Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1 In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. It worried him so much that he couldn't sleep, 2 so he sent for his fortunetellers, magicians, sorcerers, and wizards to come and explain the dream to him. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I'm worried about a dream I've had. I want to know what it means.”
4 They answered the king in Aramaic, “May Your Majesty live forever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you.”
5 The king said to them, “I have made up my mind that you must tell me the dream and then tell me what it means. If you can't, I'll have you torn limb from limb and make your houses a pile of ruins. 6 But if you can tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honor. Now then, tell me what the dream was and what it means.”
7 They answered the king again, “If Your Majesty will only tell us what the dream was, we will explain it.”
8 At that, the king exclaimed, “Just as I thought! You are trying to gain time, because you see that I have made up my mind 9 to give all of you the same punishment if you don't tell me the dream. You have agreed among yourselves to go on telling me lies because you hope that in time things will change. Tell me what the dream was, and then I will know that you can also tell me what it means.”
10 The advisers replied, “There is no one on the face of the earth who can tell Your Majesty what you want to know. No king, not even the greatest and most powerful, has ever made such a demand of his fortunetellers, magicians, and wizards. 11 What Your Majesty is asking for is so difficult that no one can do it for you except the gods, and they do not live among human beings.”
12 At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the execution of all the royal advisers in Babylon. 13 So the order was issued for all of them to be killed, including Daniel and his friends.
God Shows Daniel What the Dream Means
14 Then Daniel went to Arioch, commander of the king's bodyguard, who had been ordered to carry out the execution. Choosing his words carefully, 15 he asked Arioch why the king had issued such a harsh order. So Arioch told Daniel what had happened.
16 Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon. 19 Then that same night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he praised the God of heaven:
20 “God is wise and powerful!
Praise him forever and ever.
21 He controls the times and the seasons;
he makes and unmakes kings;
it is he who gives wisdom and understanding.
22 He reveals things that are deep and secret;
he knows what is hidden in darkness,
and he himself is surrounded by light.
23 I praise you and honor you, God of my ancestors.
You have given me wisdom and strength;
you have answered my prayer
and shown us what to tell the king.”
Daniel Tells the King the Dream and Explains It
24 So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had commanded to execute the royal advisers. He said to him, “Don't put them to death. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
25 At once Arioch took Daniel into King Nebuchadnezzar's presence and told the king, “I have found one of the Jewish exiles who can tell Your Majesty the meaning of your dream.”
26 The king said to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar), “Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”
27 Daniel replied, “Your Majesty, there is no wizard, magician, fortuneteller, or astrologer who can tell you that. 28 But there is a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries. He has informed Your Majesty what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you the dream, the vision you had while you were asleep.
29 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about the future; and God, who reveals mysteries, showed you what is going to happen. 30 Now, this mystery was revealed to me, not because I am wiser than anyone else, but so that Your Majesty may learn the meaning of your dream and understand the thoughts that have come to you.
31 “Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at. 32 Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 While you were looking at it, a great stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. 35 At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the stone grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now I will tell Your Majesty what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. The God of heaven has made you emperor and given you power, might, and honor. 38 He has made you ruler of all the inhabited earth and ruler over all the animals and birds. You are the head of gold. 39 After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours, and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. 40 And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires. 41 You also saw that the feet and the toes were partly clay and partly iron. This means that it will be a divided empire. It will have something of the strength of iron, because there was iron mixed with the clay. 42 The toes—partly iron and partly clay—mean that part of the empire will be strong and part of it weak. 43 You also saw that the iron was mixed with the clay. This means that the rulers of that empire will try to unite their families by intermarriage, but they will not be able to, any more than iron can mix with clay. 44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever. 45 You saw how a stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it and how it struck the statue made of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God is telling Your Majesty what will happen in the future. I have told you exactly what you dreamed, and have given you its true meaning.”
The King Rewards Daniel
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed to the ground and gave orders for sacrifices and offerings to be made to Daniel. 47 The king said, “Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery.” 48 Then he gave Daniel a high position, presented him with many splendid gifts, put him in charge of the province of Babylon, and made him the head of all the royal advisers. 49 At Daniel's request the king put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon; Daniel, however, remained at the royal court.
Nebukadnesari di ǂguro ǁhapos
1 Gao-aob Nebukadnesari ge ǀgamǁî kurib ǁîb ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâ ǁhapo-e ge ǁhapo. ǁÎb ge nēs xa kaise ǁom ǁoab ges kōse ge ǂhanihe. 2 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃgaidī-aogu, aimûǀgaru-aogu, ǀkhūǂnau-aogu tsî ǀgamirokō-aogu tsîga ge ǂgaihā kai. Hā gu ge 3 ob ge ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “ǂÂiǂhansen kai te ra ǁhapo-e ta ge go ǁhapo tsî ta ge tare-es nē ǁhaposa ra ǂâibasen ǃkhaisa ra ǂan ǂgao.”
