Daniel Has a Dream About Four Animals
1It 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.
2Daniel said, “I had a vision at night. I looked up and saw the four winds of heaven. They were stirring up the Mediterranean Sea. 3Four large animals came up out of the sea. Each one was different from the others.
4“The first animal was like a lion. It had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground. It stood on two feet like a human being. And the mind of a human being was given to it.
5“I saw a second animal. It looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides. And it had three ribs between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Eat meat until you are full!’
6“After that, I saw another animal. It looked like a leopard. On its back were four wings like the wings of a bird. The animal I saw had four heads. And it was given authority to rule.
7“After that, in my vision I looked up and saw a fourth animal. It was terrifying and very powerful. It had large iron teeth. It crushed those it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left. It was different from the other animals. And it had ten horns.
8“I thought about the horns. Then I saw another horn. It was a little one. It grew up among the other horns. Three of the first horns were pulled up by their roots to make room for it. The little horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being. Its mouth was always bragging.
9“As I watched,
“thrones were set in place.
The Eternal God took his seat.
His clothes were as white as snow.
The hair on his head was white like wool.
His throne was blazing with fire.
And flames were all around its wheels.
10A river of fire was flowing.
It was coming out from in front of God.
Thousands and thousands of angels served him.
Millions of them stood in front of him.
The court was seated.
And the books were opened.
11“Then I continued to watch because of the way the horn was bragging. I kept looking until the fourth animal was killed. I watched until its body was destroyed. It was thrown into the blazing fire. 12The authority of the other animals had been stripped away from them. But they were allowed to live for a period of time.
13“In my vision I saw one who looked like a son of man. He was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Eternal God. He was led right up to him. 14And he was given authority, glory and a kingdom. People of all nations, no matter what language they spoke, worshiped him. His authority will last forever. It will not pass away. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
An Angel Tells Daniel What His Dream Means
15“My spirit was troubled. The visions that passed through my mind upset me. 16I approached an angel who was standing there. I asked him what all these things really meant.
“So he explained to me what everything meant. 17He said, ‘The four large animals stand for four kings. The kings will appear on the earth. 18But the holy people of the Most High God will receive the kingdom. They will possess it forever. It will belong to them for ever and ever.’
19“Then I wanted to know what the fourth animal stood for. It was different from the others. It was the most terrifying of all. It had iron teeth and bronze claws. It crushed everyone it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left. 20I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head. And I wanted to know about the other horn that grew up later. It caused three of the ten horns to fall out. It appeared to be stronger than the others. It had eyes. And its mouth was always bragging. 21I saw that the horn was at war with God’s holy people. It was winning the battle over them. 22But then the Eternal God came. He decided in favor of his holy people. So the time came when the kingdom was given to them.
23“Here’s how the angel explained it to me. He said, ‘The fourth animal stands for a fourth kingdom. It will appear on earth. It will be different from the other kingdoms. It will eat up the whole earth. It will stomp on it and crush it. 24The ten horns stand for ten kings. They will come from the fourth kingdom. After them another king will appear. He will be different from the earlier ones. He’ll bring three kings under his control. 25He’ll speak against the Most High God. He’ll treat God’s holy people badly. He will try to change the times and laws that were given by God. God’s holy people will be placed under his power for three and a half years.
26“ ‘But the court will be seated. And the power of that king will be taken away from him. It will be completely destroyed forever. 27Then the authority, power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be taken from them. And all they had will be given to the holy people of the Most High God. His kingdom will last forever. Every ruler will worship and obey him.’
28“That’s all I saw. My thoughts deeply troubled me. My face turned pale. But I kept those things to myself.”
Las cuatro bestias
1En el primer año del reinado de Belsasar en Babilonia, Daniel tuvo un sueño y visiones mientras yacía en su lecho. Entonces puso por escrito lo más importante de su sueño, 2y esto es lo que escribió:
«Durante la noche tuve una visión, y en ella veía el gran mar, agitado por los cuatro vientos del cielo. 3Del mar salían cuatro bestias enormes, cada una diferente de la otra.
4»La primera de ellas se parecía a un león, pero sus alas eran las de un águila. Mientras yo la observaba, le arrancaron las alas, la levantaron del suelo y la obligaron a mantenerse sobre sus patas traseras, como si fuera un hombre. Y se le dio un corazón humano.
5»La segunda bestia que vi se parecía a un oso. Se levantaba sobre uno de sus costados, y entre sus fauces tenía tres costillas. A esta bestia se le dijo: “¡Levántate y come carne hasta que te hartes!”
