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.
Ondjodhi yaNebukadnezzar
1 Momumvo omutiyali Nebukadnezzar sho a li omukwaniilwa, okwa lala ondjodhi. Oye mu piyaganeke unene e ta londokwa koomposi. 2 Nena okwi ithana aayanekeli, oonganga, oompulile noonkulungu, ye ye noye mu fatululile ondjodhi. Sho ye ya noya thikama koshipala shomukwaniilwa, 3 okwa ti kuyo: “Onda piyaganekwa kondjodhi nde yi yaguma. Onda hala ndi tseye shoka tayi ti.”
4 Oya yamukula omukwaniilwa mOshiaramea ya ti: “Nkeyama, kulupa nomeho, mayego otatu ku taasinine. Tu hokololela ondjodhi yoye notatu yi ku fatululile.”
5 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuyo: “Onda tokola kutya one mu na okuhokololela ndje ondjodhi e tamu fatululile ndje shoka tayi ti. Ngele itamu shi vulu, otandi ke mu ndembagulitha miintimbu nomagumbo geni otandi ke ga halakanitha po, ga ninge ondumba yomakulukuma. 6 Ihe ngele otamu vulu okuhokololela ndje ayihe iyali, otandi ke mu pa omagano e tandi mu simaneke noonkondo. Ngashingeyi hokololelii ndje nduno, ondjodhi oyashike notayi ti ngiini.” 7 Oya yamukula ishewe omukwaniilwa: “Nkeyama, ngele oto tu hokololele owala kutya ondjodhi oyashike, otatu ke yi fatulula.”
8 Nena omukwaniilwa okwi igidha: “Osho naanaa, ngaashi nda dhiladhila kutya ne otamu mana po owala ethimbo, oshoka mu shi shi kutya onda tokola, 9 ndi mu geele ne amuhe, ngele itamu hokololele ndje ondjodhi. Ne omwa uvanene ndje monanguwi, mu lombwele ndje iifundja, oshoka omwa tegamena kutya iinima otayi ka lunduluka. Hokololelii ndje ondjodhi kutya oyashike, opo te vulu okwiinekela kutya otamu vulu okulombwela ndje wo shoka tayi ti.”
10 Aanongo oya yamukula: “Noshitonale inaku kala omuntu kombanda yevi ta vulu okuhokololela Nkeyama shoka wa hala okutseya. Kakwa li omukwaniilwa omunene nenge omunankondo a pulile aayanekeli ye, oonganga dhe nenge oompulile dhe oshinima sha fa shika. 11 Nkeyama, shoka to pula, oshidhigu nokape na ngoka ta vulu oku shi ku lombwela, shila ookalunga, ihe kaye li putse mpaka.”
12 Shika osha geyitha omukwaniilwa nayi e ta gandja elaka, aanongo ayehe muBabilon ya dhipagwe. 13 Elaka sho lya gandjwa, aanongo ayehe ya dhipagwe, naDaniel wo nayakwawo oya kongwa, ya dhipagwe.
Kalunga ta hololele Daniel shoka ondjodhi tayi ti
14 Nena Daniel okwa yi kuArjok, ondjayi yetanga lyaalangeli yomukwaniilwa, ngoka a li a lombwelwa, a ka dhipage aanongo yomuBabilon. Okwa popi ti itegelele nawa. 15 Okwa pula Arjok kutya omolwashike omukwaniilwa a gandja elaka lya tya ngaaka ekukutu. Nena Arjok okwa hokololele Daniel shoka sha ningwa po.
16 Daniel okwa yi komukwaniilwa nokwe mu indile, a pewe ethimbo lya gwana, opo a vule okufatulula ondjodhi. 17 Nena Daniel okwa yi kaandjawo e ta hokololele yakwawo Hanania, Mishael naAzaria shoka sha ningwa po. 18 Okwe ya lombwele, ya galikane Kalunga komegulu, e ya sile ohenda noku mu pula, e ya hololele oshiholekwa shika, opo yaa dhipagelwe pamwe naanongo yalwe muBabilon. 19 Nena uusiku tuu mboka oshiholekwa shoka osha hololelwa Daniel memoniko. Oye nokwa hambelele Kalunga komegulu a ti:
20 “Edhina lyaKalunga nali hambelelwe aluhe sigo aluhe,
oye e na uunongo noonkondo.
21 Omathimbo nomimvo ote dhi lundulula;
ota kwaniileke aakwaniilwa noku ya shundula;
aanongo ote ya pe uunongo naanandunge omayele.
22 Ota holola iinima yomuule noya holekwa;
ota tseya mbyoka ya holekwa momilema
noye mwene okwa kundukidhwa kuuyelele.
23 Otandi ku tanga e tandi ku simaneke, Kalunga kootate.
Ongoye wa pe ndje uunongo noonkondo;
ongoye wa yamukula omagalikano gandje
nowe tu ulukile shoka to lombwele omukwaniilwa.”
Daniel ta hokololele omukwaniilwa ondjodhi e te yi fatula
24 Daniel okwa yi kuArjok, ngoka a li a lombwelwa komukwaniilwa, a ka dhipage aanongo Aababiloni. Daniel okwa ti kuye: “lno ya dhipaga. Fala ndje komukwaniilwa, notandi ke mu fatululila ondjodhi ye.”
25 Nanziya Arjok okwa fala Daniel komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar e ta lombwele omukwaniilwa ta ti: “Onda mono gumwe gwomaapongekwa Aajuda, ngoka ta vulu oku ku fatululila ondjodhi yoye.”
