In a dream he saw a stairway standing on the earth. Its top reached to heaven. The angels of God were going up and coming down on it.

梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下来。

他做梦，看哪，一个梯子立在地上，梯子的顶端直伸到天；看哪，上帝的使者在梯子上，上去下来。

他做梦，看哪，一个梯子立在地上，梯子的顶端直伸到天；看哪，神的使者在梯子上，上去下来。

梦中看见有个梯子立在地上，直通到天上，梯子上有上帝的天使上上下下。

他作了一个梦，梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯顶直通到天，神的众使者在梯子上下往来。

他做了一个梦：看哪，有一个梯子矗立在地，它的顶端直通到天！看哪，梯子上，神的使者们上下往来！

夢見一個梯子立在地上，梯子的頭頂着天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下來。

他做夢，看哪，一個梯子立在地上，梯子的頂端直伸到天；看哪，上帝的使者在梯子上，上去下來。

他做夢，看哪，一個梯子立在地上，梯子的頂端直伸到天；看哪，神的使者在梯子上，上去下來。

夢中看見有個梯子立在地上，直通到天上，梯子上有上帝的天使上上下下。

他作了一個夢，夢見一個梯子立在地上，梯頂直通到天，神的眾使者在梯子上下往來。

他做了一個夢，見有一道臺階立在地上、其上頭頂着天；竟有上帝的使者在臺階上上上下下呢。

他做了一個夢：看哪，有一個梯子矗立在地，它的頂端直通到天！看哪，梯子上，神的使者們上下往來！

夢有梯立於地、頂及於天、上帝之使、陟降其上、

夢有梯、自地參天、上帝之使者、陟降於上。

夢有梯置於地、梯首及天、天主之使者陟降於上、

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.

And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

And he dreamed; and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it

He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Then he said to the disciples,“ What I’m about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”

He might speak in a dream or in a vision at night. That’s when people are sound asleep in their beds.He might speak in their ears. His warnings might terrify them.

Then the Lord said,“ Listen to my words.“ Suppose there is a prophet among you. I, the Lord, make myself known to them in visions. I speak to them in dreams.

Jacob also went on his way. The angels of God met him.Jacob saw them. He said,“ This is the army of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him,“ Abram, do not be afraid. I am like a shield to you. I am your very great reward.”

As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. A thick and scary darkness covered him.

All angels are spirits who serve. God sends them to serve those who will receive salvation.

Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.He said to them,“ Listen to the dream I had.We were tying up bundles of grain out in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight. Your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it.”His brothers said to him,“ Do you plan to be king over us? Will you really rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream. They didn’t like what he had said.Then Joseph had another dream. He told it to his brothers.“ Listen,” he said.“ I had another dream. This time the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me.”He told his father as well as his brothers. Then his father rebuked him. He said,“ What about this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers really do that? Will we really come and bow down to the ground in front of you?”His brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept the dreams in mind.

The first time I was put on trial, no one came to help me. Everyone deserted me. I hope they will be forgiven for it.The Lord stood at my side. He gave me the strength to preach the whole message. Then all the Gentiles heard it. I was saved from the lion’s mouth.

It was the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylon. Daniel had a dream. He was lying in bed. In his dream, visions passed through his mind. He wrote down what he saw.

In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times. He spoke in different ways.

So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.

“ A message came to me in secret. It was as quiet as a whisper.I had a scary dream one night. I was sound asleep.Fear and trembling seized me. That made every bone in my body shake.A spirit glided past my face. The hair on my body stood on end.Then the spirit stopped. But I couldn’t tell what it was. Something stood there in front of me. I heard a soft voice.It said,‘ Can a human being be more right than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than the God who made him?God doesn’t trust those who serve him. He even brings charges against his angels.So he’ll certainly find fault with human beings. After all, they are made out of dust. They can be crushed more easily than a moth.Between sunrise and sunset they are broken to pieces. Nobody even notices. They disappear forever.Like a tent that falls down, they get weak. They die because they didn’t follow God’s wisdom.’ ”

