但以理书 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
但以理梦中见异象
7 巴比伦王伯沙撒第一年，但以理躺在床上时，他作了一个梦，脑海中出现了异象；他就把那梦记录下来，把事情的重点述说出来。 2 但以理说：“在夜间的异象中，我看见天的四风，搅动大海。
四巨兽
3 “有四只巨兽从海中上来，形状各不相同。 4 第一只兽像狮子，却有鹰的翅膀。我一直在观看，看见牠的翅膀被拔去，牠从地上被举起来，两脚像人一样直立在地上；又有人的心给了牠。 5 我又看见另一只兽，就是第二只兽；牠和熊相似，挺起一边的身躯，口中的牙齿衔着三根肋骨。有人这样对牠说：‘起来，吃多量的肉吧！’ 6 此后，我继续观看，看见另一只兽像豹，背上有鸟的四个翅膀；这兽有四个头，又有权柄给了牠。 7 后来，我在夜间的异象中继续观看，看见有第四只兽，非常恐怖，十分可怕，极其强壮。牠有大铁牙；牠吞吃咬碎，又把剩余的用脚践踏；这兽和前面的各兽都不相同；牠有十个角。 8 我正在究察这些角的时候，看见角的中间长出另一个小角来。在这小角前面，有三个先前的角连根被拔起来。这小角有眼，像人的眼，又有一张说夸大话的嘴。
9 “我一直在观看，
看见有些宝座安放好了，
万古常存者就坐上去；
他的衣服洁白如雪，
他的头发纯净像羊毛。
他的宝座是火焰，
宝座的轮子是烈火。
10 有火像河涌出，
烈火从他面前冒出；
事奉他的有千千，
侍立在他面前的有万万。
审判已经开始，
案卷都展开了。
11 “那时，因那小角说夸大话的声音，我继续观看，看见那兽被杀，尸体被毁，扔在烈火中。 12 至于其余的三兽，牠们的权柄都被夺去，牠们的生命却得着延长，直到所定的时候和日期。
13 “我在夜间的异象中继续观看，
看见有一位像人子的，
驾着天云而来，
到万古常存者那里，
被引领到他面前，
14 得了权柄、尊荣和国度；
各国、各族和说各种语言的人都事奉他。
他的权柄是永远的权柄，是不能废去的；
他的国度是永不毁灭的。
解释异象的意义
15 “至于我但以理，我的灵在我里面忧伤，我脑海中出现的异象使我惊惶。 16 于是我走近其中一位侍立者，问他有关这一切事的实情；他就告诉我，使我知道这些事的意思，他说： 17 ‘这四只巨兽就是将要在世上兴起的四个王。 18 但至高者的圣民必要得国，拥有这国，直到永永远远。’ 19 那时我想知道有关第四只兽的实情，牠和其他三兽不相同，十分恐怖，有铁牙铜爪；牠吞吃咬碎，又把剩余的用脚践踏。 20 我又想知道有关牠头上的十角，和那另长出来的小角，以及那三个在这小角前面倒下的角的实情。这小角有眼，有说夸大话的嘴；牠的形状比牠的同类更威猛。 21 我继续观看，看见这小角和圣民争战，战胜了他们， 22 直到万古常存者来到，为至高者的圣民伸张正义；圣民拥有国度的时候就到了。
23 “那位侍立者这样说：‘那第四只兽就是世上必有的第四国，和其他各国都不相同；牠必吞吃全地，践踏咬碎全地。 24 至于那十角，就是从这国中将要兴起的十个王，在他们以后，必有另一个王兴起，和先前的王都不相同；他必制伏三个王。 25 他必说话，敌挡至高者；他必折磨至高者的圣民，又想改变节期和律法；圣民必交在他的手中，一载、二载、半载（“一载、二载、半载”或译：“一个时期、多个时期、半个时期”）。 26 但审判要开始，他的权柄必被夺去，他必被毁坏灭绝，直到永远。 27 那时，国度、权柄，和普天之下万国的大权，都必赐给至高者的圣民。他的国是永远的国；所有掌权的都必事奉他，顺从他。’ 28 这事到此完毕。我但以理心中十分惊惶，脸色也变了，但我把这事存放在心里。”
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.”
