但以理书 2
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
巴比倫王忘記自己的夢
2 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他作了夢，因此心裡煩亂，不能入睡。 2 於是王吩咐人把術士、用法術的、行邪術的和迦勒底人都召來，要他們把王的夢告訴王。他們來了，站在王面前。 3 王對他們說：“我作了一個夢，心裡煩亂，我要知道這是甚麼夢。” 4 迦勒底人用亞蘭話對王說：“願王萬歲！請把那夢告訴僕人，我們好解釋夢的意思。” 5 王回答迦勒底人說：“我已經定旨：如果你們不把那夢和夢的意思向我說明，就必被碎屍萬段，你們的家必成為廢墟。 6 如果你們能把那夢和夢的意思向我解釋，就必從我這裡得禮物、獎賞和大尊榮，所以你們要把夢和夢的意思向我解釋。” 7 他們第二次回答王說：“請王把夢告訴僕人，我們好解釋夢的意思。” 8 王回答說：“我清楚知道你們企圖拖延時間，因為你們看出我已經定旨。 9 如果你們不把那夢向我說明，只有一個辦法對付你們。你們串通在我面前胡言亂語，希望時勢有所改變。你們現在要把夢告訴我，好使我知道你們真能把夢的意思向我解釋。”
迦勒底人無法說出王的夢
10 迦勒底人在王面前回答說：“世上沒有人能把王所問的事說出來，因為從來沒有一個偉大和有權勢的君王向術士、用法術的和迦勒底人詢問過這樣的事。 11 王所問的事很難答，除了那不和世人同住的神明以外，沒有人能在王面前把這事說出來。” 12 因此，王大發烈怒，下令殺絕巴比倫所有的智慧人。 13 於是王的御旨發出，要把智慧人都殺死；人就尋找但以理和他的同伴，要殺死他們。
但以理求王寬限
14 那時，王的護衛長亞略出來，要殺死巴比倫的智慧人，但以理就婉轉機敏地向他詢問； 15 但以理對王的護衛長亞略說：“王的命令為甚麼這樣嚴厲呢？”亞略就把這事告訴但以理。 16 但以理就進去，求王寬限，使他可以把那夢的意思為王解釋。
神把夢的意義指示但以理
17 但以理回到自己的家裡，把這事告訴他的同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利和亞撒利雅， 18 要他們為這隱祕的事祈求天上的 神憐憫，免得但以理和他的同伴與巴比倫其餘的智慧人一同滅亡。 19 於是這隱祕的事在夜間的異象中給但以理顯明了。但以理就稱頌天上的 神。 20 但以理說：
“願 神的名得稱頌，從永遠直到永遠，
因為智慧和能力都是屬他的。
21 他改變時間、季節；
他廢王、立王；
他賜智慧給智慧人，
賜知識給聰明人。
22 他顯明深奧和隱密的事，
他洞悉暗中的一切，
因為光明與他同住。
23 我列祖的 神啊！我感謝你，讚美你！
你把智慧和能力賜了給我；
我們向你所求的，現在你已向我顯明，
把王的事告訴了我們。”
但以理入宮見王
24 於是但以理進去見亞略，就是王委派去殺絕巴比倫的智慧人的，對他這樣說：“不要殺絕巴比倫的智慧人；請把我帶到王面前，我要把夢的意思向王解釋。”
25 亞略就急忙把但以理帶到王面前，對王這樣說：“我在被擄的猶大人中找到一個能把夢的意思向王說明的人。” 26 王問稱為伯提沙撒的但以理說：“你能向我說明我所見的夢和夢的意思嗎？” 27 但以理在王面前回答說：“王所問的那隱祕的事，沒有智慧人、用法術的、術士和占星家能向王解釋； 28 只有一位在天上的 神能把一切隱祕的事顯明；他已經把日後將要發生的事告訴你尼布甲尼撒王了。你的夢和你躺在床上時腦海中出現的異象就是這樣： 29 王啊！你躺在床上時，想到日後將要發生的事，那顯明隱祕事的 神就把將要發生的事向你說明了。 30 現在這隱祕的事向我顯明，並不是因為我的智慧勝過所有的人，而是要使王知道夢的意思和你心想明白的事。
復述夢境
31 “王啊！你正在觀看，看見有一座大像，那像甚高，非常光耀，豎立在你面前，樣貌十分可怕。 32 這像的頭是純金的，胸膛和手臂是銀的，腹和腰是銅的， 33 腿是鐵的，腳是鐵和泥混雜的。 34 你正觀看的時候，有一塊非人手鑿成的石頭，擊在那座大像鐵和泥混雜的腳上，把腳砸碎了。 35 於是鐵、泥、銅、銀、金都一同砸得粉碎，好像夏天禾場上的糠秕，被風吹散，無處可尋；那打碎這像的石頭卻變成一座大山，充滿全地。
詳解夢義
36 “這就是那夢，現在我們要在王面前講解那夢的意思。 37 王啊！你是萬王之王，天上的 神已經把國度、權柄、能力和尊榮都賜給你； 38 也把散居在各處的世人、田野的走獸和空中的飛鳥，都交在你手裡，使你管理這一切。你就是那金頭。 39 在你以後，另一國將興起，不及於你。後有第三國，就是那銅的，要統治全地。 40 還有第四國，堅強如鐵，因為鐵能砸碎擊破萬物；鐵怎樣壓碎一切，那國也要照樣砸碎一切。 41 正如你看見那像的腳和腳趾是窯匠的泥和鐵混雜的，那國也必分裂；正如你看見鐵和陶泥混合在一起，那國也必有鐵的堅硬。 42 那些腳趾是鐵和泥混雜的，那國也必是部分堅強，部分脆弱。 43 你怎樣看見鐵和陶泥混合在一起，那國的人也必和列國的人通婚混雜，卻不能彼此聯合，正如鐵和泥不能混雜一樣。 44 那些王在位的時候，天上的 神必興起另一個永不滅亡的國，國權必不歸給別族的人。這國必砸碎毀滅其他各國；並且這國必存到永遠。 45 正如你看見那塊從山而出，非人手鑿成的石頭，把鐵、銅、泥、銀和金都砸碎了，偉大的 神已把日後必有的結局都告訴王了。這夢是確實的，夢的意思也是準確的。”