Then God spoke to him in the dream. He said,“ Yes, I know you had no idea you were doing anything wrong. So I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.Now return the man’s wife to him. He is a prophet. So he will pray for you, and you will live. But what if you do not return her? Then you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had a dream. His mind was troubled. He couldn’t sleep.So the king sent for those who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. He also sent for those who practiced evil magic and those who studied the heavens. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.He said to them,“ I had a dream. It troubles me. So I want to know what it means.”Then those who studied the heavens answered the king. They spoke in Aramaic. They said,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! Tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll explain what it means.”The king replied to them,“ I have made up my mind. You must tell me what I dreamed. And you must tell me what it means. If you don’t, I’ll have you cut to pieces. And I’ll have your houses turned into piles of trash.So tell me what I dreamed. Explain it to me. Then I’ll give you gifts. I’ll reward you. I’ll give you great honor. So tell me the dream. And tell me what it means.”Once more they replied,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll tell you what it means.”The king answered,“ I know what you are doing. You are trying to gain more time. You realize that I’ve made up my mind.You must tell me the dream. If you don’t, you will pay for it. You have gotten together and made evil plans. You hope things will change. So you are telling me lies. But I want you to tell me what I dreamed. Then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”They answered the king,“ There is no one on earth who can do what you are asking! No king has ever asked for anything like that. Not even a king as great and mighty as you has asked for it. Those who get knowledge by using magic have never been asked to do what you are asking. And those who study the heavens haven’t been asked to do it either.What you are asking is much too hard. No one can tell you what you dreamed except the gods. And they don’t live among human beings.”That made the king very angry. He ordered that all the wise men in Babylon be put to death.So the order was given to kill them. Men were sent out to look for Daniel and his friends. They were also supposed to be put to death.Arioch was the commander of the king’s guard. He went out to put the wise men of Babylon to death. So Daniel spoke to him wisely and carefully.He asked the king’s officer,“ Why did Nebuchadnezzar give a terrible order like that?” Then Arioch explained to Daniel what was going on.When Daniel heard that, he went to the king. He told him he would explain the dream to him. But he needed more time.Then Daniel returned to his house. He explained everything to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.He asked them to pray that the God of heaven would give him mercy. He wanted God to help him understand the mystery of the king’s dream. Then he and his friends wouldn’t be killed along with Babylon’s other wise men.During that night, God gave Daniel a vision. He showed him what the mystery was all about. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.He said,“ May God be praised for ever and ever! He is wise and powerful.He changes times and seasons. He removes some kings from power. He causes other kings to rule. The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him. He gives knowledge to those who have understanding.He explains deep and hidden things. He knows what happens in the darkest places. And where he is, everything is light.God of my people of long ago, I thank and praise you. You have given me wisdom and power. You have made known to me what we asked you for. You have shown us the king’s dream.”Then Daniel went to Arioch. The king had appointed him to put the wise men of Babylon to death. Daniel said to him,“ Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king. I’ll tell him what his dream means.”So Arioch took Daniel to the king at once. Arioch said,“ I have found a man among those you brought here from Judah. He can tell you what your dream means.”Nebuchadnezzar spoke to Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar. The king asked him,“ Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream? And can you tell me what it means?”Daniel replied,“ You have asked us to explain a mystery to you. But no wise man can do that. And those who try to figure things out by using magic can’t do it either.But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. King Nebuchadnezzar, he has shown you what is going to happen. Here is what you dreamed while lying in bed. And here are the visions that passed through your mind.“ Your Majesty, while you were still in bed your mind was troubled. You were thinking about things that haven’t happened yet. The God who explains mysteries showed these things to you.Now the mystery has been explained to me. But it isn’t because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive. It’s because God wants you to know what the mystery means, Your Majesty. He wants you to understand what went through your mind.“ King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw a large statue standing in front of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you.The head of the statue was made out of pure gold. Its chest and arms were made out of silver. Its stomach and thighs were made out of bronze.Its legs were made out of iron. And its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay.While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn’t do it. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them.Then the iron and clay were broken to pieces. So were the bronze, silver and gold. All of them were broken to pieces. They became like straw on a threshing floor at harvest time. The wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain. It filled the whole earth.“ This was your dream. Now I will tell you what it means.King Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory.He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds in the sky. It doesn’t matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold.“ After you, another kingdom will take over. It won’t be as powerful as yours. Next, a third kingdom will rule over the whole earth. The bronze part of the statue stands for that kingdom.Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron. Iron breaks and smashes everything to pieces. And the fourth kingdom will crush and break all the others.You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be divided up. But it will still have some of the strength of iron. That’s why you saw iron mixed with clay.The toes were partly iron and partly clay. And the fourth kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak.You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be made up of all kinds of people. They won’t hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.“ In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It will crush all those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last forever.That’s what the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain means. Human hands didn’t cut out the rock. It broke the statue to pieces. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold.“ The great God has shown you what will take place in days to come. The dream is true. And you can trust the meaning of it that I have explained to you.”Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in front of Daniel. He wanted to honor him. So he ordered that an offering and incense be offered up to him.The king said to Daniel,“ I’m sure your God is the greatest God of all. He is the Lord of kings. He explains mysteries. That’s why you were able to explain the mystery of my dream.”Then the king put Daniel in a position of authority. He gave him many gifts. He made him ruler over the city of Babylon and the towns around it. He put him in charge of all its other wise men.The king also did what Daniel asked him to. He appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

