ダニエル書 4
1 ネブカデネザル王全世界に住める諸民諸族諸音に諭す願くは大なる平安汝らにあれ
King Nebuchadnezzar, to people of every nation and language in the whole world: I wish you well!
2 至高神我にむかひて徴證と奇蹟を行へり我これを知しむることを善と思ふ
It is my pleasure to share with you an account of the signs and wonders the Most High God has done for me.
3 嗚呼大なるかなその徴證嗚呼盛なるかなその奇蹟その國は永遠の國その權は世々限なし
His signs are incredible. His wonders are amazing! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his rule will last for all generations!
4 我ネブカデネザルわが家に安然に居りわが宮に榮え居れり
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was doing well at home, living happily in my palace.
5 我一の夢を見て之がために懼れ即ち床にありてその事を想ひめぐらしその我腦中の異象のために心をなやませり
But then one night I had a dream that really scared me—I saw visions that terrified me while I lay in my bed.
6 是に於て我命を下しバビロンの智者をことごとく我前に召よせしめてその夢の解明を我にしめさせんと爲たれば
So I ordered all the wise men of Babylon brought before me to explain the dream to me.
7 すなはち博士法術士カルデヤ人卜筮師等きたりしに囚て我その夢を彼らに語りけるに彼らはその解明を我にしめすことを得ざりき
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in I told them the dream, but they couldn't explain to me what it meant.
8 かくて後ダニエルわが前に來れり彼の名は吾神の名にしたがひてベルテシヤザルと稱へられその裏には聖神の霊やどれり我その夢を彼の前に語りて曰けらく
In the end Daniel came before me and I told him the dream. (He is also called Belteshazzar after my god, and he has the spirit of the holy gods in him.)
9 博士の長ベルテシヤザルよ我しる汝の裏には聖神の霊やどれば如何なる秘密も汝には難き事なし我が夢に見たるところの事等を聞きその解明を我に告げよ
“Belteshazzar, chief of magicians,” I said, “I certainly know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is difficult for you to explain. So tell me about what I saw in my dream and explain what it means.
10 我が床にありて見たる吾腦中の異象は是のごとし我觀しに地の當中に一の樹ありてその丈高かりしが
As I lay in bed dreaming, I saw a tree in the middle of the earth—a really large tree.
11 その樹長じて強固なり天に達するほどの高となりて地の極までも見えわたり
It grew strong and tall, reaching high into the sky so it could be seen by everyone in the whole world.
12 その葉は美しくその菓は饒にして一切の者その中より食を得また野の獣その蔭に臥し空の鳥その枝に棲み凡て血氣ある者みな是によりて身を養ふ
Its leaves were beautiful, and it was full of fruit for all to eat. Wild animals rested in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. It fed all living creatures.
13 我床にありて得たる腦中の異象の中に一箇の警寤者一箇の聖者の天より下るを見たりしが
As I went on dreaming, lying on my bed, I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14 彼聲高く呼はりて斯いへり此樹を伐たふしその枝を斫はなしその葉を搖おとしその果を打散し獣をしてその下より逃はしらせ鳥をしてその枝を飛さらしめよ
He cried out in a loud voice, ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Drive the animals away from its shade, and scare off the birds from its branches.
15 但しその根の上の斬株を地に遺しおき鐵と銅の索をかけて之を野の草の中にあらしめよ是は天よりくだる露に濕れまた地の草の中にて獣とその分を同じうせん
But leave the stump and its roots in the ground, and bind it with iron and bronze, surrounded by the new grass of the field. Let him become soaked with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals outside in the undergrowth.
16 又その心は變りて人間の心のごとくならず獣の心を稟て七の時を經ん
Let his mind become like that of an animal. Let him be like this for seven times.
17 この事は警寤者等の命によりこの事は聖者等の言による是至高者人間の國を治めて自己の意のままにこれを人に與へまた人の中の最も賤き者をその上に立たまふといふ事を一切の者に知しめんがためなり
This is the decree conveyed by the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones in order that everyone alive may know that the Most High rules over human kingdoms. He gives them to whoever he chooses—he puts the most humble individuals in charge.’
18 我ネブカデネザル王この夢を見たりベルテシヤザルよ汝その解明を我に述よ我國の智者は執も皆その解明を我に示すことを得ざりしが汝は之を能せん其は汝の裏には聖神の霊やどればなりと
This is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw in my dream. Now it's up to you, Belteshazzar, to give me the explanation as you have before. None of the wise men in my kingdom could explain it to me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
19 その時ダニエル又の名はベルテシヤザルとい者暫時の間驚き居り心に深く懼れたれば王これに告て言りベルテシヤザルよ汝この夢とその解明のために懼るるにおよばずとベルテシヤザルすなはち答へて言けらく我主よ願くはこの夢汝を惡む者の上にかからん事を願くは此解明汝の敵にのぞまんことを
When Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) heard this, he was upset for a while, disturbed as he thought about it. The king told him, “Belteshazzar, don't be worried about the dream and what it means.” “My lord, I only wish this dream was for those who hate you and the explanation for your enemies,” Daniel replied.
20 汝が見たまひし樹すなはちその長じて強くなり天に達するほどの高となりて地の極までも見えわたり
“The tree you saw was growing strong and tall, reaching high into the sky so it could be seen by everyone in the whole world.
