但以理書 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
公綿羊和公山羊的異象
8 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，見一隻長著長角的公綿羊站在河邊，其中一角比另一角長，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。牠雙眼之間有一個大角。 6 這公山羊來到我之前看見的那隻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，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，在原處又長出四個奇特的角，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[a]擴張勢力。 10 它逐漸強大，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，要與天軍的統帥比高，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時所發生的事，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 他利用詭計和騙術得逞，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 異象中所說的兩千三百個晝夜是真的。但你要保密，不可告訴別人，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。
Daniel 8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that appeared to me at the first.
2 And I saw in the vision and it seemed that I was at Shushan the palace or fortress [in Susa, the capital of Persia], which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in the vision and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a [single] ram which had two horns [representing two kings of Medo-Persia: Darius the Mede, then Cyrus]; and the two horns were high, but one [Persia] was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4 I looked and saw the ram [Medo-Persia] pushing and charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, neither could anyone rescue from his power, but he did according to his [own] will and pleasure and magnified himself.(A)
5 As I was considering, behold, a he-goat [the king of Greece] came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous and remarkable horn between his eyes [symbolizing Alexander the Great].(B)
6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns which I had seen standing on the bank of the river and ran at him in the heat of his power.
7 [In my vision] I saw him come close to the ram [Medo-Persia], and he was moved with anger against him and he [Alexander the Great] struck the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but the goat threw him to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8 And the he-goat [Alexander the Great] magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was [young and] strong, the [a]great horn [he] was [suddenly] broken; and instead of [him] there came up four notable horns [to whom the kingdom was divided, one] toward [each of] the four winds of the heavens.
9 Out of littleness and small beginnings one of them came forth [Antiochus Epiphanes], a [b]horn whose [impious presumption and pride] grew exceedingly great toward the south and toward the east and toward the ornament [the precious, blessed land of Israel].(C)
10 And [in my vision this horn] grew great, even against the host of heaven [God’s true people, the saints], and some of the host and of the stars [priests] it cast down to the ground and trampled on them,
11 Yes, [this horn] magnified itself, even [matching itself] against the Prince of the host [of heaven]; and from Him the continual [burnt offering] was taken away and the place of [God’s] sanctuary was cast down and profaned.
12 And the host [the chosen people] was given [to the wicked horn] together with the continual burnt offering because of the transgression [of God’s people—their abounding irreverence, ungodliness, and lack of piety]. And righteousness and truth were cast down to the ground, and it [the wicked horn] accomplished this [by divine permission] and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one that spoke, For how long is the vision concerning the continual offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of both the sanctuary and the host [of the people] to be trampled underfoot?(D)
14 And he said to him and to me, For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed and restored.
15 When I, even I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; then behold, there stood before me one [Gabriel] with the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the [river] Ulai which called and said, Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] understand the vision.(E)
17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, Understand, O son of man, for the [fulfillment of the] vision belongs to [events that shall occur in] the time of the end.
18 Now as he [Gabriel] was speaking with me, I fell stunned and in deep unconsciousness with my face to the ground; but he touched me and set me upright [where I had stood].
19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation [of God upon the ungodly], for it has to do with the time of the end.
20 The ram you saw having two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the shaggy and rough he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king [who consolidated the whole realm, Alexander the Great].
22 And as for the horn which was shattered, in whose place four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation but not having his [Alexander’s] power.
23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors [the apostate Jews] have reached the fullness [of their wickedness, taxing the limits of God’s mercy], a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark trickery and craftiness shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall corrupt and destroy astonishingly and shall prosper and do his own pleasure, and he shall corrupt and destroy the mighty men and the holy people (the people of the saints).(F)
25 And through his policy he shall cause trickery to prosper in his hand; he shall magnify himself in his heart and mind, and in their security he will corrupt and destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken and that by no [human] hand.(G)
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings which has been told you is true. But seal up the vision, for it has to do with and belongs to the [now] distant future.
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick [for several] days. Afterward I rose up and did the king’s business; and I wondered at the vision, but there was no one who understood it or could make it understood.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:8 Alexander the Great suddenly died at the height of his power, and his empire was divided into four parts—east, west, north, and south—ruled over by his four generals.
- Daniel 8:9 This horn of Dan. 8:9-12 is not to be confused with the “little horn” of Dan. 7:8. This one is a prophetic forecast of Antiochus Epiphanes, who came out of Syria, one of the four dynasties into which Alexander’s empire was divided, and became a great conqueror. Hating God, he profaned the temple and persecuted the Jews terribly. However, he serves as a type of the “little horn” of Dan. 7:8, the even more ruthless beast of the last days (Rev. 13:4-9).