26 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuDaniel (okwa li hi ithanwa Beltshazzar): “Oto vulu okuhokololela ndje shoka nda yaguma, nondjodhi shoka tayi ti?”
27 Daniel okwa yamukula a ti: “Tatekulu Nkeyama, muuyuni kamu na omunongo, onganga, omwaanekeli nenge omukonekinyothi ta vulu oku ku hokololela shika. 28 Ihe oku na Kalunga megulu, ngoka ta holola iiholekwa. Oye e ku hololele, tatekulu Nkeyama, shoka tashi ka ningwa konakuyiwa. Ngashingeyi otandi ku hokololele ondjodhi yoye, emoniko ndyoka wa mono, sho wa li wa kotha.
29 “Nkeyama, manga wa li wa kotha, owa yaguma shoka tashi ka ningwa konakuyiwa; naKalunga ngoka ta holola iiholekwa, okwe ku hololele shoka tashi ka ningwa komeho. 30 Ngashingeyi oshiholekwa shika osha hololelwa ndje, hamolwaashoka ando ngame omunandunge ndi vule yalwe, aawe, ihe opo ngoye, Nkeyama, u vule okunongela ondjodhi shoka tayi ti, ngoye u uve ko omatedho ngoka ge ya kungoye.
31 “Nkeyama, memoniko lyoye owa mono oshiyelekela oshinenenene sha thikama komeho goye, tashi wema notashi adhima, nomoku shi tala owa ningi uugelele. 32 Omutse gwasho ogwoshingolielela; ontulo nomaako gasho oshisiliveli; oshiya noombwetelo dhasho oshikushu; 33 Omagulu gasho osheela oshiluudhe noompadhi dhasho iiyela ya kwatakanithwa mumwe neloya. 34 Manga wa li we shi tongolola, emanya enene olya pambuka kondundu kulyo lyene e tali dhenge oshiyelekela koompadhi dhiiyela neloya nolye dhi nyanyagula. 35 Nanziya iiyela, eloya, oshikushu, oshisiliveli noshingoli oya tatagulwa e tayi ningi ya fa etutu polupale. Ombepo oye yi pepe po ayihe, noinapa kala we nando osha. Ihe emanya olya koko lya ningi ondundu ya siikile evi alihe.
36 “Ondjodhi oyo ndjika. Nena otandi ku hokololele nduno shoka tayi ti, tatekulu. 37 Nkeyama, ongoye shime shaakwaniilwa ayehe. Kalunga komegulu okwe ku ningi omupangeli e te ku pe oonkondo, oonkondopangelo nesimano. 38 Okwe ku ningi omuleli gwaakali kombanda yevi alihe, e to pangele iinamwenyo ayihe noondhila. Ongoye omutse gwoshingoli. 39 Oto landulwa komupangeli gulwe, ihe ke thike pungoye muunene, oye nota landulwa komutitatu, omupangeli gwoshikushu, ngoka ta ka lela uuyuni auhe. 40 Nena otaku ka landula omupangeli omutine a kola a fa osheela, ngoka ta nyanyagula nokuteyagula shaa shoka. Ongosheela tashi nyanyagula, oshilongo she otashi ka nyanyagula shaa shoka. Otashi ka nyanyagula nokuyonagula po iilongo ayihe ya tetekela. 41 Owa mono wo kutya oompadhi nominwe odha li dha kwatakanithwa neloya. Shika otashi ti kutya oshilongo otashi ka kala sha andjagana. Otashi ka kala shi na sha shoonkondo dhosheela, oshoka osheela osha vundakanithwa neloya. 42 Mominwe dhokoompadhi omwa li osheela neloya ya tulwa mumwe. Shika otashi ti kutya ombinga yimwe yoshilongo shika otayi ka kala ya kola, nonkwawo inayi kola. 43 Owa mono ishewe kutya osheela osha vundakanithwa neloya. Otashi ti, aaleli yoshilongo otaa ka kambadhala okuhanganitha omazimo gawo mokuhokanathana, ihe itashi kwatha sha, ngaashi osheela itashi kwatathana neloya. 44 Pomasiku gaaleli mboka Kalunga komegulu ota ka dhika po oshilongo shoka shaa na hulilo. Itashi ka sindika nando, ihe otashi ka yonagula po iilongo mbyoka ayihe, nosho shene otashi kala sigo aluhe. 45 Owa mono, nkene emanya lya koloka ko lya zi kondundu inaali gumwa nonkene lya nyanyagula efano lyosheela, oshikushu, eloya, oshisiliveli noshingoli. Nkeyama, Kalunga omunene ote ku lombwele shoka tashi ka ningwa konakuyiwa. Onde ku hokololele naanaa ondjodhi yoye nonde yi ku fatululile shoka tayi ti.”
Omukwaniilwa ta futu Daniel
46 Nena omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar okwa tsu oshipala pevi nokwa ti, Daniel na fikilwe oondjambo netsininondjambo. 47 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Oshili, Kalunga keni oye omunene e vule ookalunga ayehe, Omuwa ta lele aakwaniilwa ayehe noye awike ta holola iiholekwa. Ondi shi shi, oshoka owa vulu okufatulula oshiholekwa shika.” 48 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa lenge Daniel, a ninge elenga ekuluntu, okwe mu pe omagano ogendji omanene nokwe mu ningi omuleli gwoshikandjo shaBabilon nomukuluntu gwaanongo ayehe musho. 49 Paindilo lyaDaniel omukwaniilwa okwa lenge Meshak, Shadrak naAbednego ya ninge aakuluntu yoshikandjo shaBabilon. Daniel okwa kala mombala.