4 O gu ge ǁîga gao-aoba Aramiagowab ǃnâ ge ǃeream: “Ats gao-aotsa ǀamose ûi re. ǁHaposa mîba ge re, o ge ge ǁîsa nî ǁguiǃāba tsi.”
5 Ob ge gao-aoba ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Tita ge nēti go mîǁgui. Ti ǁhapos tsî ǁîs di ǂâibasens tsîra go ga mîba te tama i, o go ge sago ǃâdi ǃnâ ǁhāǃāhe tsî sago omde nî hîkākāhe. 6 Xawe ǁhapos tsî ǂâibasens tsîra go ga mîba te, o go ge ǂgui ǀkhaexūn tsî kai ǃgôasib tsîna nî ǃkhōǃoa. Nēsi ǁnâi ǁhapos tsî ǂâibasens tsîra mā te re.”
7 O gu ge ǁkhawa “ǃGôahesatse, ǁhaposats ga mîba ge, o ge ge ǁîsa nî ǁguiǃāba tsi” ti gao-aoba ge ǃeream.
8 Nēs aib gao-aoba ge mî: “Tita ge ǃgâise a ǂan, ǁaeǁores ǀguisa go ra hîsa, tita ǁaposase mîǁgui hâ, 9 ǁhaposa go ga mîba te tama i, ob ǀgui ǁkharab ǀguiba ǃâu go hâ ǃkhaisa go ra mû xui-ao. ǁNā-amaga go ge tita go nî ǂhumiba ǃkhaisa sago ǃnâ go ǁnâugu, mâsigu ǁaeb ǀkha garu nî ǀkhara ti ǂâi tsî. ǁHaposa aibe mîba te, o ta ge ǂâibasens tsîna go a mîba te ǁkhā ǃkhaisa nî ǂan.”
10 O gu ge ǁîga ge ǃeream: “ǃHūbaib ai i ge gao-aots di ǂgaoǀkhās ai dīǀoaǀoa ǁkhā khoe-i xare-e a ǀkhai. ǀGui gao-ao-i tsîn ge mâtikōse ǀgui i ga kai tsî ǀgaisa, xawe nēti i ǁgui-ai-e ǁî-i kēbo-aogu, aimûǀgaru-aogu tsî ǀgamirokō-aogu tsîga ǂgaoǀkhā tama hâ. 11 Sa ǂgaoǀkhās ge kaise a ǃgom, khoe-i xare-i ge ǁîsa a dī ǁoa, elogu ǀguigu ge ǁnāsa a dī ǁkhā tsî ǁîgu ge khoen ǁaegu ǁan tama hâ.”
12 Nēs aib ge gao-aoba kaise ǁaixa tsî Babilons di hoaraga ǀapemā-aogu, gao-aob digu nî ǃgamhesa ge mîmā. 13 Hoagu nî ǃgamhe ǃkhais ge ge ǂanǂanhe, tsî gu ge Danieli tsî ǁîb horesagu tsîna ge ôahe.
Elob ge Daniela ǁhapos di ǂâibasensa ra ǂhaiǂhaiba
14 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Daniela gao-aob ǃûi-aogu di danab Arioxi, Babilons ǀapemā-aogab nî ǃgamse ge ǂoab tawa sī tsî ǁîba ǃaoǃgâb ǀkha ge dî, 15 tare-i ǃaromab ge gao-aoba nēti i ǁkhōǁkhōsa mîmā-e māǂuisa. Ob ge Arioxa ge mîǃāba bi.
16 Ob ge Daniela gao-aob tawa sī tsî gao-aob mîmās ǁaeb aibe nî mâiǂuihesa ge ǂgan, îb gao-aoba ǁhapos di ǂâibasensa mîǃāba ǁkhā. 17 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge oms ǁga oa tsî ǁîb horesagu Hananjab, Misaeli tsî Asariab tsîga nē ǃkhaisa sī ge mîba. 18 Danieli ge ǁîga ge mîba, î gu ǀhommi di Elob ai ǀkhomxaǂgaosiba ǂgan, îb nē ǂganǃgâsiba ǁîga ǂhaiǂhaiba, î gu ǁîb tsî ǁîb horesaga tā Babilons di ǀapemā-aogu ǀkha ǃgamhe. 19 ǁNā tsuxub ǂûb ǃnâb ge Daniela ǁnā ǂganǃgâsiba, ai-i ǃnâ ge ǂhaiǂhaibahe tsîb ge ǁîba ǀhommi di Eloba ge koa:
20 “As Elob di ǀonsa koahe re ǀamosiba xu ǀamosib kōse,
gā-aisib tsî ǀgaib tsîkha ge a ǁîb di.