Daniel 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 8
The Ram and the He-goat.[a] 1 After this first vision, I, Daniel, had another, in the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the fortress of Susa[b] in the province of Elam; I was beside the river Ulai. 3 I looked up and saw standing by the river a ram with two great horns, the one larger and newer than the other. 4 I saw the ram butting toward the west, north, and south. No beast could withstand it or be rescued from its power; it did what it pleased and grew powerful.
5 As I was reflecting, a he-goat with a prominent horn on its forehead suddenly came from the west across the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came to the two-horned ram I had seen standing by the river, and rushed toward it with savage force. 7 I saw it reach the ram; enraged, the he-goat attacked and shattered both its horns. The ram did not have the strength to withstand it; the he-goat threw the ram to the ground and trampled upon it. No one could rescue the ram from its power.
8 The he-goat grew very powerful, but at the height of its strength the great horn was shattered, and in its place came up four others, facing the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came a little horn[c] which grew and grew toward the south, the east, and the glorious land. 10 It grew even to the host of heaven,[d] so that it cast down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them. 11 It grew even to the Prince of the host, from whom the daily sacrifice was removed, and whose sanctuary was cast down. 12 The host was given over together with the daily sacrifice in the course of transgression. It cast truth to the ground, and was succeeding in its undertaking.
13 I heard a holy one speaking, and another said to whichever one it was that spoke, “How long shall the events of this vision last concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating sin,[e] the giving over of the sanctuary and the host for trampling?” 14 He answered him, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be set right.”
15 While I, Daniel, sought the meaning of the vision I had seen, one who looked like a man stood before me, 16 and on the Ulai I heard a human voice that cried out, “Gabriel,[f] explain the vision to this man.” 17 When he came near where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision refers to the end time.”[g] 18 As he spoke to me, I fell forward unconscious; he touched me and made me stand up. 19 “I will show you,” he said, “what is to happen in the last days of wrath; for it is for the appointed time of the end.
20 “The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.[h] 21 The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king. 22 The four that rose in its place when it was shattered are four kingdoms that will issue from his nation, but without his strength.
23 “At the end of their reign,
when sinners have reached their measure,
There shall arise a king,
impudent, and skilled in intrigue.
24 He shall be strong and powerful,
bring about fearful ruin,
and succeed in his undertaking.
He shall destroy powerful peoples;
25 his cunning shall be against the holy ones,
his treacherous conduct shall succeed.
He shall be proud of heart
and destroy many by stealth.
But when he rises against the Prince of princes,
he shall be broken without a hand being raised.
26 As for the vision of the evenings and the mornings,
what was spoken is true.
But you, keep this vision secret:
it is for the distant future.”
27 I, Daniel, was weak and ill for some days; then I arose and took care of the king’s affairs. But the vision left me desolate, without understanding.
Footnotes
- 8:1–27 This vision continues images of the preceding one, and develops it in more detail. As explained in vv. 20–22 the two-horned ram represents the combined kingdom of the Medes and Persians, destroyed by Alexander’s Hellenistic empire originating in the west. Once again the author is interested only in the Seleucid dynasty, which emerged from the dissolution of Alexander’s empire after his death in 323 B.C.
- 8:2 The fortress of Susa: the royal palace of the Persian kings in the ancient territory of Elam, east of Babylonia. The river Ulai: a canal along the northern side of Susa. Some scholars argue that the Hebrew word understood as “river” here should instead be translated “gate.”
- 8:9 A little horn: as in chap. 7, Antiochus IV. The glorious land: Israel.
- 8:10–12 The host of heaven: the angelic host, symbolized by the stars. The Prince of the host: the Most High God, whose worship Antiochus suppressed (1 Mc 1:45).
- 8:13 The desolating sin: the Hebrew contains a wordplay (shomem) on the name Baal Shamem (“lord of the heavens,” identified by some as the Greek Zeus Olympios). The reference is to some object with which Antiochus profaned the Temple of Jerusalem (2 Mc 6:2), most probably a pagan altar.
- 8:16 The angel Gabriel is mentioned here for the first time in the Bible. There is wordplay in the preceding verse on geber, “manlike figure.”
- 8:17 The end time: the time when God sits in judgment on the wicked (v. 19).
- 8:20 The Medes and Persians: the Medes had been allies of the Babylonians in destroying the Assyrian empire (late seventh century B.C.), and Cyrus the Persian defeated the Medes en route to conquering the Babylonians. The Book of Daniel, however, treats the Medes and Persians as a dual kingdom; cf. also 5:28; 6:9; and note on 6:1.
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