Daniel 8
Common English Bible
Vision of a ram and a goat
8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule, a vision came to me, Daniel, some time after the earlier vision I had. 2 I saw this vision, and as I experienced it I was in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam,[a] by the Ulai canal. 3 When I lifted my eyes, I suddenly saw a ram with two horns standing in front of the canal. Both horns were high, but one was higher than the other. The higher one came up after the other one. 4 I saw the ram goring west, north, and south. No animal could resist the ram, and no one could stop it, rescuing others from its power. The ram did whatever it pleased. It became powerful.
5 I was trying to understand this when suddenly a he-goat came from the west, crossing the entire earth but not touching the ground. Between this goat’s eyes was a horn that was a sight to see. 6 The he-goat came to the ram that had two horns, the one I’d seen standing in front of the canal. The he-goat charged the ram in powerful anger. 7 I saw the he-goat approach the ram. It was enraged at the ram and attacked it, shattering the ram’s two horns. The ram couldn’t resist the he-goat. The he-goat threw the ram on the ground and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the he-goat’s power.
8 The he-goat became even greater, but at the height of its power, its large horn snapped. In its place, four horns, each a sight to see, came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 A single, very small horn came out of one of the four horns. It grew bigger and bigger, stretching toward the south, the east, and the beautiful country. 10 It grew as high as the heavenly forces, until it finally threw some of them and some of the stars down to the earth. Then it trampled on them. 11 It grew as high as the very leader of those forces, taking the daily sacrifice away from him[b] and overturning his holy place. 12 In an act of rebellion, another force will take control of the daily sacrifice. It will throw truth to the ground and will succeed in everything it does.[c]
How long?
13 I then heard a certain holy one speaking. A second holy one said to the first one: “How long will this vision last—the one concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating rebellion, and the handing over of the sanctuary and its forces to be trampled?”
14 He said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be restored.”
Vision interpreted
15 Now I, Daniel, needed help understanding the vision I saw. Suddenly standing in front of me was someone who looked like a man. 16 I then heard a human voice coming out of the center of the Ulai canal. It called out: “Gabriel, help this person understand what he has seen.”
17 Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, “Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time.” 18 As soon as he said this to me, I fell into a trance. My face was still on the ground. Then Gabriel touched me and set me up on my feet.
19 He said, “Now, I am going to tell you what will happen during the time of doom that is coming, because at the appointed time there will be an end. 20 The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The long-haired he-goat is the king of Greece, and the big horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The horn that snapped so that four came up in its place means that four kingdoms will come from one nation, but these four won’t have the strength of the first one.
23 When their kingship nears its end
and their sins[d] are almost complete,
a king will step forward.
He will be stern and a master of deception.
24 At the height of his power,[e]
he will wreak unbelievable destructions.
He will succeed in all he does.
He will destroy both the mighty
and the people of the holy ones.
25 Along with his cunning,
he will succeed by using deceit.
In his own mind, he will be great.
In a time of peace,
he will bring destruction on many,
opposing even the supreme leader.
But he will be broken—
and not by a human hand.
26 Now this vision of evening and morning, which has been announced, is true. But you must seal it up, because it is for days far in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and felt sick for days. When I finally got up and went about the king’s business, I remained troubled by the vision and couldn’t understand it.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:2 Some LXX sources; MT repeats I had this vision before I was by the Ulai canal.
- Daniel 8:11 Or the daily sacrifice was taken away from him.
- Daniel 8:12 Heb uncertain
- Daniel 8:23 LXX; MT rebels
- Daniel 8:24 LXX sources; MT His power will grow strong, but not by his own power, perhaps influenced by 8:22.
但以理書 8
Revised Chinese Union Version (Traditional Script) Shen Edition
公綿羊、公山羊的異象
8 伯沙撒王在位第三年，有異象向我—但以理顯現，是在先前所見的異象之後。 2 我在異象中觀看，見自己在以攔省書珊的城堡中；我在異象中又見自己在烏萊河邊。 3 我舉目觀看，看哪，有一隻公綿羊站在河邊，牠有兩隻角，這兩角都高，一角高過另一角，後長出來的比較高。 4 我見那公綿羊向西、向北、向南牴撞，沒有任何獸在牠面前站立得住，沒有能逃脫牠手的；牠任意而行，自高自大。
5 我正思想的時候，看哪，有一隻公山羊從西而來，遍行全地，腳不着地。這山羊兩眼當中有一隻顯眼的角。 6 牠往我先前所見、站在河邊、有雙角的公綿羊那裏，以猛烈的怒氣向牠直闖。 7 我見公山羊靠近公綿羊，向牠發怒，攻擊牠，折斷牠的兩角。公綿羊在公山羊面前站立不住；牠把公綿羊撞倒在地，用腳踐踏，沒有能救公綿羊脫離牠手的。 8 這公山羊長得極其高大，正強壯的時候，那大角折斷了，從角的下面向天的四方[a]長出四隻顯眼的角來。 9 從四角中的一角又長出另一隻小角，向南、向東、向佳美之地，日漸壯大。 10 牠漸壯大，高及諸天萬象，把一些天象和星辰摔落在地，用腳踐踏。 11 牠自高自大[b]，自以為高及萬象之君，牠除掉經常獻給君的祭，毀壞君的聖所。 12 因罪過的緣故，有軍隊和經常獻的祭交給牠。牠把真理拋在地上，任意而行[c]，無往不利。
13 我聽見有一位聖者說話，又有一位聖者向那說話的聖者說：「這經常獻的祭、帶來荒涼的罪過、聖所與軍隊被踐踏的異象，要持續到幾時呢？」 14 他對我[d]說：「要到二千三百日，聖所就必潔淨[e]。」
天使加百列解釋異象
15 我—但以理見了這異象，想要明白其中的意思。看哪，有一位形狀像人的站在我面前。 16 我聽見烏萊河中有人聲呼叫說：「加百列啊，要使這人明白這異象。」 17 他就來到我所站的地方。他一來，我就驚慌，臉伏於地。他對我說：「人子啊，你要明白，因為這是關乎末後時期的異象。」
18 他對我說話的時候，我在沉睡，臉伏於地。他就摸我，扶我站起來。 19 他說：「看哪，我要指示你惱怒結束的時候必成的事，因為這是關乎末後指定的時期。 20 你所看見那有雙角的公綿羊就是瑪代王和波斯王。 21 那公山羊就是希臘[f]王；兩眼當中的大角就是第一個王。 22 至於角折斷了，又從角的下面長出四隻角，意思就是有四個國要從這國興起，只是權勢都不及它。 23 這四國末期，惡貫滿盈的時候，必有一王興起，面貌兇惡，詭計多端。 24 他的權柄極大，卻不是因自己的能力；他要施行驚人的毀滅，無往不利，任意而行，又要毀滅強有力的人和眾聖民。 25 他用權術使手中的詭計成功；他的心自高自大，趁人無備的時候毀滅多人。他又起來攻擊萬君之君，至終卻非因人的手而遭毀滅。 26 所說二千三百日[g]的異象是真的，但你要將這異象封住，因為它關乎未來許多的日子。」
27 於是我—但以理昏倒，病了數日，然後起來辦理王的事務。我因這異象驚駭不已，但還是不能了解。
Daniel 8
King James Version
8 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
和合本修訂版經文 © 2006, 2010, 2017 香港聖經公會。蒙允許使用。 Scripture Text of Revised Chinese Union Version © 2006, 2010, 2017 Hong Kong Bible Society. www.hkbs.org.hk/en/ Used by permission.