王高抬並重賞但以理
46 尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，又下令向但以理獻上供物和香品。 47 王對但以理說：“你們的 神真是萬神之神，萬王之王，又是顯明隱祕事的，因為你能把這隱祕的事顯明出來。” 48 於是王提升但以理，賜他許多貴重的禮物，使他管理巴比倫全省，又立他為總長，管理巴比倫所有的智慧人。 49 但以理求王，王就委派沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌管理巴比倫省的政務；但以理卻在朝中侍立。
但以理書 2
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
尼布甲尼撒的夢
2 尼布甲尼撒在執政第二年做了夢，心裡煩亂，無法入睡， 2 便派人召來術士、巫師、行法術的和占星家[a]，為他解夢。他們都來到王面前。 3 王對他們說：「我做了一個夢，心裡煩亂，想知道夢的意思。」 4 占星家用亞蘭話對王說：「願王萬歲！請將夢告訴僕人，僕人好解釋夢的意思。」 5 王對占星家說：「我的旨意已定，你們若不能將夢和夢的意思告訴我，必被碎屍萬段，你們的家必淪為廢墟。 6 你們若能將夢和夢的意思告訴我，我必給你們禮物、賞賜和極大的尊榮。所以你們要將夢和夢的意思告訴我。」 7 他們再次對王說：「請王將夢告訴僕人，僕人好解釋夢的意思。」 8 王說：「我敢肯定，你們是在拖延時間，因為你們知道我的旨意已定， 9 你們若不將夢告訴我，我必懲治你們。你們串通起來在我面前胡言亂語，期待情況會改變。現在將夢告訴我，我就相信你們能解夢。」 10 占星家說：「王所要求的，世上無人能做到，因為再偉大、再有權勢的君王也沒問過術士、巫師或占星家這樣的事。 11 王問的事太難，除了不在人間居住的神明外，無人能為王解答。」 12 王大怒，下令處死巴比倫所有的智者。 13 於是，處死智者的諭旨發出，但以理和他的同伴都在被殺之列。
14 王的護衛長亞略奉命要處死巴比倫的智者，但以理機智、謹慎地應對。 15 他問王的護衛長亞略：「王的命令為何這樣緊急？」亞略就把情況告訴他。 16 但以理便進宮求王寬限，以便為王解夢。 17 然後，他回到居所將這事告訴同伴哈拿尼雅、米沙利和亞撒利雅， 18 要同伴祈求天上的上帝施憐憫，顯明這奧秘，以免他們和其他巴比倫的智者一起被殺。 19 這奧秘在夜間的異象中向但以理顯明，他便頌讚天上的上帝， 20 說：
「上帝的名永永遠遠當受稱頌，
因為智慧和能力都屬於祂。
21 祂改變時令和季節，廢王立王，
賜智慧給智者，賜知識給哲士。
22 祂顯明深奧隱秘之事，
洞悉暗中的隱情，
有光與祂同住。
23 我祖先的上帝啊，我感謝你，讚美你，
因你賜我智慧和能力，
應允我們的祈求，
使我們明白王的夢。」
但以理解夢
24 於是，但以理去見王指派處死巴比倫智者的亞略，對他說：「不要處死巴比倫的智者，請帶我去見王，我要為王解夢。」 25 亞略急忙帶但以理去見王，對王說：「我在被擄的猶大人中找到一個能為王解夢的。」 26 王就問又名伯提沙撒的但以理：「你能將我做的夢和夢的意思告訴我嗎？」 27 但以理回答說：「沒有智者、術士、巫師或占星家可以解答王所問的奧秘， 28-30 但天上的上帝能揭開奧秘，祂已把將來要發生的事告訴了王。王啊，你在床上夢見了將來的事，揭開奧秘的上帝已把將來的事指示給你。上帝將王做的夢啟示給我，並非因為我的智慧勝過其他人，而是要讓王知道夢的意思和王的心事。以下是王在床上做的夢和腦中出現的異象。
31 「王啊，你夢見一個高大宏偉、極其明亮的塑像站在你面前，相貌可怕， 32 有純金的頭、銀的胸和臂、銅的肚腹和大腿、 33 鐵的小腿和半鐵半泥的腳。 34 在你觀看的時候，有一塊非人手鑿出的石頭打在塑像半鐵半泥的腳上，砸碎了腳。 35 鐵、泥、銅、銀、金隨即粉碎，猶如夏天麥場上的糠秕，被風吹得無影無蹤。但打碎這像的石頭變成一座大山，充滿整個大地。
36 「這就是夢的內容。現在我們要為王解夢。 37 王啊，你是萬王之王，天上的上帝已將國度、權柄、能力和尊榮賜給你， 38 也將居住在各地的世人、走獸和飛禽都交在你手中，讓你管理。你就是那金頭。 39 在你之後，必有另一國興起，不及你的國強大。之後是將要統治天下的第三個國，是銅的。 40 接著是堅如鐵的第四國，能擊垮、打碎列國，正如鐵能擊垮、打碎一切。 41 你看見半鐵半陶泥的腳和腳趾，表示那將是一個分裂的國。正如你看見鐵和泥混雜在一起，它必有鐵一般的力量。 42 半鐵半泥的腳趾表示那國必半強半弱。 43 你看見鐵和泥混雜在一起，這表示那國的民族彼此混雜通婚，卻不能團結，正如鐵和泥無法混合。 44 在以上列王統治的時候，天上的上帝必設立一國——永不滅亡、外族無法奪其政權。這國將擊垮、消滅列國，並且永遠長存。 45 你看見那塊非人手從山中鑿出的石頭打碎鐵、銅、泥、銀和金。偉大的上帝已把將來的事告訴了王。這夢是真實的，解釋是可靠的。」
