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Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
1Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; ⚓and his spirit was so troubled that ⚓his sleep left him.
2⚓Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, ⚓“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be ⚓cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.
6⚓However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
7They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
8The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
9if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
10The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.
11It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king ⚓except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought ⚓Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
14Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;
15he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.
16So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
18⚓that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19Then the secret was revealed to Daniel ⚓in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20Daniel answered and said:
⚓“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
⚓For wisdom and might are His.
21And He changes ⚓the times and the seasons;
⚓He removes kings and raises up kings;
⚓He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22⚓He reveals deep and secret things;
⚓He knows what is in the darkness,
And ⚓light dwells with Him.
23“I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we ⚓asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
Daniel Explains the Dream
24Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”
25Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”
27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.
28⚓But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar ⚓what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
29As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; ⚓and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.
30⚓But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, ⚓and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
31“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome.
32⚓This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,
33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
34You watched while a stone was cut out ⚓without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35⚓Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became ⚓like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that ⚓no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image ⚓became a great mountain ⚓and filled the whole earth.
36“This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.
37⚓You, O king, are a king of kings. ⚓For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;
38⚓and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—⚓you are this head of gold.
39But after you shall arise ⚓another kingdom ⚓inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
40And ⚓the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
41Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.
42And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, ⚓so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
43As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44And in the days of these kings ⚓the God of heaven will set up a kingdom ⚓which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; ⚓it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45⚓Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”
Daniel and His Friends Promoted
46⚓Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering ⚓and incense to him.
47The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly ⚓your God is the God of ⚓gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
48⚓Then the king promoted Daniel ⚓and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and ⚓chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
49Also Daniel petitioned the king, ⚓and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel ⚓sat in the gate of the king.
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Daniyee txhais Nenpukhanexa zaj npau suav
1Xyoo ob uas Nenpukhanexa ua vajntxwv kav, Nenpukhanexa txawm ua npau suav mas nws ntxhov siab heev pw tsis tsaug zog.
2Vajntxwv thiaj hais kom hu cov txiv neeb txiv yaig thiab tej uas txawj ua khawv koob thiab cov uas txawj saib caij saib nyoog thiab cov Kheedia⚓ tuaj txhais vajntxwv tej npau suav rau nws. Lawv txawm nkag los sawv ntsug rau ntawm vajntxwv xubntiag.
3Mas vajntxwv hais rau lawv tias, “Kuv tau ua npau suav mas kuv ntxhov siab kawg xav paub zaj npau suav lub ntsiab.”
4Cov Kheedia thiaj hais rau vajntxwv tias,⚓ “Au vajntxwv, thov koj muaj txojsia nyob mus ib txhis. Thov koj piav koj zaj npau suav rau peb uas yog koj cov qhev mloog, mas peb yuav txhais lub ntsiab rau koj.”
5Vajntxwv teb cov Kheedia tias, “Kuv yeej hais tu nrho tias, yog nej tsis piav zaj npau suav thiab txhais lub ntsiab rau kuv, nej tej tes taw yuav raug muab dua tu pov tseg, thiab nej tej tsev yuav raug muab rhuav pob tag.
6Tiamsis yog nej piav zaj npau suav thiab txhais lub ntsiab rau kuv, kuv yuav pub tshav ntuj thiab nqe thiab koob meej loj rau nej. Yog li no, cia li piav zaj npau suav thiab txhais lub ntsiab rau kuv.”
7Lawv teb zaum ob hais tias, “Thov vajntxwv piav zaj npau suav rau peb mloog, mas peb yuav txhais lub ntsiab rau koj.”
8Vajntxwv teb tias, “Kuv paub tseeb tias nej yooj xeeb luab lim sijhawm xwb, vim nej pom tias kuv hais tu nrho tias,
9yog nej tsis piav zaj npau suav rau kuv, ces muaj tib lo lus txiav txim rau nej xwb. Nej yeej hais hum yuav hais lus dag thiab hais lus tsis tseeb rau kuv mus txog thaum txawv txav tsis thooj li kuv hais. Vim li no nej cia li hais zaj npau suav rau kuv, kuv thiaj paub tias nej txhais tau lub ntsiab thiab.”
10Cov Kheedia txawm teb vajntxwv tias, “Vajntxwv, thoob plaws hauv lub qab ntuj no yeej tsis muaj ib tug yuav ua tau raws li koj hais. Yeej tsis txeev muaj ib tug vajntxwv loj kawg uas muaj hwjchim thov li no ntawm cov txiv neeb txiv yaig, cov uas ua khawv koob yees siv thiab cov Kheedia.
11Tej uas koj thov ntawd nyuaj kawg, tsis muaj ib tug twg yuav piav tau rau koj tsuas yog tej timtswv uas tsis nrog neeg nyob thiaj qhia tau xwb.”
12Vim qhov no vajntxwv thiaj chim heev thiab npau taws ceev txawm hais kom muab cov neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo tua pov tseg huvsi.
13Muaj ntawv tshaj tawm kom tua cov neeg txawj ntse pov tseg, mas luag kuj mus nrhiav Daniyee thiab nws cov kwvluag yuav muab tua pov tseg.