I, King Nebuchadnezzar, am writing this letter. I am sending it to people who live all over the world. I’m sending it to people of every nation no matter what language they speak. May you have great success!I am pleased to tell you what has happened. The Most High God has done miraculous signs and wonders for me.His signs are great. His wonders are mighty. His kingdom will last forever. His rule will never end.I was at home in my palace. I was content and very successful.But I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying in bed. Then dreams and visions passed through my mind. They terrified me.So I commanded that all the wise men in Babylon be brought to me. I wanted them to tell me what my dream meant.Those who try to figure things out by using magic came. So did those who study the heavens. I told all of them what I had dreamed. But they couldn’t tell me what it meant.Finally, Daniel came to me. He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him my dream.I said,“ Belteshazzar, you are chief of the magicians. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you. No mystery is too hard for you to figure out. Here is my dream. Tell me what it means.Here are the visions I saw while I was lying in bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall.It had grown to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen anywhere on earth.Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree.“ While I was still lying in bed, I looked up. In my visions, I saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He was coming down from heaven.He called out in a loud voice. He said,‘ Cut down the tree. Break off its branches. Strip off its leaves. Scatter its fruit. Let the animals under it run away. Let the birds in its branches fly off.But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it.“‘ Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.Let him no longer have the mind of a man. Instead, let him be given the mind of an animal. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.“‘ The decision is announced by holy messengers. So all who are alive will know that the Most High God is King. He rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants. Sometimes he puts the least important people in charge of them.’“ This is the dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, Belteshazzar. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it to me. But you can. After all, the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, was very bewildered for a while. His thoughts terrified him. So the king said,“ Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its meaning make you afraid.” Belteshazzar answered,“ My master, I wish the dream were about your enemies! I wish its meaning had to do with them!You saw a tree. It grew to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth.Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches.Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth.“ Your Majesty, you saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He came down from heaven. He said,‘ Cut down the tree. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put an iron and bronze band around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.’“ Your Majesty, here is what your dream means. The Most High God has given an order against you.You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. You will become wet with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants.But he gave a command to leave the stump of the tree along with its roots. That means your kingdom will be given back to you. It will happen when you recognize that the God of heaven rules.So, Your Majesty, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you.”All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.It took place twelve months later. He was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon.He said,“ Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”He was still speaking when he heard a voice from heaven. It said,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you.You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants.”What had been said about King Nebuchadnezzar came true at once. He was driven away from people. He ate grass just as an ox does. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. His nails became like the claws of a bird.At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the God who lives forever. His rule will last forever. His kingdom will never end.He considers all the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold back his hand. No one can say to him,“ What have you done?”My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before.Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly.

So God appeared to Abimelek in a dream one night. He said to him,“ You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken. She is already married.”

But as Joseph was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said,“ Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit.

Some time later, the Egyptian king’s baker and wine taster did something their master didn’t like.So Pharaoh became angry with his two officials, the chief wine taster and the chief baker.He put them in prison in the house of the captain of the palace guard. It was the same prison where Joseph was kept.The captain put Joseph in charge of those men. So Joseph took care of them. Some time passed while they were in prison.Then each of the two men had a dream. The men were the Egyptian king’s baker and wine taster. They were being held in prison. Both of them had dreams the same night. Each of their dreams had its own meaning.Joseph came to them the next morning. He saw that they were sad.They were Pharaoh’s officials, and they were in prison with Joseph in his master’s house. So he asked them,“ Why do you look so sad today?”“ We both had dreams,” they answered.“ But no one can tell us what they mean.” Then Joseph said to them,“ Only God knows what dreams mean. Tell me your dreams.”So the chief wine taster told Joseph his dream. He said to him,“ In my dream I saw a vine in front of me.There were three branches on the vine. As soon as it budded, it flowered. And bunches of ripe grapes grew on it.Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand. I took the grapes. I squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup. Then I put the cup in his hand.”“ Here’s what your dream means,” Joseph said to him.“ The three branches are three days.In three days Pharaoh will let you out of prison. He’ll give your job back to you. And you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand. That’s what you used to do when you were his wine taster.But when everything is going well with you, remember me. Do me a favor. Speak to Pharaoh about me. Get me out of this prison.I was taken away from the land of the Hebrews by force. Even here I haven’t done anything to be put in prison for.”The chief baker saw that Joseph had given a positive meaning to the wine taster’s dream. So he said to Joseph,“ I had a dream too. There were three baskets of bread on my head.All kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh were in the top basket. But the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”“ Here’s what your dream means,” Joseph said.“ The three baskets are three days.In three days Pharaoh will cut your head off. Then he will stick a pole through your body and set the pole up. The birds will eat your flesh.”The third day was Pharaoh’s birthday. He had a feast prepared for all his officials. He brought the chief wine taster and the chief baker out of prison. He did it in front of his officials.He gave the chief wine taster’s job back to him. Once again the wine taster put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.But Pharaoh had a pole stuck through the chief baker’s body. Then he had the pole set up. Everything happened just as Joseph had told them when he explained their dreams.But the chief wine taster didn’t remember Joseph. In fact, he forgot all about him.

After Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

The Lord looks out over the whole earth. He gives strength to those who commit their lives completely to him. You have done a foolish thing. From now on you will be at war.”

But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road.When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph.“ Get up!” the angel said.“ Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him.”