46 尼布甲尼撒王俯伏在地，向但以理下拜，並下令給他獻供物和香。 47 王對但以理說：「你們的上帝真是萬神之神、萬王之主、奧秘的啟示者，因為你能揭開這個奧秘。」 48 王賜但以理高官及許多貴重的禮物，派他治理巴比倫全省，管理巴比倫所有的智者。 49 王又應允但以理的請求，派沙得拉、米煞和亞伯尼歌負責巴比倫省的事務。但以理仍在朝中供職。
Daniel 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.[a] 1 In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which left his spirit no rest and robbed him of his sleep. 2 So he ordered that the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans[b] be summoned to interpret the dream for him. When they came and presented themselves to the king, 3 he said to them, “I had a dream which will allow my spirit no rest until I know what it means.” 4 The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic:[c] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream and we will give its meaning.” 5 The king answered the Chaldeans, “This is what I have decided: unless you tell me the dream and its meaning, you shall be cut to pieces and your houses made into a refuse heap. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its meaning, you shall receive from me gifts and presents and great honors. Therefore tell me the dream and its meaning.”
7 Again they answered, “Let the king tell his servants the dream and we will give its meaning.” 8 But the king replied: “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, since you know what I have decided. 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there can be but one decree for you. You have conspired to present a false and deceitful interpretation to me until the crisis is past. Tell me the dream, therefore, that I may be sure that you can also give its correct interpretation.”
10 The Chaldeans answered the king: “There is not a man on earth who can do what you ask, O king; never has any king, however great and mighty, asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or Chaldean. 11 What you demand, O king, is too difficult; there is no one who can tell it to the king except the gods, who do not dwell among people of flesh.” 12 At this the king became violently angry and ordered all the wise men[d] of Babylon to be put to death. 13 When the decree was issued that the wise men should be slain, Daniel and his companions were also sought out.