Daniel 7
Orthodox Jewish Bible
7 In the first year of Belshatzar melech Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed; then he wrote down the dream, and the sum of the matters he related.
2 Daniel answered and said, I saw in my vision that came by night, and, hinei, the arbah ruchot (four winds) of Shomayim burst forth upon the yam hagadol (great sea).
3 And four chayyot hagedolot (great beasts) came up from the yam, different one from another.
4 Harishonah (the first) was like an arye (lion), and had eagle’s wings. I was beholding until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from ha’aretz, and was made to stand upon two feet like a man, and a man’s lev was given to it [see Daniel 4:34 (4:31)].
5 And hinei another beast, a second, like a bear, and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was said thus unto it, Arise, devour much basar (flesh).
6 After this I beheld, and hinei another, like a leopard, which had upon its sides four wings of a bird; the beast had also arba’ah rashim (four heads) and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and hinei a fourth Chayyah (Beast), dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it was devouring and crushing, and trampling the residue with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had eser karnayim (ten horns).
8 I was contemplating the karnayim (horns), and, hinei, there came up among them another keren (horn), a little one, before whom there were three of the first karnayim plucked up by the roots; and, hinei, in this keren were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I was beholding until kisot (thrones) were placed, and the Atik Yomin (Ancient of Days, i.e., Hashem) did sit, whose raiment was like white snow, and the hair of His rosh like pure wool; His kes (throne) was like the fiery flames, and its wheels like burning eish.
10 A river of eish was flowing and came forth from before Him; thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the court sat, and the sfarim (books) were opened.
11 I was beholding from (the time of) the voice of the arrogant words which the keren [Anti-Moshiach] spoke, I was beholding even till the Chayyah (Beast) was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning eish.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a time and a season.
13 I was beholding in visions of the night, and, hinei, one like a Bar Enosh (Ben Adam, i.e., Moshiach) came with the clouds of Shomayim, and came to the Atik Yomin (Ancient of Days, i.e., Hashem), and before Him He was brought.
14 And there was given Him (Moshiach) dominion, and honor, and sovereignty, that all people, Goyim, tongues, should pey-lammed-chet (see Dan 3:12, serve, reverence as deity Him (Moshiach). His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His (Messianic) Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 As for me, Daniel, my ruach was anxious in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head were troubling me.
16 I drew near to one of the attendants to ask him the certainty concerning all this; and he said to me that he would make me to have da’as of the pesher (interpretation) of the things.
17 These chayyot hagedolot (great beasts), which are arbah (four), are four melachim, which shall arise out of ha’aretz.
18 But the kadoshim Elyon (holy ones of the Most High) shall receive the Kingdom, and shall possess the Kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
19 Then I desired to make sure concerning the fourth Chayyah (Beast), which was different from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and its claws brass; it was devouring, crushing, and stamped the residue with its feet;
20 And concerning the eser karnayim (ten horns) that were in its head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell, even of that horn (Anti-Moshiach) that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogant things, which seemed greater than the others.
21 I was beholding, and the same keren (horn, Anti-Moshiach) made war against the kadoshim, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Atik Yomin (Ancient of Days, Hashem) came, and judgment was given for the kadoshim Elyon; and the time came that the kadoshim possessed the Kingdom.
23 This is what he said: The fourth Chayyah (Beast) shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour kol ha’aretz, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the eser karnayim (ten horns) out of this kingdom are asarah melachim (ten kings) that shall arise, and another shall arise after them; and he shall be different from the first, and he shall subdue three melachim.
25 And he (Anti-Moshiach) shall speak great words against Elyon, and shall wear out the kadoshim Elyon, and think to change set times and law, and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
26 But judgment was given, and there was taken away its [Anti-Moshiach’s] power to destroy and to annihilate unto the end.
27 And the dominion and sovereignty, and greatness of the kingdom under kol HaShomayim, shall be given to the people of the kadoshim Elyon, whose kingdom is a malchut olam (an everlasting kingdom), and all dominions shall serve and obey them.
28 Unto this point is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and the color of my countenance changed upon me, but I kept the matter in my lev. [T.N. Chanukah remembers the restored and re-dedicated worship in Jerusalem 164 B.C.E. after the Anti-Moshiachlike activities of Antiochus Epiphanes predicted in chp 8 below.]
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International