14Daniyee txawm ua tib zoo hais tej lus txawj ntse teb Ali‑au uas ua thawj rog saib xyuas cov tub rog zov vajntxwv uas tawm mus tua cov neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo,
15thiab nws hais rau Ali‑au uas yog vajntxwv tus thawj rog tias, “Ua cas vajntxwv tsab ntawv yuav txiav txim hnyav ua luaj?” Ces Ali‑au kuj piav zaj ntawd rau Daniyee paub.
16Mas Daniyee thiaj nkag mus thiab thov vajntxwv pub sijhawm rau nws kom nws thiaj txhais tau zaj npau suav lub ntsiab rau vajntxwv.
17Ces Daniyee txawm rov los rau hauv nws tsev thiab qhia zaj ntawd rau nws cov kwvluag uas yog Hananiya thiab Misa‑ee thiab Axaliya mloog.
18Nws hais kom lawv thov Vajtswv ntuj txojkev khuvleej txog zaj uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub no, xwv Daniyee thiab nws cov kwvluag thiaj tsis nrog lwm tus neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo puam tsuaj.
19Mas zaj uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub ntawd raug muab qhia rau Daniyee ua yog toog hmo ntuj. Mas Daniyee thiaj qhuas Vajtswv ntuj.
20Daniyee hais tias
“Cia li qhuas Vajtswv lub npe
mus ib txhiab ib txhis,
tswvyim thiab hwjchim loj kawg yog nws li.
21Nws hloov lub caij lub nyoog,
nws hle tej vajntxwv
thiab tsa tej vajntxwv tshiab.
Nws pub tswvyim rau cov neeg txawj ntse,
thiab pub kev paub
rau cov uas txawj nkag siab.
22Nws qhia tej uas nyob tob
tsis muaj leejtwg paub tshwm los,
nws paub tej uas nyob hauv qhov tsaus ntuj.
thiab qhov kaj nrog nraim nws nyob.
23Au kuv tej yawg koob tus Vajtswv,
kuv ua koj tsaug thiab qhuas koj,
vim yog koj pub tswvyim
thiab pub zog rau kuv,
thiab qhia yam uas peb thov rau kuv paub,
rau qhov koj qhia vajntxwv zaj
tshwm rau peb paub.”
24Ces Daniyee txawm mus cuag Ali‑au uas vajntxwv tau tsa kom muab cov neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo ua kom puam tsuaj. Nws nkag mus hais rau Ali‑au tias, “Thov tsis txhob ua kom cov neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo puam tsuaj tag. Cia li coj kuv mus cuag vajntxwv, kuv yuav txhais zaj npau suav rau vajntxwv.”
25Ces Ali‑au txawm maj nroos coj Daniyee mus cuag vajntxwv, thiab hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Kuv ntsib ib tug hauv cov neeg Yuda uas poob tebchaws uas txhais tau zaj npau suav rau vajntxwv paub.”
26Vajntxwv thiaj hais rau Daniyee uas muaj dua npe hu ua Npeethesaxa tias, “Koj muaj peevxwm piav zaj npau suav uas kuv pom ntawd thiab txhais lub ntsiab rau kuv paub lov?”
27Daniyee teb vajntxwv tias, “Tsis muaj ib tug tub txawj ntse, lossis ib tug txiv neeb txiv yaig lossis ib tug uas txawj ua khawv koob yees siv lossis ib tug uas txawj saib caij saib nyoog yuav qhia tau yam uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub rau vajntxwv.
28Tiamsis muaj ib tug Vajtswv uas nyob saum ntuj qhia yam uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub tshwm los, thiab nws qhia rau vajntxwv Nenpukhanexa paub txog tej uas yuav muaj tshwm los rau tom hauv ntej. Koj zaj npau suav thiab koj zaj yog toog uas koj pom hauv koj lub taubhau saum koj lub txaj pw yog li no.
29Au vajntxwv, thaum koj pw saum koj lub txaj, mas koj xav txog tej uas yuav tshwm los rau yav tom ntej, mas tus Vajtswv uas qhia tej uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub ntawd qhia tej uas yuav tshwm los rau koj.
30Qhov uas muab yam no uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub qhia tshwm rau kuv paub, tsis yog vim kuv muaj tswvyim ntau dua tej neeg uas tseem ciaj sia nyob sawvdaws, tiamsis yog qhia rau vajntxwv paub zaj npau suav lub ntsiab thiab paub txog tej uas koj xav cia hauv lub siab.
31“Au vajntxwv, koj tsa qhov muag saib mas pom muaj ib tug niag moj zeej loj loj. Tus moj zeej loj no muaj hwjchim heev ci nplas, nyob rau ntawm koj xubntiag thiab saib mas txaus ntshai kawg li.
32Tus moj zeej lub taubhau yog tseem kub, lub hauv siab thiab ob txhais npab yog nyiaj, lub plab thiab ob txhais ncej qab yog tooj liab,
33ob txhais ceg yog hlau, ob txhais taw yog hlau xyaw av nplaum.
