Daniel 2

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

1 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了夢，心裏煩亂，不能睡覺。

2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

2 王吩咐人將術士、用法術的、行邪術的，和迦勒底人召來，要他們將王的夢告訴王，他們就來站在王前。

3 he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

3 王對他們說：「我做了一夢，心裏煩亂，要知道這是甚麼夢。」

4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

4 迦勒底人用亞蘭的言語對王說：「願王萬歲！請將那夢告訴僕人，僕人就可以講解。」

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

5 王回答迦勒底人說：「夢我已經忘了 ，你們若不將夢和夢的講解告訴我，就必被凌遲，你們的房屋必成為糞堆；

6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

6 你們若將夢和夢的講解告訴我，就必從我這裏得贈品和賞賜，並大尊榮。現在你們要將夢和夢的講解告訴我。」

7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

7 他們第二次對王說：「請王將夢告訴僕人，僕人就可以講解。」

8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.

8 王回答說：「我准知道你們是故意遲延，因為你們知道那夢我已經忘了。

9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”

9 你們若不將夢告訴我，只有一法待你們；因為你們預備了謊言亂語向我說，要等候時勢改變。現在你們要將夢告訴我，因我知道你們能將夢的講解告訴我。」

10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.

10 迦勒底人在王面前回答說：「世上沒有人能將王所問的事說出來；因為沒有君王、大臣、掌權的向術士，或用法術的，或迦勒底人問過這樣的事。

11 What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

11 王所問的事甚難。除了不與世人同居的神明，沒有人在王面前能說出來。」

12 This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

12 因此，王氣忿忿地大發烈怒，吩咐滅絕巴比倫所有的哲士。

13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.

13 於是命令發出，哲士將要見殺，人就尋找但以理和他的同伴，要殺他們。

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.

14 王的護衛長亞略出來，要殺巴比倫的哲士，但以理就用婉言回答他，

15 “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

15 向王的護衛長亞略說：「王的命令為何這樣緊急呢？」亞略就將情節告訴但以理。

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

16 但以理遂進去求王寬限，就可以將夢的講解告訴王。

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

17 但以理回到他的居所，將這事告訴他的同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅，

18 urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

18 要他們祈求天上的上帝施憐憫，將這奧祕的事指明，免得但以理和他的同伴與巴比倫其餘的哲士一同滅亡。

19 During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

19 這奧祕的事就在夜間異象中給但以理顯明，但以理便稱頌天上的上帝。

20 and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

20 但以理說：「上帝的名是應當稱頌的！從亙古直到永遠，因為智慧能力都屬乎他。

21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

21 他改變時候、日期，廢王，立王，將智慧賜與智慧人，將知識賜與聰明人。

22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

22 他顯明深奧隱秘的事，知道暗中所有的，光明也與他同居。

23 To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

23 我列祖的上帝啊，我感謝你，讚美你；因你將智慧才能賜給我，允准我們所求的，把王的事給我們指明。」

24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

24 於是，但以理進去見亞略，就是王所派滅絕巴比倫哲士的，對他說：「不要滅絕巴比倫的哲士，求你領我到王面前，我要將夢的講解告訴王。」

25 Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”

25 亞略就急忙將但以理領到王面前，對王說：「我在被擄的猶大人中遇見一人，他能將夢的講解告訴王。」

26 The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”

26 王問稱為伯提沙撒的但以理說：「你能將我所做的夢和夢的講解告訴我嗎？」

27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

27 但以理在王面前回答說：「王所問的那奧祕事，哲士、用法術的、術士、觀兆的都不能告訴王，

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:

28 只有一位在天上的上帝能顯明奧祕的事。他已將日後必有的事指示尼布甲尼撒王。你的夢和你在床上腦中的異象是這樣：

29 As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

29 王啊，你在床上想到後來的事，那顯明奧祕事的主把將來必有的事指示你。

30 And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

30 至於那奧祕的事顯明給我，並非因我的智慧勝過一切活人，乃為使王知道夢的講解和心裏的思念。

31 As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

31 「王啊，你夢見一個大像，這像甚高，極其光耀，站在你面前，形狀甚是可怕。

32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

32 這像的頭是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是銀的，肚腹和腰是銅的，

33 its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.

33 腿是鐵的，腳是半鐵半泥的。

34 As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

34 你觀看，見有一塊非人手鑿出來的石頭打在這像半鐵半泥的腳上，把腳砸碎；

35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

35 於是金、銀、銅、鐵、泥都一同砸得粉碎，成如夏天禾場上的糠詷，被風吹散，無處可尋。打碎這像的石頭變成一座大山，充滿天下。

36 This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

36 「這就是那夢；我們在王面前要講解那夢。

37 You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.

37 王啊，你是諸王之王。天上的上帝已將國度、權柄、能力、尊榮都賜給你。

38 Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

38 凡世人所住之地的走獸，並天空的飛鳥，他都交付你手，使你掌管這一切。你就是那金頭。

39 But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

39 在你以後必另興一國，不及於你；又有第三國，就是銅的，必掌管天下。

40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.

40 第四國，必堅壯如鐵，鐵能打碎剋制百物，又能壓碎一切，那國也必打碎壓制列國。

41 And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.

41 你既見像的腳和腳指頭，一半是窯匠的泥，一半是鐵，那國將來也必分開。你既見鐵與泥攙雜，那國也必有鐵的力量。

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

42 那腳指頭，既是半鐵半泥，那國也必半強半弱。

43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.

43 你既見鐵與泥攙雜，那國民也必與各種人攙雜，卻不能彼此相合，正如鐵與泥不能相合一樣。

44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

44 當那列王在位的時候，天上的上帝必另立一國，永不敗壞，也不歸別國的人，卻要打碎滅絕那一切國，這國必存到永遠。

45 And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

45 你既看見非人手鑿出來的一塊石頭從山而出，打碎金、銀、銅、鐵、泥，那就是至大的上帝把後來必有的事給王指明。這夢準是這樣，這講解也是確實的。」

46 At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

46 當時，尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，並且吩咐人給他奉上供物和香品。

47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

47 王對但以理說：「你既能顯明這奧祕的事，你們的上帝誠然是萬神之神、萬王之主，又是顯明奧祕事的。」

48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

48 於是王高抬但以理，賞賜他許多上等禮物，派他管理巴比倫全省，又立他為總理，掌管巴比倫的一切哲士。

49 And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

49 但以理求王，王就派沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌管理巴比倫省的事務，只是但以理常在朝中侍立。