Daniel 2
New Life Version
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. His spirit was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 Then the king called for the wonder-workers, those who used secret ways, those who learned from stars, to tell the king what he had dreamed. So they came in and stood in front of the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream that troubles me, and I want to know what the dream means.”
4 Then those who learn from stars said to the king in the Aramaic language, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will tell you what it means.” 5 The king answered, saying, “My word is sure. If you do not tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn apart and your houses will be laid waste. 6 But if you tell me the dream and what it means, I will give you gifts and riches and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means.” 7 They answered the king a second time, saying, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will tell you what it means.” 8 The king said, “I am sure that you are trying to get more time, because you see that my word is sure. 9 You know that if you do not tell me what I dreamed, there is only one penalty for you. You have agreed among yourselves to keep telling me lies until things change. So tell me the dream. Then I will know that you can tell me what it means.” 10 Those who learn from stars answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can do this for the king. For no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any wonder-worker or one who learns from stars. 11 What the king asks is too hard. No one can do it for you except the gods, who do not live among men.” 12 Because of this the king became very angry and said that all the wise men of Babylon must be destroyed. 13 So the law was sent out that the wise men must be killed. They looked for Daniel and his friends, to kill them also.
God Shows Daniel the Meaning of the Dream
14 Then Daniel spoke with wisdom and understanding to Arioch, the captain of the soldiers who watched over the king, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the king’s law so hard?” Then Arioch told him what had happened. 16 So Daniel went in and asked the king for time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, what had happened. 18 He told them to ask for loving-pity from the God of heaven about this secret, so that Daniel and his friends might not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was made known to Daniel in a special dream during the night. He gave honor and thanks to the God of heaven. 20 Daniel said, “Let the name of God be honored forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21 He changes the times and the years. He takes kings away, and puts kings in power. He gives wisdom to wise men and much learning to men of understanding. 22 He makes known secret and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness. Light is with Him. 23 I give thanks and praise to You, O God of my fathers. For You have given me wisdom and power. Even now You have made known what we asked of You. You have made the king’s dream known to us.”
Daniel Tells the Meaning to the King
24 So Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had told to kill the wise men of Babylon. He went and said to him, “Do not kill the wise men of Babylon! Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
25 Then Arioch brought Daniel to the king in a hurry, and said to him, “I have found a man among those brought out of Judah who can tell the king the meaning of his dream!” 26 The king said to Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me the dream I had, and what it means?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, wonder-workers, or men who use secret ways can make this dream known to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who makes secrets known. And He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. This was the special dream you had while you were on your bed. 29 O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future. And He Who makes secrets known has let you know what will happen. 30 But this secret has not been made known to me because I am wiser than any other living man. It was made known to me so that I can make it known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
31 “O king, you were looking and saw a great object. The object was large and very bright, and it was standing in front of you. It filled you with fear and wonder as you looked at it. 32 The object’s head was made of fine gold. Its breast and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and thighs were made of brass. 33 Its legs were made of iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It fell and hit the large object on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like dust on the grain-floor in the summer. The wind carried the dust away so nothing was to be found. But the stone that hit the large object became a large mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you the nation, the power, the strength, and the honor. 38 In every place where people live, or the animals of the field, or the birds of the air, He has given them to you and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. 39 After you there will be another nation that is not as great as yours. A third nation of brass will come, which will rule over all the earth. 40 Then there will be a fourth nation, as strong as iron. Iron crushes and breaks all things. So, like iron breaks things to pieces, this nation will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw the feet and toes made of part clay and part iron, it will be a divided nation. But it will have some of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with the clay. 42 As the toes of the feet were made of part iron and part clay, so some of the nation will be strong and part of it will be weak. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with clay, they will try to join with one another. But they will not stay together any more than iron mixes with clay. 44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a nation which will never be destroyed. And it will never be taken by another people. It will crush and put an end to all these nations, but it will last forever. 45 You saw how a stone was cut out of the mountain by no human hands, and how it crushed the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true. And I have given you its true meaning.”
Daniel Becomes Ruler of Babylon
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and gave honor to Daniel. He had a gift and special perfume brought to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “For sure your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and He makes hidden things known. For you have been able to make known this secret.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel much power and gave him many great gifts. He made him ruler over the whole land of Babylon and the head of all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel asked the king to put Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego as leaders over the land of Babylon, while Daniel stayed near the king.