21 その葉は美しくその果は饒にして一切の者その中より食を得またその下に野の獣臥しその枝に空の鳥棲たる者
Its leaves were beautiful, and it was full of fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived under its shade, and birds nested in its branches.
22 王よ是はすなはち汝なり汝は長じて強くなり汝の勢ひは盛にして天におよび汝の權は地の極にまでおよべり
This is you, Your Majesty. You have grown strong, your power has become so great that it has reached high into the sky, and your rule extends to the ends of the earth.
23 王また一箇の警寤者一箇の聖者の天より下りて斯言ふを見たまへり云くこの樹を伐たふして之をそこなへ但し其根の上の斬株を地に遺しおき鐵と銅の索をかけて之を野の草の中にあらしめよ是は天より下る露に濡れ野の獣とその分を同じうして七の時を經ん
Then Your Majesty saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven who said, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump and its roots in the ground, and bind it with iron and bronze, surrounded by the new grass of the field. Let him become soaked with the dew of heaven and let him live with the animals outside in the undergrowth. Let his mind become like that of an animal. Let him be like this for seven times.’
24 王よその解明は是の如し是即ち至高者の命にして王我主に臨まんとする者なり
This is what it means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has decreed will happen to my lord the king.
25 即ち汝は逐れて世の人と離れ野の獣とともに居り牛のごとくに草を食ひ天よりくだる露に濡れん是の如くにして七の時を經て汝つひに知ん至高者人間の國を治めて自己の意のままに之を人に與へ給ふと
You will be driven away from human society and you will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like the cattle, and you will be soaked with the dew of heaven. You will be like this for seven times until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over human kingdoms, and that he gives them to those he chooses.
26 又彼らその樹の根の上の斬株を遺しおけと言たれば汝の國は汝が天は主たりと知にいたる時まで汝を離れん
However, as it was decreed, the stump and its roots were to be left in the ground. Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
27 然ば王よ吾諌を容れ義をおこなひて罪を離れ貧者を憐みて惡を離れよ然らば汝の平安あるひは長く続かんと
So, Your Majesty, please take my advice. Stop sinning and do what's right. End your iniquities and be merciful to the oppressed. Maybe then things will continue to go well for you.”
28 この事みなネブカデネザル王に臨めり
(However, all this did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 十二箇月を經て後王バビロンの王宮の上に歩みをり
Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon.
30 王すなはち語りて言ふ此大なるバビロンは我が大なる力をもて建て京城となし之をもてわが威光を耀かす者ならずや
He said, “I was the one who built this great city of Babylon! By my own great power I built it as my royal residence for my majestic glory!”
31 その言なほ王の口にある中に天より聲降りて言ふネブカデネザル王よ汝に告ぐ汝は國の位を失はん
The words were still on the king's lips when a voice came from heaven, “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is what is decreed concerning you: the kingdom has been taken away from you.
32 汝は逐れて世の人と離れ野の獣と共に居り牛のごとくに草を食はん斯の如くにして七の時を經て汝つひに知ん至高者人間の國を治めて己れの意のままにこれを人に與へたまふと
You will be driven away from human society and you will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like the cattle, and you will become soaked with the dew of heaven. You will be like this for seven times until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over human kingdoms, and that he gives them to whoever he chooses.”
33 その時直にこの事ネブカデネザルに臨み彼は逐れて世の人に離れ牛のごとくに草を食ひてその身は天よりくだる露に濡れ終にその髮毛は鷲の羽のごとくになりその爪は鳥の爪のごとくになりぬ
Immediately the decree was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from human society. He ate grass like the cattle, and his body was soaked with the dew of heaven. His hair grew matted like a vulture, and his nails like bird claws.)
34 斯てその日の滿たる後我ネブカデネザル目をあげて天を望みしにわが分別性我に歸りたれば我至高者に感謝しその永遠に生る者を讃かつ崇めたり彼の御宇は永遠の御宇彼の國は世々かぎり無し
Once the time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed and praised the Most High and worshiped the One who lives forever. His rule is an eternal rule, and his kingdom lasts for all generations.
35 地上の居民は凡て無き者のごとし天の衆群にも地の居民にも彼はその意のままに事をなしたまふ誰も彼の手をおさへて汝なんぞ然するやと言ことを得る者なし
Everyone who lives on earth are as nothing compared to him. He does whatever he chooses among the heavenly host and among those who live on earth. No one can hold him back from what he does, or ask him, “What are you doing?”
36 この時わが分別性かく我に歸りたりしがわが國の榮光につきてはまた我の尊嚴と光耀我にかへれり且また大臣牧伯等我に請求めて我ふたたび國の祚を踐み前よりも著しく威光を増たり
When my sanity returned, then my kingdom, majesty, and splendor also returned to me. My advisors and nobles came looking for me, and I was restored as ruler over my kingdom, even greater than before.
37 是において我ネブカデネザル今は天の王を讃頌へかつ崇む彼の作爲は凡て眞實彼の道は正義自ら高ぶる者は彼能くこれを卑くしたまふ
So now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of Heaven, for everything he does is right, and his ways are true. He is able to humble those who are proud.
