɛ sɛ Nana nya ahintasɛm no asekyerɛ na ɔte deɛ ɛbaa nʼadwene mu no ase.
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 “Nana, wʼanisoadehunu no mu, wohunuu ohoni kɛseɛ bi sɛ ɔgyina wʼanim a ɔso pa ara na ɛharan hyɛnn na ne ho yɛ hu yie.
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 Sikakɔkɔɔ na wɔde yɛɛ ne ti; Dwetɛ na wɔde yɛɛ ne koko ne nʼabasa. Kɔbere na wɔde yɛɛ ne yafunu ne nʼasrɛ.
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 Dadeɛ na wɔde yɛɛ ne nan, na wɔde dadeɛ ne dɔteɛ a wɔde afra yɛɛ ne nantabon.
Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
34 Na Nana, worehwɛ no, ɔboɔ bi a nsa biara nkura mu te bɛhwee dadeɛ ne dɔteɛ nantabon no so, pɛkyɛɛ no gɔsɔɔ.
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 Afei Nana, ohoni mu no nyinaa a ɛyɛ dadeɛ, dɔteɛ, kɔbere, dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ no nyinaa yam fekɔfekɔ, ma ɛyɛɛ sɛ ahuhuro berɛ mu ayuporobea so ntɛtɛ, ma mframa bɛhuu ne nyinaa kɔeɛ a, hwee anka hɔ. Nanso, ɔboɔ a ɛpem ohoni no hwee fam no danee bepɔ kɛseɛ a ɛkataa asase nyinaa so.
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 “Nana, daeɛ no nie o, afei, yɛrebɛkyerɛ wo aseɛ.
That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
37 Nana, woyɛ ahene bebree so ɔhene. Ɔsoro Onyankopɔn ayɛ wo ahene mu ɔhene, ama wo tumi, ahoɔden ne animuonyam.
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 Ɔde ewiase nnipa, mmoa a wɔwɔ wiram ne nnomaa a wɔtu ahyɛ wo nsa. Baabiara a wɔwɔ no, wɔayɛ wo wɔn so difoɔ. Wo na woyɛ saa sikakɔkɔɔ ti no.
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 “Na wʼahemman aba nʼawieeɛ akyi no, ahemman a ɛnnto wo deɛ no bɛsɔre abɛsi wʼananmu. Sɛ saa ahemman no gu a, ahemman kɛseɛ foforɔ a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa a kɔbere yafunu ne asrɛ no gyina hɔ ma no no bɛsɔre adi ewiase so.
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 Nea ɛbɛdi saa ahemman no akyi no, ɛbɛyɛ ahemman a ɛtɔ so ɛnan a ɛso na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ dadeɛ. Saa ahemman no bɛbubu, ayam aman a adi ɛkan no nyinaa te sɛdeɛ dadeɛ bubu yam biribiara a ɛne no hyia no.
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 Nana, sɛdeɛ wohunu sɛ nantabon ne nansoaa yɛ dadeɛ ne dɔteɛ a adi afra no kyerɛ sɛ, saa ahemman yi mu bɛkyekyɛ.
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 Nʼafaafa bi bɛyɛ den sɛ dadeɛ, na ebi ayɛ mmerɛ sɛ dɔteɛ.
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 Saa dadeɛ ne dɔteɛ mfrafraeɛ no sane kyerɛ sɛ, saa ahemman no bɛyɛ nnipa ahodoɔ a wɔadi afra a wɔntumi nka wɔn ho mmɔ mu sɛdeɛ dadeɛ ne dɔteɛ ntumi nni afra no.
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 “Saa ahemfo no adedie mu no, Ɔsoro Onyankopɔn bɛbɔ ahemman bi atenaseɛ a ɛrensɛe da; na obiara renni so da. Ɛbɛdwɛre ahemman ahodoɔ yi nyinaa de wɔn aba awieeɛ, na ɛno deɛ, ɛbɛgyina afebɔɔ.
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 Ɔboɔ no a nsa biara nkura mu na ɛtwa firi bepɔ no so a ɛyam dadeɛ, kɔbere, dɔteɛ, dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ mfrafraeɛ ohoni no gyina hɔ ma saa ɔman no. “Onyankopɔn kokuroko akyerɛ Nana, deɛ ɛbɛba daakye. Daeɛ no yɛ nokorɛ, na ne nkyerɛaseɛ yɛ kann.”
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 Ɔhene Nebukadnessar bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ Daniel anim, somm no, na ɔhyɛɛ ne manfoɔ sɛ, wɔmfa afɔrebɔdeɛ mmra, na wɔnhye aduhwam wɔ nʼanim.
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 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Daniel sɛ, “Nokorɛ, wo Onyankopɔn yɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ anyame mu; ɔyɛ Awurade wɔ ahene so ahintasɛm mu kyerɛfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, wo na woatumi akyerɛ saa kɔkoamsɛm yi mu.”
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 Afei, ɔhene no maa Daniel dibea a ɛkorɔn yie sane yɛɛ no ayɛ a ɛsom bo yie. Ɔmaa Daniel bɛyɛɛ sohwɛfoɔ wɔ Babiloniaman no mu nyinaa, na ɔde no sii nʼanyansafoɔ no nyinaa so ɔhene.
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 Daniel bisa ma wɔyɛɛ Sadrak, Mesak ne Abednego, Babilonia asase no so ahwɛfoɔ, na Daniel yɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ wɔ ɔhene aban mu.
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.