Daniel 2
King James Version
2 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 Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Daniel 2
Svenska Folkbibeln
Nebukadnessars dröm
2 I sitt andra regeringsår hade Nebukadnessar drömmar som gjorde honom orolig och sömnlös. 2 Då kallade kungen till sig sina spåmän, besvärjare, trollkarlar och kaldeer, för att de skulle tala om för honom vad han hade drömt. Och de kom och trädde fram inför kungen.
3 Kungen sade till dem: "Jag har haft en dröm och är orolig och vill veta vad jag har drömt." 4 Då sade kaldeerna till kungen på arameiska: "Må konungen leva för evigt! Berätta drömmen för dina tjänare så skall vi tyda den." 5 Kungen svarade kaldeerna: "Detta är mitt orubbliga beslut: Om ni inte säger mig drömmen och tyder den skall ni huggas i stycken och era hus göras till sophögar. 6 Men om ni låter mig veta drömmen och hur den skall tydas, skall ni få gåvor och lön och stor ära av mig. Meddela mig därför drömmen och uttyd den för mig." 7 De svarade för andra gången: "Konungen må berätta drömmen för sina tjänare, så skall vi tala om vad den betyder." 8 Kungen svarade: "Jag märker tydligt att ni vill vinna tid, eftersom ni ser att detta är mitt orubbliga beslut. 9 Om ni inte säger mig drömmen kan domen över er bara bli en. Ni har kommit överens om att ljuga och bedra, i hopp om att tiderna skall förändras. Säg mig nu vad jag har drömt, så vet jag att ni också kan tyda drömmen för mig."
10 Kaldeerna svarade kungen: "Det finns ingen människa på jorden som kan meddela konungen det han vill veta. Det har aldrig hänt att någon kung, hur stor och mäktig han än varit, har begärt något sådant av någon spåman eller besvärjare eller kaldé. 11 Det som konungen begär är alltför svårt, och det finns ingen som kan meddela konungen det, ingen utom gudarna. Men de bor inte bland de dödliga."
12 Detta gjorde kungen så vred och förbittrad att han befallde att man skulle förgöra alla de vise i Babel. 13 När påbudet om detta hade utfärdats och man skulle döda alla de vise männen, sökte man också efter Daniel och hans vänner för att döda dem. 14 Då vände sig Daniel med kloka och förståndiga ord till Arjok, översten för kungens drabanter, han som hade dragit ut för att döda de vise i Babel. 15 Han frågade Arjok, kungens befälhavare: "Varför har kungen utfärdat denna stränga befallning?" Då talade Arjok om för Daniel hur det var. 16 Daniel gick då in till kungen och bad att få tid på sig, så skulle han ge kungen uttydningen.
17 Sedan gick Daniel hem och talade om för sina vänner Hananja, Misael och Asarja vad som höll på att hända. 18 Han uppmanade dem att be himmelens Gud om förbarmande, så att denna hemlighet blev uppenbarad för att Daniel och hans vänner inte skulle dödas tillsammans med de övriga vise i Babel.
19 Då uppenbarades hemligheten för Daniel i en syn om natten, och Daniel prisade himmelens Gud 20 och sade:
"Lovat vare Guds namn från evighet till evighet.
Ty vishet och makt tillhör honom.
21 Han låter tider och stunder skifta,
han avsätter kungar och tillsätter kungar,
han ger de visa deras vishet
och de förståndiga deras förstånd.
22 Han uppenbarar det som är djupt och fördolt,
han vet vad som finns i mörkret
och hos honom bor ljuset.
23 Dig, mina fäders Gud, tackar och prisar jag
för att du har gett mig vishet och förmåga
och för att du nu har uppenbarat för mig
det vi bad dig om.
Ty vad kungen ville veta
har du uppenbarat för oss."
