但以理书 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
但以理梦见四兽
7 巴比伦王伯沙撒元年,但以理在床上做了一个梦,脑中出现了异象,便把梦记录下来,讲述其中的大意。 2 但以理说:“我在夜间的异象中看见天风四面吹来,搅动大海。 3 接着,四只巨兽从海中上来,各有不同的形状。 4 第一只兽像狮子,但有鹰的翅膀。我观看时,见它的翅膀被拔掉。它被扶起来,像人一样双脚站在地上,并被赋予人的头脑。 5 第二只兽像熊,用两只后腿站立,牙齿间叼着三根肋骨,有声音对它说,‘起来,多吞吃肉吧!’
6 “此后,我继续观看,见还有一只兽像豹,背上有四个如鸟翼般的翅膀。这兽有四个头,并被赋予权柄。 7 此后,我在夜间的异象中看见第四只兽,恐怖可怕,极其强壮,用大铁牙吞吃、咬碎猎物,用脚践踏所剩的。这兽与前三只兽不同,它有十个角。 8 我观看这些角时,见其中长出一个小角,先前的角中有三个被连根拔出,让它取而代之。这小角有人的眼睛和说狂言的口。
9 “我看见宝座已设立,
上面坐着亘古长存者,
祂的衣服洁白如雪,
头发如纯净的羊毛。
祂的宝座是火焰,
宝座的轮子是烈火。
10 从祂面前流出火河,
事奉祂的有千千,
侍立在祂面前的有万万。
祂坐下要审判,
案卷已经展开。
11 “我继续观看,见那兽被杀,身体被毁并被扔进火中,因为它的小角口出狂言。 12 至于其余的兽,它们的权柄都被夺去,但获准再存活一段时间。
13 “我在夜间的异象中看见一位像人子的,驾着天云而来,到亘古长存者那里,被引到祂面前。 14 他得到权柄、荣耀和国度,各族、各邦、各语种的人都要事奉他。他的统治直到永远、没有穷尽,他的国度永不灭亡。
解释异象
15 “我但以理心中不安,脑中出现的异象令我恐惧, 16 便走近一位侍立一旁的,问他这些事的意思。他就向我解释这些事的意思,说, 17 ‘这四只巨兽是指四个将要在世上兴起的国。 18 但至高者的圣民必承受国度,并永永远远拥有国度。’
19 “那时,我想知道关于第四兽的事,它与其余三兽不同,极其可怕,有铁牙铜爪,吞吃、咬碎猎物,用脚践踏所剩的。 20 我也想知道有关它头上的十角及后来长出的小角的事。这小角取代了三角,它有眼和说狂言的口,比其他的角更强大。 21 我看见这小角与圣民争战,并占了上风。 22 后来亘古长存的至高者来为祂的圣民申冤。圣民拥有国度的时候到了。
23 “那位侍立一旁的说,‘第四只兽是指世上将兴起的第四个国,与其他各国不同,它将吞吃、践踏、咬碎天下。 24 十角是指这国中将兴起十个王,后来又兴起一王,与先前的王不同,他将制服三个王。 25 他必亵渎至高者,迫害至高者的圣民,试图改变节期和律法。圣民将被交在他手中三年半。 26 然而,审判者将坐下来审判,夺去并永远废除他的权柄。 27 那时,国度、权柄和天下万国的尊荣必赐给至高者的圣民。祂的国度直到永远,一切掌权者都要事奉祂,顺服祂。’
28 “这就是我的梦。我但以理心中十分害怕,脸色苍白,但我没有把这事告诉别人。”
Daniel 7
The Message
A Vision of Four Animals
7 In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. What he saw as he slept in his bed terrified him—a real nightmare. Then he wrote out his dream:
2-3 “In my dream that night I saw the four winds of heaven whipping up a great storm on the sea. Four huge animals, each different from the others, ascended out of the sea.
4 “The first animal looked like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. While I watched, its wings were pulled off. It was then pulled erect so that it was standing on two feet like a man. Then a human heart was placed in it.
5 “Then I saw a second animal that looked like a bear. It lurched from side to side, holding three ribs in its jaws. It was told, ‘Attack! Devour! Fill your belly!’
6 “Next I saw another animal. This one looked like a panther. It had four birdlike wings on its back. This animal had four heads and was made to rule.
7 “After that, a fourth animal appeared in my dream. This one was a grisly horror—hideous. It had huge iron teeth. It crunched and swallowed its victims. Anything left over, it trampled into the ground. It was different from the other animals—this one was a real monster. It had ten horns.
8 “As I was staring at the horns and trying to figure out what they meant, another horn sprouted up, a little horn. Three of the original horns were pulled out to make room for it. There were human eyes in this little horn, and a big mouth speaking arrogantly.
9-10 “As I was watching all this,
“Thrones were set in place
and The Old One sat down.
His robes were white as snow,
his hair was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
its wheels blazing.
A river of fire
poured out of the throne.
Thousands upon thousands served him,
tens of thousands attended him.
The courtroom was called to order,
and the books were opened.
11-13 “I kept watching. The little horn was speaking arrogantly. Then, as I watched, the monster was killed and its body cremated in a roaring fire. The other animals lived on for a limited time, but they didn’t really do anything, had no power to rule. My dream continued.
13-14 “I saw a human form, a son of man,
arriving in a whirl of clouds.
He came to The Old One
and was presented to him.
He was given power to rule—all the glory of royalty.
Everyone—race, color, and creed—had to serve him.
His rule would be forever, never ending.
His kingly rule would never be replaced.
15-16 “But as for me, Daniel, I was disturbed. All these dream-visions had me agitated. So I went up to one of those standing by and asked him the meaning of all this. And he told me, interpreting the dream for me:
17-18 “‘These four huge animals,’ he said, ‘mean that four kingdoms will appear on earth. But eventually the holy people of the High God will be given the kingdom and have it ever after—yes, forever and ever.’
19-22 “But I wanted to know more. I was curious about the fourth animal, the one so different from the others, the hideous monster with the iron teeth and the bronze claws, gulping down what it ripped to pieces and trampling the leftovers into the dirt. And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that sprouted up while three of the original horns were removed. This new horn had eyes and a big mouth and spoke arrogantly, dominating the other horns. I watched as this horn was making war on God’s holy people and getting the best of them. But then The Old One intervened and decided things in favor of the people of the High God. In the end, God’s holy people took over the kingdom.
23-25 “The bystander continued, telling me this: ‘The fourth animal is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from the first three kingdoms, a monster kingdom that will chew up everyone in sight and spit them out. The ten horns are ten kings, one after another, that will come from this kingdom. But then another king will arrive. He will be different from the earlier kings. He will begin by toppling three kings. Then he will blaspheme the High God, persecute the followers of the High God, and try to get rid of sacred worship and moral practice. God’s holy people will be persecuted by him for a time, two times, half a time.
26-27 “‘But when the court comes to order, the horn will be stripped of its power and totally destroyed. Then the royal rule and the authority and the glory of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the people of the High God. Their royal rule will last forever. All other rulers will serve and obey them.’
28 “And there it ended. I, Daniel, was in shock. I was like a man who had seen a ghost. But I kept it all to myself.”
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Ang Bagong Tipan: Filipino Standard Version, Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 2009.