34Thaum koj tabtom saib, txawm muaj ib lub pob zeb uas muab txam tsis yog neeg txhais tes txam, txawm dhia los raug tus moj zeej ntawd txhais kotaw uas yog av nplaum xyaw hlau thiab tsoo ua tawg tag ua tej dwb daim.
35Mas tej hlau, tej av nplaum, tej tooj liab, tej nyiaj thiab tej kub puavleej tawg ntsoog ntxaws ua tej dwb daim zoo li tej npluag hauv tshav ntaus qoob thaum lub caij ntuj kub, cua muab ntsawj ya tag lawm, tsis pom tshuav ib yam dabtsi kiag li. Tiamsis lub pob zeb uas tsoo tus moj zeej ntawd txawm loj zuj zus ua ib lub roob loj loj puv nkaus lub ntiajteb.
36“No yog koj zaj npau suav. Nimno peb yuav txhais lub ntsiab rau vajntxwv paub.
37Au vajntxwv, uas yog ib tsoom vajntxwv tus tuam vajntxwv, uas Vajtswv ntuj tau pub qhov uas kav tej tebchaws thiab pub hwjchim thiab zog thiab meej mom rau koj,
38thiab tau muab ib tsoom neeg thiab tsiaj qus thiab tej nas noog saum nruab ntug cob rau koj txhais tes tsis hais nyob qhovtwg kuj xij, muab rau koj kav tag nrho huvsi, mas lub taubhau kub ntawd yog koj ntag.
39Dhau koj lawm yuav muaj dua ib lub tebchaws kav uas qes dua koj, thiab tseem muaj dua lub tebchaws uas peb yog tooj liab uas yuav kav thoob plaws lub ntiajteb.
40Thiab yuav muaj lub tebchaws uas plaub muaj zog yam li hlau, rau qhov hlau yuav tsoo txhua yam lov tawg tag ua tej dwb daim. Thiab yuav muab lov thiab tsoo tej tebchaws ntawd ntsoog tag ib yam li hlau tsoo.
41Ib yam li koj pom txhais kotaw thiab cov ntiv taw ib qho yog av nplaum ib qho yog hlau, mas lub tebchaws ntawd yuav sib faib li ntawd. Tiamsis tseem muaj zog li hlau ib txhia, ib yam li koj pom hlau xyaw av nplaum ntawd.
42Ib yam li tej ntiv taw ib qho yog hlau ib qhov yog av nplaum, lub tebchaws ntawd ib qho yuav nplaum ib qho yuav nkig.
43Ib yam li koj pom hlau xyaw av nplaum, lub tebchaws yuav txuam tsoov ua tshoob ua kos tiamsis yuav tsis lo ua ke, ib yam li hlau tsis lo rau av nplaum.
44Ncua sijhawm uas tej vajntxwv ntawd nyob Vajtswv ntuj yuav tsa dua ib lub tebchaws uas tsis muaj ib hnub uas ua kom puam tsuaj li, lossis qhov uas kav lub tebchaws ntawd yuav tsis poob rau lwm haiv neeg. Lub tebchaws ntawd yuav ua rau tej tebchaws tawg ntsoog ntxaws ua tej dwb daim yaj tag, thiab lub tebchaws ntawd yuav nyob ruaj khov mus ib txhis,
45raws li uas koj pom lub pob zeb raug muab txam ntawm lub roob uas tsis yog neeg txhais tes txam, thiab lub pob zeb ua rau tej hlau, tej tooj liab, tej av nplaum, tej nyiaj thiab tej kub tawg ntsoog ua tej dwb daim. Tus Vajtswv loj kawg tau qhia vajntxwv paub tias yuav muaj dabtsi tshwm los rau yav tom ntej. Zaj npau suav no muaj tseeb thiab tej lus txhais lub ntsiab kuj tseeb tiag tiag li.”
46Vajntxwv Nenpukhanexa txawm khwb nkaus pe Daniyee, thiab hais kom muab qhov txhia chaw thiab hmoov tshuaj tsw qab los xyeem rau Daniyee.
47Vajntxwv hais rau Daniyee tias, “Muaj tseeb tiag, koj tus Vajtswv yog ib tsoom timtswv tus Vajtswv, thiab yog ib tsoom vajntxwv tus Tswv, yog tus uas qhia tej uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub tshwm los, vim koj muaj peevxwm qhia tau zaj uas tsis muaj leejtwg paub no tshwm los.”
48Vajntxwv thiaj pub meej mom siab thiab tshav ntuj ntau kawg rau Daniyee, thiab tsa nws ua tus kav tag nrho lub xeev Npanpiloo huvsi, thiab ua tus thawj uas kav cov neeg txawj ntse hauv Npanpiloo sawvdaws.
49Daniyee thov vajntxwv mas vajntxwv kuj tsa Salab, Mesa thiab Anpenekau ua cov uas tu haujlwm hauv lub xeev Npanpiloo. Hos Daniyee tseem nyob hauv vajntxwv lub tsev ua haujlwm.