1
Hata katika mwaka wa pili wa kumiliki kwake Nebukadreza, Nebukadreza aliota ndoto; na roho yake ikafadhaika, usingizi wake ukamwacha.
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.
2
Ndipo mfalme akatoa amri kuwaita waganga, na wachawi, na wasihiri, na Wakaldayo, wapate kumweleza mfalme ndoto zake. Basi wakaingia, wakasimama mbele ya mfalme.
So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,
3
Mfalme akawaambia, Nimeota ndoto, na roho yangu imefadhaika hata niijue tafsiri yake.
he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.”
4
Ndipo hao Wakaldayo wakamwambia mfalme, kwa lugha ya Kiaramu, Ee Mfalme, uishi milele; tuambie sisi watumishi wako ile ndoto, nasi tutakuonyesha tafsiri yake.
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
5
Mfalme akajibu, akawaambia Wakaldayo, Neno lenyewe limeniondoka; msiponijulisha ile ndoto na tafsiri yake, mtakatwa vipande vipande, na nyumba zenu zitafanywa jaa.
The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.
6
Bali kama mkinionyesha ile ndoto na tafsiri yake, nitawapa zawadi na thawabu na heshima nyingi; basi nionyesheni ile ndoto na tafsiri yake.
But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
7
Wakajibu mara ya pili, wakasema, Mfalme na atuambie sisi watumishi wake ile ndoto, nasi tutamwonyesha tafsiri yake.
They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.”
8
Mfalme akajibu, akasema, Najua hakika ya kuwa mnataka kupata nafasi, kwa sababu mmeona ya kuwa lile neno lenyewe limeniondoka.
The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time because you see that my word is final.
9
Lakini msiponijulisha ile ndoto, iko amri moja tu iwapasayo; maana mmepatana kusema maneno ya uongo, na maneno maovu, mbele yangu, hata zamani zitakapobadilika; basi niambieni ile ndoto, nami nitajua ya kuwa mwaweza kunionyesha tafsiri yake.
If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”
10
Wakaldayo wakajibu mbele ya mfalme, wakasema, Hapana mtu duniani awezaye kulionyesha neno hili la mfalme; kwa maana hapana mfalme, wala bwana, wala liwali, aliyetaka neno kama hili kwa mganga, wala kwa mchawi, wala kwa Mkaldayo.
The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.
11
Ni neno la ajabu, hili analolitaka mfalme, wala hapana mwingine awezaye kumwonyesha mfalme neno hilo, ila miungu, wasio na kikao pamoja na wenye mwili.
What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”
12
Basi kwa hiyo mfalme akaghadhibika sana, akaona hasira nyingi, akatoa amri kuwaangamiza wenye hekima wote wa Babeli.
This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13
Basi ile amri ikatangazwa, na hao wenye hekima walikuwa karibu na kuuawa; watu wakamtafuta Danielii na wenzake ili wauawe.
So the decree went out that the wise men were to be executed, and men went to look for Daniel and his friends to execute them.
14
Ndipo Danielii kwa busara na hadhari akamjibu Arioko, akida wa walinzi wa mfalme, aliyekuwa ametoka ili kuwaua wenye hekima wa Babeli;
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact.
15
alijibu, akamwambia Arioko, akida wa walinzi wa mfalme, Mbona amri hii ya mfalme ina ukali namna hii? Ndipo Arioko akamwarifu Danielii habari ile.
“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
16
Basi Danielii akaingia, akamwomba mfalme ampe muda, kisha yeye atamwonyesha mfalme tafsiri ile.
So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.
17
Ndipo Danielii akaenda nyumbani kwake, akawapasha habari kina Hanania, na Mishaeli, na Azaria wenzake;
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
18
ili waombe rehema kwa Mungu wa mbinguni kwa habari ya siri hiyo, ili kwamba Danielii na wenzake wasiangamizwe pamoja na wenye hekima wa Babeli.
urging them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19
Ndipo Danielii alipofunuliwa siri hiyo katika njozi ya usiku. Basi Danielii akamhimidi Mungu wa mbinguni.
During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven
20
Danielii akajibu, akasema, Na lihimidiwe jina la Mungu milele na milele; kwa kuwa hekima na uweza ni wake.
and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
21
Yeye hubadili majira na nyakati; huuzulu wafalme na kuwamilikisha wafalme; huwapa hekima wenye hekima; huwapa wenye ufahamu maarifa;
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22
yeye hufunua mambo ya fumbo na ya siri; huyajua yaliyo gizani, na nuru hukaa kwake.
He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
23
Nakushukuru, nakuhimidi, Ee Mungu wa baba zangu, uliyenipa hekima na uwezo, ukanijulisha hayo tuliyotaka kwako; maana umetujulisha neno lile la mfalme.
To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”
24
Basi Danielii akaenda kwa Arioko, aliyewekwa na mfalme kuwaangamiza wenye hekima wa Babeli; alikwenda akamwambia hivi, Usiwaangamize wenye hekima wa Babeli; niingize mimi mbele ya mfalme, nami nitamwonyesha mfalme ile tafsiri.
Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”
25
Ndipo Arioko akamwingiza Danielii mbele ya mfalme kwa haraka, akamwambia hivi, Nimemwona mtu wa hao wana wa Yuda waliohamishwa, atakayemjulisha mfalme ile tafsiri.
Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”
26
Mfalme akajibu, akamwambia Danielii, aliyekuwa akiitwa Belteshaza, Je! Waweza kunijulisha ile ndoto niliyoiona, na tafsiri yake.
