דניאל 8

1 בשנת שלוש למלכות בלאשצר המלך חזון נראה אלי אני דניאל אחרי הנראה אלי בתחלה׃

During the third year that Belshazzar was the King [of Babylonia], I had another vision.

2 ואראה בחזון ויהי בראתי ואני בשושן הבירה אשר בעילם המדינה ואראה בחזון ואני הייתי על אובל אולי׃

In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was [standing] alongside the Ulai Canal.

3 ואשא עיני ואראה והנה איל אחד עמד לפני האבל ולו קרנים והקרנים גבהות והאחת גבהה מן השנית והגבהה עלה באחרנה׃

I looked up and saw a ram that was standing alongside the canal. It had two [long] horns, but the newest one was longer than the other one.

4 ראיתי את האיל מנגח ימה וצפונה ונגבה וכל חיות לא יעמדו לפניו ואין מציל מידו ועשה כרצנו והגדיל׃

The ram butted/knocked away [with its horns] everything that was west and everything that was north and everything that was south of it. There were no [other] animals that were able to oppose it, and none that could rescue/save [other animals] from its power. The ram did whatever it wanted to do and became very powerful.

5 ואני הייתי מבין והנה צפיר העזים בא מן המערב על פני כל הארץ ואין נוגע בארץ והצפיר קרן חזות בין עיניו׃

While I was thinking [about what I had seen, in the vision] I saw a goat come from the west. It ran across the land so quickly, that [it seemed like] its feet did not touch the ground. This goat had one very large horn between its eyes.

6 ויבא עד האיל בעל הקרנים אשר ראיתי עמד לפני האבל וירץ אליו בחמת כחו׃

It was very angry, and it ran [straight] toward the ram that I had seen [previously, the ram] that was standing alongside the canal.

7 וראיתיו מגיע אצל האיל ויתמרמר אליו ויך את האיל וישבר את שתי קרניו ולא היה כח באיל לעמד לפניו וישליכהו ארצה וירמסהו ולא היה מציל לאיל מידו׃

The goat struck the ram furiously and broke off its two horns, with the result that the ram was unable [to defend itself]. [So] the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.

8 וצפיר העזים הגדיל עד מאד וכעצמו נשברה הקרן הגדולה ותעלנה חזות ארבע תחתיה לארבע רוחות השמים׃

The goat became very powerful. But when its power was very great, its horn was broken off. But four [other] large horns took its place. They each pointed in a different direction.

9 ומן האחת מהם יצא קרן אחת מצעירה ותגדל יתר אל הנגב ואל המזרח ואל הצבי׃

[Then] from one of those [large horns] appeared a little horn, which became very big, [and pointed] toward the south and [then] toward the east and [then] toward the beautiful land [of Israel].

10 ותגדל עד צבא השמים ותפל ארצה מן הצבא ומן הכוכבים ותרמסם׃

[The man who was represented by] that horn became very strong, with the result that he attacked some of the [soldiers of the] army of heaven, and (OR, meaning) the stars in the sky [which represented God’s people]. He threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them.

11 ועד שר הצבא הגדיל וממנו הרים התמיד והשלך מכון מקדשו׃

He (defied/considered himself to be greater than) the leader of the army [of heaven], and prevented [priests from] offering sacrifices to him. He also (defiled the temple/caused the temple to become unholy).

12 וצבא תנתן על התמיד בפשע ותשלך אמת ארצה ועשתה והצליחה׃

Then God’s people allowed the [man who was represented by] that horn to control/rule them, with the result that they sinned by offering sacrifices to him. And he threw to the ground the [laws that contained the] true religion. Everything that he did was successful.

13 ואשמעה אחד קדוש מדבר ויאמר אחד קדוש לפלמוני המדבר עד מתי החזון התמיד והפשע שמם תת וקדש וצבא מרמס׃

Then I heard two angels who were talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the things/events that were in this vision continue? How long will the man who rebels against God and causes [the temple] to be defiled be able to prevent [priests from] offering sacrifices? How long will he trample on the temple and on the armies of heaven?”

