1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
1 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年， 他作了梦， 因此心里烦乱， 不能入睡。
2 于是王吩咐人把术士、用法术的、行邪术的和迦勒底人都召来， 要他们把王的梦告诉王。他们来了， 站在王面前。
3 王对他们说： "我作了一个梦， 心里烦乱， 我要知道这是什么梦。"
4 迦勒底人用亚兰话对王说： "愿王万岁！ 请把那梦告诉仆人， 我们好解释梦的意思。"
5 王回答迦勒底人说： "我已经定旨： 如果你们不把那梦和梦的意思向我说明， 就必被碎尸万段， 你们的家必成为废墟。
6 如果你们能把那梦和梦的意思向我解释， 就必从我这里得礼物、奖赏和大尊荣， 所以你们要把梦和梦的意思向我解释。"
7 他们第二次回答王说： "请王把梦告诉仆人， 我们好解释梦的意思。"
8 王回答说： "我清楚知道你们企图拖延时间， 因为你们看出我已经定旨。
9 如果你们不把那梦向我说明， 只有一个办法对付你们。你们串通在我面前胡言乱语， 希望时势有所改变。你们现在要把梦告诉我， 好使我知道你们真能把梦的意思向我解释。"
10 迦勒底人在王面前回答说： "世上没有人能把王所问的事说出来， 因为从来没有一个伟大和有权势的君王向术士、用法术的和迦勒底人询问过这样的事。
11 王所问的事很难答， 除了那不和世人同住的神明以外， 没有人能在王面前把这事说出来。"
12 因此， 王大发烈怒， 下令杀绝巴比伦所有的智慧人。
13 于是王的御旨发出， 要把智慧人都杀死； 人就寻找但以理和他的同伴， 要杀死他们。
14 那时， 王的护卫长亚略出来， 要杀死巴比伦的智慧人， 但以理就婉转机敏地向他询问；
15 但以理对王的护卫长亚略说： "王的命令为什么这样严厉呢？"亚略就把这事告诉但以理。
16 但以理就进去， 求王宽限， 使他可以把那梦的意思为王解释。
17 但以理回到自己的家里， 把这事告诉他的同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利和亚撒利雅，
18 要他们为这隐秘的事祈求天上的 神怜悯， 免得但以理和他的同伴与巴比伦其余的智慧人一同灭亡。
19 于是这隐秘的事在夜间的异象中给但以理显明了。但以理就称颂天上的 神。
20 但以理说： "愿 神的名得称颂， 从永远直到永远， 因为智慧和能力都是属他的。
21 他改变时间、季节； 他废王、立王； 他赐智慧给智慧人， 赐知识给聪明人。
22 他显明深奥和隐密的事， 他洞悉暗中的一切， 因为光明与他同住。
23 我列祖的 神啊！ 我感谢你， 赞美你！ 你把智慧和能力赐了给我； 我们向你所求的， 现在你已向我显明， 把王的事告诉了我们。"
24 于是但以理进去见亚略， 就是王委派去杀绝巴比伦的智慧人的， 对他这样说： "不要杀绝巴比伦的智慧人； 请把我带到王面前， 我要把梦的意思向王解释。"
25 亚略就急忙把但以理带到王面前， 对王这样说： "我在被掳的犹大人中找到一个能把梦的意思向王说明的人。"
26 王问称为伯提沙撒的但以理说： "你能向我说明我所见的梦和梦的意思吗？"
27 但以理在王面前回答说： "王所问的那隐秘的事， 没有智慧人、用法术的、术士和占星家能向王解释；
28 只有一位在天上的 神能把一切隐秘的事显明； 他已经把日后将要发生的事告诉你尼布甲尼撒王了。你的梦和你躺在床上时脑海中出现的异象就是这样：
29 王啊！ 你躺在床上时， 想到日后将要发生的事， 那显明隐秘事的 神就把将要发生的事向你说明了。
30 现在这隐秘的事向我显明， 并不是因为我的智慧胜过所有的人， 而是要使王知道梦的意思和你心想明白的事。
31 "王啊！ 你正在观看， 看见有一座大像， 那像甚高， 非常光耀， 竖立在你面前， 样貌十分可怕。
32 这像的头是纯金的， 胸膛和手臂是银的， 腹和腰是铜的，
33 腿是铁的， 脚是铁和泥混杂的。
34 你正观看的时候， 有一块非人手凿成的石头， 击在那座大像铁和泥混杂的脚上， 把脚砸碎了。
35 于是铁、泥、铜、银、金都一同砸得粉碎， 好像夏天禾场上的糠秕， 被风吹散， 无处可寻； 那打碎这像的石头却变成一座大山， 充满全地。
36 "这就是那梦， 现在我们要在王面前讲解那梦的意思。
37 王啊！ 你是万王之王， 天上的 神已经把国度、权柄、能力和尊荣都赐给你；
38 也把散居在各处的世人、田野的走兽和空中的飞鸟， 都交在你手里， 使你管理这一切。你就是那金头。
39 在你以后， 另一国将兴起， 不及于你。后有第三国， 就是那铜的， 要统治全地。
40 还有第四国， 坚强如铁， 因为铁能砸碎击破万物； 铁怎样压碎一切， 那国也要照样砸碎一切。
41 正如你看见那像的脚和脚趾是窑匠的泥和铁混杂的， 那国也必分裂； 正如你看见铁和陶泥混合在一起， 那国也必有铁的坚硬。
42 那些脚趾是铁和泥混杂的， 那国也必是部分坚强， 部分脆弱。
43 你怎样看见铁和陶泥混合在一起， 那国的人也必和列国的人通婚混杂， 却不能彼此联合， 正如铁和泥不能混杂一样。
44 那些王在位的时候， 天上的 神必兴起另一个永不灭亡的国， 国权必不归给别族的人。这国必砸碎毁灭其他各国； 并且这国必存到永远。
45 正如你看见那块从山而出， 非人手凿成的石头， 把铁、铜、泥、银和金都砸碎了， 伟大的 神已把日后必有的结局都告诉王了。这梦是确实的， 梦的意思也是准确的。"
46 尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地， 向但以理下拜， 又下令向但以理献上供物和香品。
47 王对但以理说： "你们的 神真是万神之神， 万王之王， 又是显明隐秘事的， 因为你能把这隐秘的事显明出来。"
48 于是王提升但以理， 赐他许多贵重的礼物， 使他管理巴比伦全省， 又立他为总长， 管理巴比伦所有的智慧人。
49 但以理求王， 王就委派沙得拉、米煞、亚伯尼歌管理巴比伦省的政务； 但以理却在朝中侍立。