24 Sedan gick Daniel in till Arjok, som hade fått order av kungen att förgöra de vise i Babel. Han gick in och sade till honom: "Du skall inte döda de vise i Babel. För mig in till kungen, så skall jag ge honom uttydningen." 25 Genast förde Arjok Daniel till kungen och sade till honom: "Jag har funnit en man bland de judiska fångarna som kan ge konungen uttydningen." 26 Kungen sade till Daniel, som hade fått namnet Beltesassar: "Kan du verkligen låta mig veta den dröm som jag har sett och vad den betyder?" 27 Daniel svarade kungen:
"Den hemlighet som konungen vill veta, kan inga vise män, besvärjare, spåmän eller stjärntydare meddela konungen. 28 Men det finns en Gud i himlen som kan uppenbara hemligheter, och han har låtit konung Nebukadnessar veta vad som skall ske i kommande dagar. Detta var din dröm och den syn du hade på din bädd: 29 När du, o konung, låg på din bädd, började du tänka på vad som kommer att ske i framtiden, och han som uppenbarar hemligheter lät dig veta vad som skall ske. 30 För mig har denna hemlighet uppenbarats, inte för att jag är visare än alla andra levande varelser, utan för att uttydningen skulle kungöras för konungen så att du förstår ditt hjärtas tankar.
31 Du, o konung, såg i din syn en stor staty framför dig, och den var hög och dess glans överväldigande. Den var förskräcklig att se på. 32 Huvudet på statyn var av fint guld, bröstet och armarna av silver, buken och höfterna av koppar. 33 Benen var av järn, och fötterna delvis av järn och delvis av lera. 34 Medan du såg på den revs en sten loss, men inte genom människohänder, och den träffade statyns fötter av järn och lera och krossade dem. 35 Då krossades alltsammans, järnet, leran, kopparn, silvret och guldet, och allt blev som agnar på en tröskloge om sommaren, och vinden förde bort det så att man inte längre kunde finna något spår av det. Men av stenen som hade träffat statyn blev det ett stort berg som uppfyllde hela jorden.
36 Detta var drömmen, och nu vill vi säga konungen vad den betyder: 37 Du, o konung, konungarnas konung, som himmelens Gud har givit rike, väldighet, makt och ära, 38 i din hand har han gett människorna, djuren på marken och fåglarna under himlen, var de än bor, och han har satt dig till herre över alltsammans. Du är det gyllene huvudet. 39 Men efter dig skall det uppstå ett annat rike, obetydligare än ditt, och därefter ett tredje rike av koppar, och det skall regera över hela jorden. 40 Det fjärde riket skall vara starkt som järn, för järnet krossar och slår sönder allt. Så som järnet förstör allt annat, skall också detta krossa och förstöra. 41 Och att du såg fötterna och tårna vara delvis av krukmakarlera och delvis av järn, det betyder att det skall vara ett splittrat rike, men med något av järnets fasthet. Du såg ju att där var järn blandat med lerjord. 42 Att tårna på fötterna delvis var av järn och delvis av lera betyder att riket skall vara delvis starkt och delvis svagt. 43 Att du såg järnet vara blandat med lerjord betyder att människor skall blanda sig med varandra genom giftermål men att de inte skall hålla samman, lika lite som järn kan förenas med lera.
44 Men i de kungarnas dagar skall himmelens Gud upprätta ett rike, som aldrig i evighet skall förstöras och vars makt inte skall överlämnas till något annat folk. Det skall krossa och göra slut på alla dessa andra riken, men själv skall det bestå för evigt. 45 Du såg ju att en sten revs loss från berget, men inte genom människohänder, och att den krossade järnet, kopparn, leran, silvret och guldet.
Den store Guden har nu uppenbarat för konungen vad som skall ske i framtiden, och drömmen är sann och uttydningen tillförlitlig."
46 Då föll kung Nebukadnessar ner på sitt ansikte och tillbad Daniel och befallde att man skulle offra matoffer och rökelseoffer åt honom. 47 Och kungen sade till Daniel: "Er Gud är i sanning en Gud över andra gudar, en Herre över kungar och en som uppenbarar hemligheter, eftersom du har kunnat uppenbara denna hemlighet."
48 Därefter upphöjde kungen Daniel och gav honom många stora gåvor och satte honom till herre över hela Babels hövdingdöme och till högste föreståndare för alla de vise i Babel. 49 På Daniels begäran utsåg kungen Sadrak, Mesak och Abed-Nego att förvalta Babels hövdingdöme, men Daniel själv stannade vid kungens hov.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln