Daniel 2 (DA31)

1I sit andet regeringsår drømte Nebukadnezar, og hans sind blev uroligt, så han ikke kunde sove.In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

2Så lod Kongen Drømmetyderne, Manerne, Sandsigerne og Kaldæerne* kalde, for at de skulde sige ham, hvad han havde drømt. Og de kom og trådte frem for Kongen. { }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,

3Da sagde Kongen til dem: “Jeg har haft en Drøm, og mit Sind falder ikke til Ro, før jeg får at vide, hvad den betyder.”he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”

4Kaldæerne svarede Kongen (på Aramaisk*): “Kongen leve evindelig! Sig dine Trælle Drømmen, så skal vi tyde den.” { }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.”

5Men Kongen svarede Kaldæerne: “Mit Ord står fast! Hvis I ikke både kundgør mig Drømmen og tyder den, skal I hugges sønder og sammen og eders Huse gøres til Skarndynger;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.

6men gengiver I mig Drømmen og tyder den, får I Skænk og Gave og stor Ære af mig. Gengiv mig, derfor Drømmen og tyd den!”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.”

7De svarede atter: “Kongen sige sine Trælle Drømmen, så skal vi tyde den.”They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”

8Kongen svarede: “Nu ved jeg for vist, at I kun søger at vinde Tid, fordi I ser, mit Ord står fast,The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.

9så eders Dom kun kan blive én, hvis I ikke kundgør mig Drømmen, og at I derfor er blevet enige om at lyve for mig og føre mig bag Lyset, til der kommer andre Tider. Sig mig derfor Drømmen, så jeg kan vide, at I også kan tyde mig den.”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.”

10Kaldæerne svarede Kongen: “Der findes ikke et Menneske på Jorden, som kan sige, hvad Kongen ønsker at vide; aldrig har jo heller nogen Konge, hvor stor og mægtig han end var, krævet sligt af nogen Drømmetyder, Maner eller Kaldæer;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.

11hvad Kongen kræver, er umuligt, og der er ingen, som kan sige kongen det, undtagen Guderne, og de bor ikke hos de dødelige.”What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

12Herover blev Kongen vred og såre harmfuld, og han bød, at alle Babels Vismænd skulde henrettes.This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13Da nu Befalingen var udgået, og man skulde til at slå Vismændene ihjel, ledte man også efter Daniel og hans Venner for at slå dem ihjel.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.

14Da henvendte Daniel sig med kloge og vel overvejede Ord til Arjok, Øversten for Kongens Livvagt, som var draget ud for at slå Babels Vismænd ihjel.When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.

15Han tog til Orde og spurgte Arjok, Kongens Høvedsmand: “Hvorfor er så skarp en Befaling udgået fra Kongen?” Og da Arjok havde sat ham ind i Sagen,“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.

16gik Daniel ind til Kongen og bad ham give sig en Frist, så skulde han tyde Kongen Drømmen.So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

17Så gik Daniel hjem og satte sine Venner Hananja, Misjael og Azarja ind i Sagen,Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

18og han pålagde dem at bede Himmelens Gud om Barmhjertighed, så han åbenbarede Hemmeligheden, for at ikke Daniel og hans Venner skulde blive henrettet med Babels andre Vismænd.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.

19Da blev Hemmeligheden åbenbaret Daniel i et Nattesyn; og Daniel priste Himmelens Gud,During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven

20tog til Orde og sagde: “Lovet være Guds Navn fra Evighed og til Evighed, thi ham tilhører Visdom og Styrke!and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

21Han lader Tider og Stunder skifte, afsætter og indsætter konger, giver de vise deres Visdom og de indsigtsfulde deres Viden;He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

22han åbenbarer det dybe og lønlige; han ved, hvad Mørket gemmer, og Lyset bor hos ham.He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

23Dig, mine Fædres Gud, takker og priser jeg, fordi du gav mig Visdom og Styrke, og nu har du kundgjort mig, hvad vi bad dig om; thi hvad Kongen vil vide, har du kundgjort os!”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.”

24Derfor gik Daniel til Arjok, hvem Kongen havde pålagt at henrette Babels Vismænd, og sagde til ham: “Henret ikke Babels Vismænd, men før mig frem for Kongen, så vil jeg tyde ham Drømmen!”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.”

25Så førte Arjok i Hast Daniel frem for Kongen og sagde til ham: “Jeg har blandt de bortførte Judæere fundet en Mand, som vil tyde Kongen Drømmen!”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.”

