1Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.
1尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了夢，心裡煩亂，不能睡覺。
2Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in 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。
3The king said to them, 'I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.'
3王對他們說：我做了一夢，心裡煩亂，要知道這是甚麼夢。
4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: 'O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare 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。
5The king replied to the Chaldeans, 'The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.
5王回答迦勒底人說：夢我已經忘了（或譯：我已定命；八節同），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 declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.'
6你們若將夢和夢的講解告訴我，就必從我這裡得贈品和賞賜，並大尊榮。現在你們要將夢和夢的講解告訴我。
7They answered a second time and said, 'Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare 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。
8The king replied, 'I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm,
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。
9that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to 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。
10The Chaldeans answered the king and said, 'There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has [ever] asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean.
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'Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with [mortal] flesh.'
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。
12Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and 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。
13So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill [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。
14Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
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，
15he said to Arioch, the king's commander, 'For what reason is the decree from the king [so] urgent?' Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.
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。
16So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.
16但以理遂進去求王寬限，就可以將夢的講解告訴王。
17Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter,
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，
18so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
18要他們祈求天上的神施憐憫，將這奧秘的事指明，免得但以理和他的同伴與巴比倫其餘的哲士一同滅亡。
19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;
19這奧秘的事就在夜間異象中給但以理顯明，但以理便稱頌天上的神。
20Daniel said, 'Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.
20但以理說：神的名是應當稱頌的！從亙古直到永遠，因為智慧能力都屬乎他。
21'It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.
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'It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the 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, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter.'
23我列祖的神啊，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。
24Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.'
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。
25Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: 'I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!'
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。
26The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, 'Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and 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麼？
27Daniel answered before the king and said, 'As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians [nor] diviners are able to declare [it] to the king.
27但以理在王面前回答說：王所問的那奧秘事，哲士、用法術的、術士、觀兆的都不能告訴王；
28'However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind [while] on your bed.
28只有一位在天上的神能顯明奧秘的事。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 for you, O king, [while] on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.
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'But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than [in] any [other] living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation 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裡的思念。
31'You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance 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 that statue [was made] of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of 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，
33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
33腿是鐵的，腳是半鐵半泥的。
34'You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and 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, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that 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秕，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 its interpretation before the king.
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 the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;
37王啊，你是諸王之王。天上的神已將國度、權柄、能力、尊榮都賜給你。
38and wherever the sons of men dwell, [or] the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given [them] into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the 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'After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the 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'Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
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'In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common 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'[As] the toes of the feet [were] partly of iron and partly of pottery, [so] some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
42那腳指頭，既是半鐵半泥，那國也必半強半弱。
43'And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
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 which will never be destroyed, and [that] kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
44當那列王在位的時候，天上的神必另立一國，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'Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so 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，那就是至大的神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。
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense.
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。
47The king answered Daniel and said, 'Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.'
47王對但以理說：你既能顯明這奧祕的事，你們的神誠然是萬神之神、萬王之主，又是顯明奧祕事的。
48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect 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。
49And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel [was] at 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。