1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 ¶ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Daniēla sapnis par četriem zvēriem
1 Bābeles ķēniņa Bēlšacara pirmajā valdīšanas gadā Daniēls redzēja sapni. Guļot gultā, viņš redzēja parādību. Pēc tam viņš pierakstīja visu, kas sapnī svarīgs. 2 Daniēls teica: “Nakts parādībā es redzēju – lūk, četri debesu vēji sabango lielu jūru, 3 un no jūras ārā nāk četri lieli zvēri, kas viens otram nav līdzīgi. 4 Pirmais bija kā lauva ar ērgļa spārniem. Es redzēju, ka tam izrāva spārnus un tas kā cilvēks piecēlās uz divām kājām, un tam tika dots cilvēka prāts. 5 Otrs zvērs bija kā lācis. Tas bija pa pusei paslējies, un mutē starp zobiem tam bija trīs ribas. Viņam teica: “Celies, ēd daudz gaļas!” 6 Pēc tam es redzēju vēl vienu, tas bija kā leopards, kam uz muguras četri putna spārni. Zvēram bija četras galvas, un viņam tika dota vara! 7 Pēc tam nakts parādībā es redzēju – lūk, ceturtais zvērs – baiss, šaušalīgs un varen stiprs! Tam bija milzīgi dzelzs ilkņi, tas dragāja, rija un mīdīja kājām pārējos. Tas bija citāds nekā pārējie zvēri, tam bija desmit ragi. 8 Es aplūkoju ragus – un redzi, starp tiem aug vēl viens mazs radziņš! Trīs no iepriekšējiem ragiem tika izrauti, bet šim radziņam bija tādas acis kā cilvēkam un mute kā lielībniekam.
Tiesa sirmgalvja priekšā
9 Es raugos –
troņus noliek,
sirmgalvis apsēžas,
tērpies balts kā sniegs,
mati tam kā tīra vilna!
Viņa tronis ir uguns liesma,
riteņi tam kā uguns kvēle!
10 Uguns straume plūst no tā,
tūkstošu tūkstoši viņam kalpo,
desmiti tūkstoši stāv viņa priekšā –
viņš sāk tiesāt, un grāmatas tiek atvērtas!
11 Es raugos – rags sāk lielīgi runāt. Es raugos – zvēru nokauj, tā miesu izdeldē un iemet degošā ugunī. 12 Arī pārējiem zvēriem atņēma varu, bet viņu dzīvi pagarināja uz noteiktu laiku.
13 Nakts parādība:
es raugos,
un redzi – debesu mākoņos
nāk itin kā cilvēka dēls!
Viņš pienāca pie sirmgalvja
un nostājās tā priekšā.
14 Viņam deva varu, valstību un godu!
Visi ļaudis, ciltis un tautas slavēja viņu!
Viņa vara ir mūžīga, tā nebeigsies,
viņa valstība nav iznīdējama!
Sapņa izskaidrojums
15 Es, Daniēls, visai uztraucos, un mans redzējums mani izbiedēja. 16 Es piegāju pie viena, kas tur stāvēja, un lūdzu, lai viņš man visu izskaidro. Un viņš man izskaidroja un pavēstīja: 17 “Četri lielie zvēri ir četras valstis, kas radīsies uz zemes, 18 bet Visuaugstā svētie saņems savu valsti, un tā būs viņu īpašumā no mūžības līdz mūžībai – uz visiem laikiem!”
19 Tad es gribēju uzzināt par ceturto zvēru, kas bija citāds nekā pārējie – varen baiss, dzelzs ilkņiem un vara nagiem, kas dragā, rij un samīda kājām pārējos, 20 un par desmit ragiem, kas tam uz galvas, un par vienu, kas izauga triju izlauzto ragu vietā, – par ragu, kam bija acis un mute, kas lielīgi runā. Tas izskatījās dižāks par pārējiem. 21 Es raugos – šis rags karo ar svētajiem un tos uzveic, 22 līdz sirmgalvis nāk un piešķir tiesu Visuaugstā svētajiem! Nu laiks ir klāt, tagad svētajiem pieder valsts!
23 Par ceturto zvēru viņš teica:
“Ceturtā valsts celsies virs zemes,
tā nebūs līdzīga citām –
tā aprīs visas zemes,
rīs, mīdīs un satrieks tās.
24 Desmit ragi nozīmē:
no šīs valsts celsies desmit valstis
un vēl viena pēc tam! –
tā būs citāda nekā pirmās,
un tā gāzīs tās trīs.
25 Tā runās pret Visuaugsto
un deldēs Visuaugstā svētos,
tā grasīsies mainīt gan laikus, gan likumus,
un tie viņai tiks nodoti uz laiku,
uz diviem laikiem un vēl uz puslaiku!
26 Bet tad būs tiesa!
Tai vara tiks atņemta,
tā tiks izpostīta,
pavisam iznīdēta!
27 Tad valstību un varu,
un visu to valstu diženumu,
kas apakš debesīm,
nodos Visuaugstā svētajai tautai!
Šī valsts pastāvēs mūžīgi!
Visas varas tai kalpos un klausīs!”
28 Tā beidzās šis notikums. Es, Daniēls, tik ļoti uztraucos, ka kļuvu gluži bāls, bet šo notikumu paturēju prātā.
