Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
5As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people8:12 Or rebellion, the armies and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?”
14He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
The Interpretation of the Vision
15While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
17As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”8:17 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament. he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
18While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.8:19 Or because the end will be at the appointed time 20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23“In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
27I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
公綿羊和公山羊的異象
1在看見先前的異象之後，我但以理在伯沙撒王執政第三年又看見一個異象。 2我在異象中看見自己在以攔省的書珊城，又看見自己站在烏萊河畔。 3我舉目觀看，見河邊站著一隻公綿羊，長著兩個長角，一角比另一角長，較長的角是後長出來的。 4我看見這公綿羊向西方、北方和南方頂撞，沒有獸能抵擋牠，或逃脫牠的威力。牠隨心所欲，狂妄自大。
5我正沉思的時候，忽然從西面出現一隻公山羊，穿越大地，腳不沾地奔來。牠雙眼之間有一個醒目的角。 6這公山羊來到我之前看見站在河邊的雙角公綿羊那裡，憤怒地向牠頂去。 7我看見公山羊憤怒地頂向公綿羊，攻擊牠，折斷了牠的雙角。公綿羊無力抵擋公山羊，被撞倒在地，踐踏在腳下，無人能救牠脫離公山羊的威力。 8公山羊極其狂妄自大。但正值鼎盛之時，牠的大角突然折斷，在原處又長出四個醒目的角，朝著天的四方。 9其中一個角又長出一個小角，向南方、東方和佳美之地8·9 「佳美之地」指以色列，下同11·16、41。擴張勢力。 10它長得高及天軍，將一些天軍和星宿拋到地上，用腳踐踏。 11它狂妄自大，與天軍的統帥比高，它廢除日常獻給祂的祭，毀壞祂的聖所。 12因為反叛的緣故，天軍和日常所獻的祭都交給了它。它將真理拋在地上，它所行的無不順利。
13接著，我聽見一位聖者在說話，另一位聖者問他：「異象中出現的有關日常所獻的祭，毀滅性的反叛和踐踏聖所及天軍的事要持續多久呢？」 14他對我說：「兩千三百個晝夜。之後，聖所才會潔淨。」
解釋異象
15我但以理看見這異象，正想明白它的意思，忽然有一個外貌像人的站在我面前。 16我聽見有人聲從烏萊河兩岸之間呼喊：「加百列啊，要讓此人明白這異象。」 17於是，他朝我站的地方走來，當他走來的時候，我嚇得俯伏在地。他對我說：「人子啊，你要明白，這異象是關於末後的時期。」 18他和我說話的時候，我伏在地上昏睡過去，他便輕拍我，扶我起來， 19對我說：「我要告訴你將來上帝發烈怒的末了所發生的事，因為這異象是關於那定好的末後時期。 20你看見的那隻有兩角的公綿羊指瑪代和波斯的諸王。 21公山羊指希臘王，在牠雙眼之間的大角指第一個王。 22大角折斷後，從原處長出四個角表示四個國必從這國興起，但都不及這國強大。 23在四國的末期，人們惡貫滿盈的時候，必有一個面貌兇惡、詭計多端的王興起。 24他勢力強大，卻不是靠自己的力量。他必帶來可怕的毀滅，而且凡事亨通，他必毀滅強者和聖民。 25他靠陰謀詭計得逞，心高氣傲，乘人不備突然毀滅許多人，甚至要攻擊萬君之君，然而他終必被擊垮，但並非被人的手擊垮。 26有關兩千三百個晝夜的異象是真的。但你要保密，因為這指的是遙遠的將來。」
27我但以理精疲力盡，病了幾天。後來我起來照常辦理王的事務，但我對這異象感到驚奇不已，不明白它的意思。