14 ויאמר אלי עד ערב בקר אלפים ושלש מאות ונצדק קדש׃

The other angel replied, “[It will continue] for 1,150 days. During all of that time, [people will not be permitted to offer sacrifices] in the morning or in the evening. After that, the temple will be purified.”

15 ויהי בראתי אני דניאל את החזון ואבקשה בינה והנה עמד לנגדי כמראה גבר׃

While I, Daniel, was trying to understand what the vision meant, suddenly [an angel] who resembled a man stood/appeared in front of me.

16 ואשמע קול אדם בין אולי ויקרא ויאמר גבריאל הבן להלז את המראה׃

And I heard a man call out from [the other side of] the Ulai Canal, saying, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision [that he saw]!”

17 ויבא אצל עמדי ובבאו נבעתי ואפלה על פני ויאמר אלי הבן בן אדם כי לעת קץ החזון׃

So Gabriel came and stood beside me. I was very terrified, with the result that I fell onto the ground. But he said to me, “You human, it is necessary for you to understand that [the events that you saw in] the vision will occur [near] the time that [the world] will end.”

18 ובדברו עמי נרדמתי על פני ארצה ויגע בי ויעמידני על עמדי׃

While he was speaking, I fainted. I lay there, unconscious, with my face still on the ground. But Gabriel put his hand on me and lifted me up in order that I could stand again.

19 ויאמר הנני מודיעך את אשר יהיה באחרית הזעם כי למועד קץ׃

Then he said, “I [have come here to] tell you what will happen because of [God] being angry. These things will happen near the time when [the world] will end.

20 האיל אשר ראית בעל הקרנים מלכי מדי ופרס׃

As for the ram with two horns that you saw, those horns [represent] the kingdoms of Media and Persia.

21 והצפיר השעיר מלך יון והקרן הגדולה אשר בין עיניו הוא המלך הראשון׃

The goat [that you saw represents] the kingdom of Greece, and the horn that appeared between its eyes [represents] its first king.

22 והנשברת ותעמדנה ארבע תחתיה ארבע מלכיות מגוי יעמדנה ולא בכחו׃

As for the four horns that grew after the first horn was broken off, they [represent] four kingdoms into which that first kingdom will be divided [after the first king dies]. Those four kingdoms will not be as strong/powerful as the first kingdom was.

23 ובאחרית מלכותם כהתם הפשעים יעמד מלך עז פנים ומבין חידות׃

The people [in those kingdoms] will become very wicked, with the result that it will be necessary for them to be punished. But near the time when those kingdoms will end, one of those kingdoms will have a king who will be very proud/defiant [IDM]. He will [also] be very fierce and very deceitful.

24 ועצם כחו ולא בכחו ונפלאות ישחית והצליח ועשה והשחית עצומים ועם קדשים׃

He will become very powerful, but it will not be because of what he himself does. He will terribly destroy things in many places, and he will succeed in doing everything that he wants to. He will get rid of [many] powerful men, and [also] some of God’s people.

25 ועל שכלו והצליח מרמה בידו ובלבבו יגדיל ובשלוה ישחית רבים ועל שר שרים יעמד ובאפס יד ישבר׃

Because he is very cunning/clever, he will succeed by doing things that deceive many people. He will be proud of himself. He will destroy many people when they think that they are safe. He will also rebel against [God] [EUP], who is the greatest king. But [God] will destroy him, without the help [MTY] of any human being.

26 ומראה הערב והבקר אשר נאמר אמת הוא ואתה סתם החזון כי לימים רבים׃

What you saw in the vision about [priests being prevented from making] sacrifices in the morning and in the evening, which [I] explained [to you], will surely happen. But [for the present time], do not reveal the vision [to others], because it will be many years before those things happen.”

27 ואני דניאל נהייתי ונחליתי ימים ואקום ואעשה את מלאכת המלך ואשתומם על המראה ואין מבין׃

Then I, Daniel, became weak, and I was sick for several days. Then I arose and [returned to] doing the work that the king [had given to me], but I was perplexed/confused about the vision, and I could not understand it.