2:1 尼布甲尼撒在位第二年,他做了夢,心裡煩亂,不能睡覺。
2:2 王吩咐人將術士、用法術的、行邪術的,和迦勒底人召來,要他們將王的夢告訴王,他們就來站在王前。
2:3 王對他們說:「我做了一夢,心裡煩亂,要知道這是甚麼夢。」
2:4 迦勒底人用亞蘭的言語對王說:「願王萬歲!請將那夢告訴僕人,僕人就可以講解。」
2:5 王回答迦勒底人說:「夢我已經忘了(或譯:我已定命;八節同),你們若不將夢和夢的講解告訴我,就必被凌遲,你們的房屋必成為糞堆;
2:6 你們若將夢和夢的講解告訴我,就必從我這裡得贈品和賞賜,並大尊榮。現在你們要將夢和夢的講解告訴我。」
2:7 他們第二次對王說:「請王將夢告訴僕人,僕人就可以講解。」
2:8 王回答說:「我准知道你們是故意遲延,因為你們知道那夢我已經忘了。
2:9 你們若不將夢告訴我,只有一法待你們;因為你們預備了謊言亂語向我說,要等候時勢改變。現在你們要將夢告訴我,因我知道你們能將夢的講解告訴我。」
2:10 迦勒底人在王面前回答說:「世上沒有人能將王所問的事說出來;因為沒有君王、大臣、掌權的向術士,或用法術的,或迦勒底人問過這樣的事。
2:11 王所問的事甚難。除了不與世人同居的神明,沒有人在王面前能說出來。」
2:12 因此,王氣忿忿地大發烈怒,吩咐滅絕巴比倫所有的哲士。
2:13 於是命令發出,哲士將要見殺,人就尋找但以理和他的同伴,要殺他們。
2:14 王的護衛長亞略出來,要殺巴比倫的哲士,但以理就用婉言回答他,
2:15 向王的護衛長亞略說:「王的命令為何這樣緊急呢?」亞略就將情節告訴但以理。
2:16 但以理遂進去求王寬限,就可以將夢的講解告訴王。
1 In the second year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his
sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters,
the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So
they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I
had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream." 4 Then the
Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your
servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." 5 The king
answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm:if you do
not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb
from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream
and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great
honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation." interpretation."
7 They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell his servants
the dream, and we will show its interpretation." 8 The king answered and
said, "I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you
see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me,
there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt
words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall
know that you can show me its interpretation." 10 The Chaldeans answered
the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's
demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician
or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no
one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with
flesh."
12 Because of this the king was angry and
very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13
So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they
sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with
prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had
gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king's
captain, "Why is the decree of the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made
the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to
appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
**********
在這裡的文字中看見古時候的王因為權力很大,就表現出顢頇無理,讓人感覺伴君如伴虎,只要他一不高興就要人的命,不把人的性命放在眼中。這也是人罪性的表現,人的心中只有自己最大,其他都是為糞土。這也是說明君權政治的恐怖與惡劣,反而人性受到極大的傷害!
雖然如此,上帝給于但以理智慧,來拯救那些國王所供養的哲人智士,要求王給于時間來尋求上帝。因為但以理相信上帝的全能與信實,更重要的是上帝有憐憫與恩典,不願人受不白之冤。
上帝常常有拯救的作為,願意成為祂的器皿嗎?讓祂的大能彰顯!祂是不誤事的上帝,是十分可靠的!