14 Then Daniel prudently took counsel with Arioch, the chief of the king’s guard, who had set out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He asked Arioch, the officer of the king, “What is the reason for this harsh order from the king?” When Arioch told him, 16 Daniel went and asked for time from the king, that he might give him the interpretation.
17 Daniel went home and informed his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 18 that they might implore the mercy of the God of heaven in regard to this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven:
20 “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
for wisdom and power are his.
21 He causes the changes of the times and seasons,
establishes kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who understand.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things
and knows what is in the darkness,
for the light dwells with him.(A)
23 To you, God of my ancestors,
I give thanks and praise,
because you have given me wisdom and power.
Now you have shown me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the king’s dream.”
24 So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not put the wise men of Babylon to death. Bring me before the king, and I will tell him the interpretation of the dream.” Arioch quickly brought Daniel to the king and said, 25 “I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can give the interpretation to the king.” 26 The king asked Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Can you tell me the dream that I had and its meaning?” 27 In the king’s presence Daniel made this reply:
“The mystery about which the king has inquired, the wise men, enchanters, magicians, and diviners could not explain to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in the last days; this was your dream, the visions[e] you saw as you lay in bed. 29 To you in your bed there came thoughts about what should happen in the future, and he who reveals mysteries showed you what is to be. 30 To me also this mystery has been revealed; not that I am wiser than any other living person, but in order that its meaning may be made known to the king, that you may understand the thoughts of your own mind.
31 “In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you. 32 Its head was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs bronze, 33 its legs iron, its feet partly iron and partly clay.[f] 34 While you watched, a stone was hewn from a mountain without a hand being put to it, and it struck its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. 35 The iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once, fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer, and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 [g]“This was the dream; the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings; to you the God of heaven has given dominion and strength, power and glory; 38 human beings, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell, he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all; you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours, then a third kingdom, of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth. 40 There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others, just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else. 41 The feet and toes you saw, partly of clay and partly of iron, mean that it shall be a divided kingdom, but yet have some of the hardness of iron. As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile, 42 and the toes partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 The iron mixed with clay means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage, but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay. 44 In the lifetime of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever. 45 (B)That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain without a hand being put to it, which broke in pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down and worshiped Daniel and ordered sacrifice and incense offered to him. 47 To Daniel the king said, “Truly your God is the God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries; that is why you were able to reveal this mystery.” 48 He advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents, made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 At Daniel’s request the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators of the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the king’s court.
Footnotes
- 2:1–49 The chronology of v. 1 is in conflict with that of 1:5, 18, and in 2:25 Daniel appears to be introduced to the king for the first time. It seems that the story of this chapter was originally entirely independent of chap. 1 and later retouched slightly to fit its present setting. The Septuagint (Papyrus 967) reads the twelfth year instead of the second.
- 2:2 Chaldeans: because the Babylonians gave serious study to the stars and planets, “Chaldeans” were identified with astrologers throughout the Hellenistic world.
- 2:4 Aramaic: a gloss to indicate that at this point the text switches from Hebrew to Aramaic, which continues through the end of chap. 7; at 8:1, the text switches back to Hebrew.
- 2:12 Wise men: the satire, although directed against the Babylonian diviners in the text, refers to the Hellenistic Greeks, who made special claims to wisdom; the assertion here is that true wisdom comes from God and resides with the Jews. Cf. also chap. 5.
- 2:28 The visions: lit., “the visions of your head,” a phrasing which distinguishes visionary experiences that are personal from those that are observable by others (see 4:2, 7, 10). That Daniel, unlike the Chaldeans, has access to these visions testifies to his God-given wisdom. Actually, this “dream” is more properly an apocalyptic vision; cf. the very similar message in Daniel’s vision of chap. 7.
- 2:33 Clay: it has been suggested that the motif of iron mixed with clay implies a hollow metal statue packed with clay to stabilize it. In the interpretation of the dream, however, the mixture is taken as a sign of weakness.
- 2:36–45 The four successive kingdoms in this apocalyptic perspective are the Babylonian (gold), the Median (silver), the Persian (bronze), and the Hellenistic (iron). The last, after Alexander’s death, was divided among his generals (vv. 41–42). Of the kingdoms which emerged from this partitioning, the two that most affected the Jews were the dynasties of the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria. They tried in vain, by war and through intermarriage, to restore the unity of Alexander’s empire (v. 43). The stone hewn from the mountain is the kingdom of God awaited by the Jews (vv. 44–45). Compare the image of the stone applied to Jesus in Luke 20:17–18.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
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