The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”
27
Danielii akajibu mbele ya mfalme, akasema, Ile siri aliyoiuliza mfalme, wenye hekima hawawezi kumfunulia mfalme; wala wachawi, wala waganga, wala wanajimu;
Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
28
lakini yuko Mungu mbinguni afunuaye siri, naye amemjulisha mfalme Nebukadreza mambo yatakayokuwa siku za mwisho. Ndoto yako, na njozi za kichwa chako ulizoziona kitandani pako, ni hizi;
But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:
29
Wewe, Ee mfalme, mawazo yako yaliingia moyoni mwako kitandani pako ya mambo yatakayokuwa halafu; na yeye afunuaye siri amekujulisha mambo yatakayokuwa.
As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.
30
Lakini mimi, sikufunuliwa siri hii kwa sababu ya hekima iwayo yote niliyo nayo zaidi ya watu wengine walio hai, bali kusudi mfalme afunuliwe ile tafsiri, nawe upate kujua mawazo ya moyo wako.
And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
31
Wewe, Ee Mfalme, uliona, na tazama, sanamu kubwa sana. Sanamu hii, iliyokuwa kubwa sana, na mwangaza wake mwingi sana, ilisimama mbele yako; na umbo lake lilikuwa lenye kutisha.
As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.
32
Na sanamu hii kichwa chake kilikuwa ni cha dhahabu safi; kifua chake na mikono yake ni ya fedha; tumbo lake na viuno vyake ni vya shaba;
The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze,
33
miguu yake ni ya chuma; na nyayo za miguu yake nusu ya chuma na nusu ya udongo.
its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.
34
Nawe ukatazama hata jiwe likachongwa bila kazi ya mikono, nalo jiwe hilo likaipiga sanamu miguu yake, iliyokuwa ya chuma na udongo, likaivunja vipande vipande.
As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.
35
Ndipo kile chuma, na ule udongo, na ile shaba, na ile fedha, na ile dhahabu, vilivunjwa vipande vipande pamoja vikawa kama makapi ya viwanja vya kupepetea wakati wa hari; upepo ukavipeperusha hata pasionekane mahali pake; na lile jiwe lililoipiga hiyo sanamu likawa milima mikubwa, likaijaza dunia yote.
Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36
Hii ndiyo ile ndoto, nasi tutaihubiri tafsiri yake mbele ya mfalme.
This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37
Wewe, Ee mfalme, u mfalme wa wafalme, na Mungu wa mbinguni amekupa ufalme, na uwezo, na nguvu, na utukufu;
You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
38
na kila mahali wakaapo wanadamu, wanyama wa kondeni na ndege wa angani amewatia mkononi mwako, naye amekumilikisha juu ya hao wote; wewe u kichwa kile cha dhahabu.
Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39
Na baada ya zamani zako utainuka ufalme mwingine mdogo kuliko wewe; na ufalme mwingine wa tatu wa shaba, utakaoitawala dunia yote.
But after you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule the whole earth.
40
Na ufalme wa nne utakuwa na nguvu mfano wa chuma; kwa maana chuma huvunja vitu vyote na kuvishinda; na kama chuma kisetavyo vitu hivi vyote, ndivyo utakavyovunja-vunja na kuseta.
Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.
41
Na kama vile ulivyoziona hizo nyayo za miguu na vidole vyake, kuwa nusu udongo wa mfinyanzi, na nusu chuma, ufalme ule utakuwa ufalme uliogawanyika; lakini ndani yake zitakuwako nguvu za chuma, kama vile ulivyoona kile chuma kimechanganyika na udongo wa matope.
And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay.
42
Na kama vidole vya zile nyayo vilikuwa nusu chuma na nusu udongo, kadhalika ufalme ule utakuwa nusu yake una nguvu, na nusu yake umevunjika.
And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
43
Na kama vile ulivyokiona kile chuma kimechanganyika na udongo wa matope, watajichanganya nafsi zao kwa mbegu za wanadamu; lakini hawatashikamana, kama vile chuma kisivyoshikamana na udongo.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.
44
Na katika siku za wafalme hao Mungu wa mbinguni atausimamisha ufalme ambao hautaangamizwa milele, wala watu wengine hawataachiwa enzi yake; bali utavunja falme hizi zote vipande vipande na kuziharibu, nao utasimama milele na milele.
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.
45
Na kama vile ulivyoona ya kuwa jiwe lilichongwa mlimani bila kazi ya mikono, na ya kuwa lilivunja-vunja kile chuma, na ile shaba na ule udongo, na ile fedha, na ile dhahabu; basi Mungu aliye mkuu amemjulisha mfalme mambo yatakayokuwa baadaye; na ndoto hii ni ya hakika, na tafsiri yake ni thabiti.
And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
46
Ndipo Nebukadreza, mfalme, akaanguka kifudifudi, akamsujudia Danielii, akatoa amri wamtolee Danielii sadaka na uvumba.
At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.
47
Mfalme akajibu, akamwambia Danielii, Hakika Mungu wenu ndiye Mungu wa miungu, na Bwana wa wafalme, awezaye kufumbua siri, kwa kuwa wewe uliweza kuifumbua siri hii.
The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48
Basi mfalme akamtukuza Danielii, akampa zawadi kubwa nyingi sana, akamfanya kuwa mkubwa juu ya uliwali wote wa Babeli, na kuwa liwali mkuu juu ya wote wenye hekima wa Babeli.
Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
49
Tena, Danielii akamwomba mfalme, naye akawaweka Shadraka, na Meshaki, na Abednego, wawe juu ya mambo yote ya uliwali wa Babeli; lakini huyo Danielii alikuwa akiketi katika lango la mfalme.
And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.