21 ǁÎb ge ǁaegu tsî kamaga ra ǀkharaǀkhara;
ǁîb ge gao-aoga ūǁnâ tsî gao-aoga ra mâi;
ǁîb ge gā-aina gā-aisiba ra mā tsî ǂansa ǁnâuǃāxana.
22 ǁÎb ge sâusa tsî ǂganǃgâsa xūna ra ǂhaiǂhai;
ǁîb ge ǃkhaenab ǃnâ hâ xūna a ǂan,
ǃnâb ge ǁîb ǂûb tawa hâ.
23 Koa tsî ta ge ra kare tsi ti aboxan di Elotse.
Sats ge gā-aisib tsî ǀgaib tsîkha ge mā te.
Sats ge ǂgan tsi ta gena mā te
tsî tare-e ta gao-aoba nî mîbasa ge ǂanǂan te.”
Danieli ge gao-aoba ǁhaposa mîba tsî ra ǁguiǃāba
24 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Daniela Arioxi, gao-aob ge ǁîb di ǀapemā-aogab nî ǃgamse mîmā hâ ib tawa sī tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Tā gao-aob di ǀapemā-aoga ǃgam. Tita gao-aob tawa sī-ū, o ta ge ǁîba ǁîb di ǁhaposa nî ǁguiǃāba.”
25 Ob ge Arioxa Daniela ǃhaese gao-aob tawa ǂgâ-ū tsî ge mî: “Jodeǁî ǃkhōsaben ǃnâ ta ge ǀgui khoeb, gao-aotsa ǁhaposa ǁguiǃāba ǁkhāba go hō.”
26 Ob ge gao-aoba Danieli, Beltsasar tis tsîna ge ǂansa iba ge dî: “ǁHapo ta ge ǁhapos tsî ǁîs di ǂâibasens tsîra mîba te ǁkhāts a?”
27 Ob ge Daniela ge ǃeream: “ǀGuis khami i ǀapemā-ao-i, aimûǀgaru-ao-i, ǃgaidī-ao-i tamas ka io ǀgamirokō-ao-i tsîn ge gao-aotsa ǁnā ǃkhaisa a mîba ǁoa. 28 Xawe ǀhommi ǃnâ hâ Elob ge ǂganǃgâsiga ra ǂhaiǂhai. ǁÎb ge ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃnâ nî ī xūna sats gao-ao Nebukadnesartsa go ǂanǂan. ǁOmts ǁgoe hîats ge ǁhapos ǃnâ nē aisa go mû.
29 “ǃGôahesa gao-aotse, sats ge ǁomts hâ hîa ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃnâ nî ī xūn xa go ǁhapo. Tsîb ge Elob, ǂganǃgâsiga ra ǂhaiǂhaiba ī nî xūna go ǂanǂan tsi. 30 Nē ǂganǃgâsiba ta ge tita go ǂhaiǂhaibahe, tita nau khoen xa a gā-aio tama, xawe sats sa ǁhapos di ǂâibasensa ǂanǂanhe tsî sa ǂâide nî ǁnâuǃāga.
31 “ǃGôahesa gao-aotse, sa ǁhapos ǃnâts ge kai ība sa ais ai go mûmâ. ǁÎb ge go kaiǃgâ i tsî kaise, ǀgaisase ǂkhai tsî ǃaoǃaosase goro mûsen. 32 Danas âb ge go ǃūmû ǃhuniǀuri i, ǀūs tsî ǁôakha tsîna ǀhaiǀuri, ǃnāb tsî ǂnamira tsîna brons, 33 ǀnūkha ǀuri tsî ǂaira ge ǃkharese ǀuri tsî ǃkharese go ǂgoa i. 34 Noxopats ǁîba ra kō, hîa i ge kaiǃgâ ǀui-e, khoe-i xa i tsâǀkhāhe tamase khôaǁnâ tsî īb di ǂaira, ǀuri tsî ge ǂgoa ira ai ǁnā tsî ǁîra ge ǂkhūǂkhū. 35 ǀUrib, ǂgoab, brons-i, ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib tsîn hoan ge ǂnoaǂkhūǂkhūhe tsî ǃgaos ǁaeb ai, dāǃnâǃkhais ai ǁgoe ǀapob khami ge ī kaihe. ǁÎn hoan ge ǂoab xa ge ǃgombēhe, ǀgui xū-i tsîn ǃgau tamase. Xawe ǁnā ǀuis, ība ge ǂkhūǂkhūs ge kai ǃhom kai tsî hoaraga ǃhūbaiba ge ǃgū-ai.
