Daniel 2

1 I sit andet regeringsår drømte Nebukadnezar, og hans sind blev uroligt, så han ikke kunde sove

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.

2 Så 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.

And the king commanded to call the scribes, and the magicians, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to shew the king his dreams; and they came and stood before the king.

3 Da sagde Kongen til dem: "Jeg har haft en Drøm, og mit Sind falder ikke til Ro, før jeg får at vide, hvad den betyder."

And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.

4 Kaldæerne svarede Kongen (på Aramaisk") ): "Kongen leve evindelig! Sig dine Trælle Drømmen, så skal vi tyde den."

And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever! tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

5 Men 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 answered and said to the Chaldeans, The command is gone forth from me: If ye do not make known unto me the dream, and its interpretation, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

6 men 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 ye shew the dream and its interpretation, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour; therefore shew me the dream and its interpretation.

7 De svarede atter: "Kongen sige sine Trælle Drømmen, så skal vi tyde den."

They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

8 Kongen svarede: "Nu ved jeg for vist, at I kun søger at vinde Tid, fordi I ser, mit Ord står fast,

The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the word is gone forth from me;

9 så eders Dom kun kan blive een, 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."

but if ye do 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 its interpretation.

10 Kaldæerne 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 tnægtig han end var, krævet sligt af nogen Drømmetyder, Maner eller Kaldæer;

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, however great and powerful, that hath asked such a thing of any scribe, or magician, or Chaldean.

11 hvad Kongen kræver, er umuligt, og der er ingen, som kan sige kongen det, undtagen Guderne, og de bor ikke hos de dødelige."

For the thing that the king demandeth is extraordinary, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

12 Herover blev Kongen vred og såre harmfuld, og han bød, at alle Babels Vismænd skulde henrettes.

For this cause the king was irritated and very wroth, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13 Da 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.

And the decree went forth that the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to slay them.

14 Da 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.

Then Daniel answered with counsel and prudence to Arioch the chief of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

15 Han 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,

he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so rigorous from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16 gik Daniel ind til Kongen og bad ham give sig en Frist, så skulde han tyde Kongen Drømmen.

And Daniel went in, and requested of the king that he would give him time, that he might shew the king the interpretation.

17 Så gik Daniel hjem og satte sine Venner Hananja, Misjael og Azarja ind i Sagen,

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions;

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

that they would desire mercies of the God of the heavens concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Da blev Hemmeligheden åbenbaret Daniel i et Nattesyn; og Daniel priste Himmelens Gud,

Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of the heavens.

20 tog til Orde og sagde: "Lovet være Guds Navn fra Evighed og til Evighed, thi ham tilhører Visdom og Styrke!

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; For wisdom and might are his.

21 Han lader Tider og Stunder skifte, afsætter og indsætter konger, giver de vise deres Visdom og de indsigtsfulde deres Viden;

And it is he that changeth times and seasons; He deposeth kings, and setteth up kings; He giveth wisdom to the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding.

22 han åbenbarer det dybe og lønlige; han ved, hvad Mørket gemmer, og Lyset bor hos ham.

It is he that revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

23 Dig, 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!"

I thank thee, and I praise thee, O God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me already what we desired of thee; For thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.

24 Derfor gik Daniel til Arjok, hvem Kongen havdepålagt 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 in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed 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 Så 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!"

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him: I have found a man of the sons of the captivity of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

26 Kongen 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 answered and said unto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream that I have seen, and its interpretation?

27 Daniel svarede Kongen: "Den Hemmelighed, Kongen ønsker at vide, kan Vismænd, Manere, Drømmetydere og Stjernetydere ikke sige kongen;

Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The secret that the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the magicians, the scribes, the astrologers, shew unto the king;

28 men 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 the heavens, who revealeth secrets, and maketh known to king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be at the end of days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these:

29 Du 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 for thee, O king, thy thoughts arose upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets hath made known to thee what shall come to pass.

30 Og 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 as for me, this secret is revealed to me, not by [any] wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation should be made known to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

31 Du 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.

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image. This image was mighty and its brightness excellent; it stood before thee, and its appearance was terrible.

32 Billedstøttens Hoved var af fint Guld, Bryst og Arme af Sølv, Bug og Lænder af Kobber.

This image's head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass,

33 Benene af Jern og Fødderne halvt af Jern og halvt af Ler.

its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay.

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

Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands; and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.

35 og på een 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 was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken in pieces together, and they became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 Således var Drømmen, og nu vil vi tyde Kongen den:

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

37 Du, o Konge, Kongernes Konge, hvem Himmelens Gud gav Kongedømme, Magt, Styrke og Ære,

Thou, O king, art a king of kings, unto whom the God of the heavens hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;

38 i 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.

and wheresoever the children of men, the beasts of the field, and the fowl of the heavens dwell, he hath given them into thy hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all: thou art this head of gold.

39 Men 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.

And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; then another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

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

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth everything, and as iron that breaketh all these, so shall it break in pieces and bruise.

41 Men 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 whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's 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 Og 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 part of iron and part of clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

43 Og 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.

And whereas thou sawest the 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 doth not mingle with clay.

44 Men 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;

And in the days of these kings shall the God of the heavens set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the sovereignty thereof shall not be left to another people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever.

45 thi 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."

Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke 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 of it sure.

46 Så faldt Kong, Nebukadnezar på sit Ansigt og bøjede sig for Daniel, og han bød, at man skulde bringe ham Ofre og Røgelse.

Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

47 Og 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 answered Daniel and said, Of a truth it is that your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, because thou wast able to reveal this secret.

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

And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon. And Daniel was in the gate of the king.