26Kongen tog til Orde og spurgte Daniel, som havde fået Navnet Beltsazzar: “Er du i Stand til at kundgøre mig den Drøm, jeg har haft, og tyde den?”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?”

27Daniel svarede Kongen: “Den Hemmelighed, Kongen ønsker at vide, kan Vismænd, Manere, Drømmetydere og Stjernetydere ikke sige kongen;Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.

28men der er en Gud i Himmelen, som åbenbarer Hemmeligheder, og han har kundgjort Kong Nebukadnezar, hvad der skal ske i de sidste Dage: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:

29Du tænkte, o Konge, på dit Leje over, hvad der skal ske i Fremtiden, og han, som åbenbarer Hemmeligheder, kundgjorde dig, hvad der skal ske.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.

30Og mig er denne Hemmelighed åbenbaret, ikke ved nogen Visdom, som jeg har forud for alle andre levende Væsener, men for at Drømmen kan blive tydet Kongen, så du kan kende dit Hjertes Tanker.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.

31Du så, o Konge, for dig en vældig Billedstøtte; denne Billedstøtte var stor og dens Glans overmåde stærk; den stod foran dig, og dens Udseende var forfærdeligt.As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.

32Billedstøttens Hoved var af fint Guld, Bryst og Arme af Sølv, Bug og Lænder af Kobber,The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,

33Benene af Jern og Fødderne halvt af Jern og halvt af Ler.its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.

34Således skuede du, indtil en Sten reves løs, dog ikke ved Menneskehænder, og ramte Billedstøttens Jern- og Lerfødder og knuste dem;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.

35og på én Gang knustes Jern, Ler, Kobber, Sølv og Guld og blev som Avner fra Sommerens Tærskepladser, og Vinden bar det sporløst bort; men Stenen, som ramte Billedstøtten, blev til et stort Bjerg, der fyldte hele Jorden.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.

36Således var Drømmen, og nu vil vi tyde Kongen den:This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

37Du, o Konge, Kongernes Konge, hvem Himmelens Gud gav Kongedømme, Magt, Styrke og Ære,You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.

38i hvis Hånd han gav Menneskene, så vide de bor, Markens Dyr og Himmelens Fugle, så han gjorde dig til Hersker over dem alle, - du er Hovedet, som var af Guld.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.

39Men efter dig skal der komme et andet Rige, ringere end dit, og derpå atter et tredje Rige, som er af Kobber, og hvis Herredømme skal strække sig over hele Jorden.But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.

40Siden skal der komme et fjerde Rige, stærkt som Jern; thi Jern knuser og søndrer alt; og som Jern sønderslår, skal det knuse og sønderslå alle hine Riger.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.

41Men når du så Fødderne og Tæerne halvt af Pottemagerler og halvt af Jern, betyder det, at det skal være et Rige uden Sammenhold; dog skal det have noget af Jernets Fasthed, thi du så jo, at Jern var blandet med Ler.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.

42Og at Tæerne var halvt af Jern og halvt af Ler, betyder, at Riget delvis skal være stærkt, delvis svagt.And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

43Og når du så, at Jernet var blandet med Ler, betyder det, at de skal indgå Ægteskaber med hverandre, men dog ikke indbyrdes holde sammen, så lidt som Jern kan blandes med Ler.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.

44Men i hine Kongers* Dage vil Himmelens Gud oprette et Rige, som aldrig i Evighed skal forgå, og Herredømmet skal ikke gå over til noget andet Folk; det skal knuse og tilintetgøre alle hine Riger, men selv stå i al Evighed; { }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.

45thi du så jo, at en Sten reves løs fra Klippen, dog ikke ved Menneskehænder, og knuste Jern, Ler, Kobber, Sølv og Guld. En stor Gud har kundgjort Kongen, hvad der skal ske herefter; og Drømmen er sand og Tydningen troværdig.”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.”

46Så faldt Kong Nebukadnezar på sit Ansigt og bøjede sig for Daniel, og han bød, at man skulde bringe ham Ofre og Røgelse.At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

47Og Kongen tog til Orde og sagde til Daniel: “I Sandhed, eders Gud er Gudernes Gud og Kongernes Herre, og han kan åbenbare Hemmeligheder, siden du har kunnet åbenbare denne Hemmelighed.”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.”

48Derpå ophøjede Kongen Daniel og gav ham mange store Gaver, og han satte ham til Herre over hele Landsdelen Babel og til Overherre over alle Babels Vismænd.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.

49Men på Daniels Bøn overdrog kongen Sjadrak, Mesjak og Abed Nego at styre Landsdelen Babel, medens Daniel selv blev i Kongens Gård.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.

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