Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1 In the third year that Belshazzar was king, I saw a second vision. 2 In the vision I suddenly found myself in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai River, 3 and there beside the river I saw a ram that had two long horns, one of which was longer and newer than the other. 4 I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant.
5 While I was wondering what this meant, a goat came rushing out of the west, moving so fast that his feet didn't touch the ground. He had one prominent horn between his eyes. 6 He came toward the ram, which I had seen standing beside the river, and rushed at him with all his force. 7 I watched him attack the ram. He was so angry that he smashed into him and broke the two horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled on, and there was no one who could save him.
8 The goat grew more and more arrogant, but at the height of his power his horn was broken. In its place four prominent horns came up, each pointing in a different direction. 9 Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. 10 It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. 12 People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.
13 Then I heard one angel ask another, “How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?”
14 I heard the other angel answer, “It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings, during which sacrifices will not be offered. Then the Temple will be restored.”
The Angel Gabriel Explains the Vision
15 I was trying to understand what the vision meant, when suddenly someone was standing in front of me. 16 I heard a voice call out over the Ulai River, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of what he saw.” 17 Gabriel came and stood beside me, and I was so terrified that I fell to the ground.
He said to me, “Mortal man, understand the meaning. The vision has to do with the end of the world.” 18 While he was talking, I fell to the ground unconscious. But he took hold of me, raised me to my feet, 19 and said, “I am showing you what the result of God's anger will be. The vision refers to the time of the end.
20 “The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia. 21 The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that came up when the first horn was broken represent the four kingdoms into which that nation will be divided and which will not be as strong as the first kingdom.
23 “When the end of those kingdoms is near and they have become so wicked that they must be punished, there will be a stubborn, vicious, and deceitful king. 24 He will grow strong—but not by his own power. He will cause terrible destruction and be successful in everything he does. He will bring destruction on powerful men and on God's own people. 25 Because he is cunning, he will succeed in his deceitful ways. He will be proud of himself and destroy many people without warning. He will even defy the greatest King of all, but he will be destroyed without the use of any human power. 26 This vision about the evening and morning sacrifices which has been explained to you will come true. But keep it secret now, because it will be a long time before it does come true.”
27 I was depressed and ill for several days. Then I got up and went back to the work that the king had assigned to me, but I was puzzled by the vision and could not understand it.
Auns un āzis – Daniēla parādība
1 Ķēniņa Bēlšacara trešajā valdīšanas gadā es, Daniēls, pēc pirmās parādības redzēju nākamo. 2 Parādībā es redzēju, ka atrodos Sūsas pilī, kas Ēlāma pavalstī, un vēl parādībā es redzēju, ka esmu pie Ūlajas upes. 3 Es paskatījos, un redzi – pie upes stāvēja auns! Tam bija divi gari ragi, viens garāks par otru, un garākais bija izaudzis pēdējais. 4 Es redzēju, ka auns badās uz rietumiem, ziemeļiem un dienvidiem, bet neviens zvērs nespēja stāties tam pretī. Neviens nevarēja no viņa glābties! Viņš darīja, ko gribēja, un visu laiku auga augumā. 5 Tad es ieraudzīju, ka no rietumiem pāri visai zemei auļo āzis – zemei pat nepieskaras! Āzim starp acīm bija rags. 6 Viņš tuvojās divradzim aunam, kuru es redzēju stāvam pie upes, un skrēja tam virsū trakā niknumā. 7 Es redzēju, ka tas saniknots metas aunam virsū, sit aunu un nolauž tam abus ragus. Aunam nebija spēka turēties tam pretī, un tas viņu notrieca zemē un samīdīja. Neviens aunu nepaglāba no viņa. 8 Āzis augtin auga, taču, lai gan viņš bija stiprs, tam izlūza lielais rags, un tā vietā uz visām debess pusēm izauga četri ragi.
9 Bet no viena raga izdīga vēl viens mazs radziņš, un tas auga platumā gan uz dienvidiem, gan austrumiem, gan uz jauko zemi. 10 Tas auga augumā, līdz sasniedza debesu pulkus, – tur viņš nogrūda zemē dažus no zvaigžņu pulka un samīdīja. 11 Viņš paaugstinājās, vēlēdamies kļūt kā Pulku Pavēlnieks, viņš atcēla dienišķo dedzināmo upuri un postīja svētvietu. 12 Pulks tika nodots samaitāšanai līdz ar dienišķo dedzināmo upuri, un patiesība tika nogāzta zemē. Viss, ko viņš darīja, tam veicās! 13 Tad es dzirdēju kādu svēto runājam ar otru: “Cik ilgi tiks gānīts un grauts dienišķais dedzināmais upuris, mīdīta svētnīca un debesu pulki, kā tas redzams parādībā?” 14 Viņš man teica: “Kamēr paies divi tūkstoši trīs simti vakaru un rītu – tad svētvieta atkal tiks iesvētīta!”
Gabriels izskaidro parādību
15 Kamēr es, Daniēls, skatīju šo parādību un centos to saprast, redzi, man priekšā nostājās tāds kā cilvēks! 16 Tur pie Ūlajas upes es dzirdēju cilvēka balsi saucam: “Gabriel, izskaidro viņam šo parādību!” 17 Es stāvēju tur, un viņš nāca pie manis, bet es izbijos, kad viņš tuvojās, un kritu uz sava vaiga. Viņš man teica: “Cilvēka dēls, saproti, šī parādība ir par laika beigām!” 18 Kad viņš runāja ar mani, es kritu dziļā miegā ar seju pie zemes, bet viņš mani satvēra un nostatīja uz kājām, 19 sacīdams: “Es tev atklāju, kas notiks vēlāk, niknuma laikā – noliktā laika beigās! 20 Divradzis auns, kuru tu redzēji, ir mēdiešu un persiešu ķēniņi. 21 Stiprais āzis ir joniešu ķēniņš. Lielais rags starp viņa acīm ir pirmais ķēniņš. 22 Kad tas nolūza, tā vietā izauga četri citi – no viņa tautas celsies četras valstis, bet ne tik stipras.
23 Viņu valsts beigu laikā,
kad pilns būs noziedzību mērs,
celsies ķēniņš –
no skata bargs un prasmīgs viltībā!
24 Viņš būs varen spēcīgs,
bet ne ar savu spēku,
viņš postīs varen daudz,
un, ko tas darīs, tam izdosies.
Viņš postīs varenos un arī svēto tautu.
25 Izmanība tam veiksies un viltība izdosies,
un savā prātā tas paaugstināsies,
jo viegli tas daudzus iznīdēs,
sacelsies pret valdnieku Valdnieku!
Viņš tiks satriekts, bet ne ar cilvēku rokām!
26 Parādība par vakaru un rītu tev izstāstīta –
un tā ir patiesība!
Bet neatklāj parādību,
jo līdz tam vēl daudz dienu!”
27 Tad es, Daniēls, sirgu vairākas dienas un pēc tam cēlos darīt ķēniņa uzticēto darbu. Bet par redzēto es biju izbijies un to nesapratu.