36 “Nēs ge ǁhaposa. Nēsi ta ge ǁhapos di ǂâibasensa nî mîba tsi, ǃgôahesa gao-aotse. 37 Sats ge kai gao-aotsa. ǀHommi di Elob ge gaosib, ǀgaib, ǁkhāsib tsî ǃgôasib tsîga ge mā tsi. 38 ǁÎb ge hoaraga khoesib, ǀgurun tsî xamarin tsî ǁkhana ra anin tsîn ǂama ge gao kai. Sats ge ǁnā ǃhuniǀuri danatsa. 39 Sats khaoǃgâb ge ǀnî gaosiba nî hā, sab khami kai tamaba tsî ǁnās khaoǃgâ ǃnonaǁîb, brons-i dib, hoaraga ǃhūbaiba nî gaoǂamma. 40 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge hakaǁî gaosiba nî hā, ǀurib kōse ǀgaisab, ǀurib khami hoa xūna ǂnaukhôa tsî ra ǂkhūǂkhūba. ǁÎb ge ǀurib hoa xūna ra khôaǂkhū khami, nau gaosigu hoaga ǂnauǂkhūǂkhū tsî nî hîkākā. 41 ǂAira tsî ǀkhunun hîats go mûn go ǃkharese ǂgoa tsî ǃkharese go ǀuri-i, khamib ge nē gaosiba nî ǀgoraǃāsa. ǀUrib di ǀgaibab ge ǁîb ǃnâ nî ūhâ, mûts go khamib ǀuriba ǂgoab ǃnâ a habasa xui-ao. 42 ǂAira di ǀkhunun hîa ǃkharese ǀuri tsî ǃkharese a ǂgoan ge nē gaosib ǃkharese ǀgaisa tsî ǃkharese a ǂkhabusa ti ra ǂâibasen. 43 ǀUrib tsî ǂgoab tsîn a habasa ǃkhaisats ge go mû. ǁÎn ge ǀguisiba ǀgaiǀgaiǃnâ ǂgaos ǃaroma nî ǃgameǃnâgu, xaweb ge nē ǀguisiba mâǁapo tide, ǀurib ǂgoab ǀkha a habagu ǁoas ǁkhās khami. 44 ǁNā gao-aogu di ǁaeb ǃnâb ge ǀhommi di Eloba, tātsē ǀam tide gaosiba nî ǂnûiǂgā. ǁÎb ge ǀnî gaosi-i xare-i xa danhe tide, tsîb ge nau gaosigu hoaga hoaragase nî hîkākā, xawe ǁîb ǂûb ge ǀamos kōse nî hâhâ. 45 Sats ge ǀui-i, khoe-i ǃommi xa tsâǀkhāhe tamase ǃgareǀuiba xu khôaǁnâ tsî ǀurib, brons-i, ǂgoab, ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib tsîna ra ǂkhūǂkhū ǃkhaisa ge mû. Kai Elob ge gao-aotsa taren ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃnâ nî ī ǃkhaisa go ǂanǂan.”
Gao-aob ge Daniela ra mādawa-am
46 Ob ge gao-aob Nebukadnesara Danieli aiǃâ ǃgamǃgâ tsî ǃgôasiba mā bi tsî ge mîmā, îb Daniela ǂûǁguibas tsî ǀanǀanǁguibas tsîna ǁguibahe. 47 Gao-aob ge Daniela ǃoa ge mî: “Sadu Elob ge amase elogu hoagu ǂamai a kai. ǁÎb ge a gao-ao gao-aogu ǂama tsîb ge ǂganǃgâsana ra ǂhaiǂhai, sats go nē ǂganǃgâsiba ǂhaiǂhai ǁkhā i xui-ao.” 48 Tsîb ge Daniela ǀgapi ǃharos ǃnâ mâi tsî ǂgui, ǂoaǂamsa ǀkhaexūna ge mā. ǁÎb ge Daniela hoaraga Babilons ǂama gowoniase tsî gao-aob ǀapemā-aogu hoagu di danase ge mâi. 49 Danieli di ǂgans aib ge gao-aoba Sadraxi, Mesaxi tsî Abednegob tsîga Babilons di ǀkharisi ǂgaeǂgui-aose ge mâi, xawe Danieli ǂûb ge gao-ommi ǃnâ ge hâ.