6»Ante mis propios ojos vi aparecer otra bestia, la cual se parecía a un leopardo, aunque en el lomo tenía cuatro alas, como las de un ave. Esta bestia tenía cuatro cabezas, y recibió autoridad para gobernar.
7»Después de esto, en mis visiones nocturnas vi ante mí una cuarta bestia, la cual era extremadamente horrible y poseía una fuerza descomunal. Con sus grandes colmillos de hierro desmenuzaba y devoraba a sus víctimas, para luego pisotear los restos. Tenía diez cuernos, y no se parecía en nada a las otras bestias.
8»Mientras me fijaba en los cuernos, vi surgir entre ellos otro cuerno más pequeño. Por causa de este fueron arrancados tres de los primeros. El cuerno pequeño parecía tener ojos humanos, y una boca que profería insolencias.
Canto al Anciano
9»Mientras yo observaba esto,
se colocaron unos tronos,
y tomó asiento un venerable Anciano.
Su ropa era blanca como la nieve,
y su cabello, blanco como la lana.
Su trono y las ruedas de este
centelleaban como el fuego.
10De su presencia brotaba
un torrente de fuego.
Miles de millares le servían,
centenares de miles lo atendían.
Al iniciarse el juicio,
los libros fueron abiertos.
11»Yo me quedé mirando a causa de las grandes insolencias que profería el cuerno. Seguí mirando hasta que a esta bestia la mataron, la descuartizaron y echaron los pedazos al fuego ardiente. 12A las otras bestias les quitaron el poder, aunque las dejaron vivir por algún tiempo.
13»En esa visión nocturna, vi que alguien con aspecto humano7:13 alguien con aspecto humano. Lit. como un hijo de hombre. venía entre las nubes del cielo. Se acercó al venerable Anciano y fue llevado a su presencia, 14y se le dio autoridad, poder y majestad. ¡Todos los pueblos, naciones y lenguas lo adoraron! ¡Su dominio es un dominio eterno, que no pasará, y su reino jamás será destruido!
La interpretación del sueño
15»Yo, Daniel, me quedé aterrorizado, y muy preocupado por las visiones que pasaban por mi mente. 16Me acerqué entonces a uno de los que estaban allí, y le pregunté el verdadero significado de todo esto. Y esta fue su interpretación: 17“Las cuatro grandes bestias son cuatro reinos que se levantarán en la tierra, 18pero los santos del Altísimo recibirán el reino, y será suyo para siempre, ¡para siempre jamás!”
19»Quise entonces saber el verdadero significado de la cuarta bestia, la cual desmenuzaba a sus víctimas y las devoraba, pisoteando luego sus restos. Era muy distinta a las otras tres, pues tenía colmillos de hierro y garras de bronce. ¡Tenía un aspecto espantoso! 20Quise saber también acerca de los diez cuernos que tenía en la cabeza, y del otro cuerno que le había salido y ante el cual habían caído tres de ellos. Este cuerno parecía más impresionante que los otros, pues tenía ojos y hablaba con insolencia.
21»Mientras observaba yo, este cuerno libró una guerra contra los santos y los venció. 22Entonces vino el Anciano y emitió juicio en favor de los santos del Altísimo. En ese momento los santos recibieron el reino.
23»Esta fue la explicación que me dio el venerable Anciano:
»“La cuarta bestia es un cuarto reino
que surgirá en este mundo.
Será diferente a los otros reinos;
devorará a toda la tierra;
¡la aplastará y la pisoteará!
24Los diez cuernos son diez reyes
que saldrán de este reino.
Otro rey les sucederá,
distinto a los anteriores,
el cual derrocará a tres reyes.
25Hablará en contra del Altísimo
y oprimirá a sus santos;
tratará de cambiar las festividades
y también las leyes,
y los santos quedarán bajo su poder
durante tres años y medio.7:25 tres años y medio. Lit. un tiempo y tiempos y medio tiempo.
26Los jueces tomarán asiento,
y al cuerno se le quitará el poder
y se le destruirá para siempre.
27Entonces se dará a los santos,
que son el pueblo del Altísimo,
la majestad y el poder
y la grandeza de los reinos.
Su reino será un reino eterno,
y lo adorarán y obedecerán
todos los gobernantes de la tierra”.
28»Aquí termina la visión. Yo, Daniel, me quedé tan desconcertado por tantas ideas que me pasaban por la mente que palideció mi rostro. Pero preferí mantener todo esto en secreto».7:28 Aquí termina la porción aramea. Véase nota en 2:4.
