Daniele 8
1 Il terzo anno del regno del re Belsatsar, io, Daniele, ebbi una visione, dopo quella che avevo avuta al principio del regno.
During the third year that Belshazzar was the King [of Babylonia], I had another vision.
2 Ero in visione; e, mentre guardavo, ero a Susan, la residenza reale, che è nella provincia di Elam; e, nella visione, mi trovavo presso il fiume Ulai.
In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was [standing] alongside the Ulai Canal.
3 Alzai gli occhi, guardai, ed ecco, ritto davanti al fiume, un montone che aveva due corna; e le due corna erano alte, ma una era più alta dell’altra, e la più alta veniva su l’ultima.
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 Vidi il montone che cozzava a occidente, a settentrione e a mezzogiorno; nessuna bestia gli poteva tener fronte, e non c’era nessuno che la potesse liberare dalla sua potenza; esso faceva quel che voleva, e diventò grande.
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 E com’io stavo considerando questo, ecco venire dall’occidente un capro, che percorreva tutta la superficie della terra senza toccare il suolo; e questo capro aveva un corno cospicuo fra i suoi occhi.
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 Esso venne fino al montone dalle due corna che avevo visto ritto davanti al fiume, e gli s’avventò contro, nel furore della sua forza.
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 E lo vidi giungere vicino al montone, pieno di rabbia contro di lui, investirlo, e spezzargli le due corna; il montone non ebbe la forza di tenergli fronte, e il capro lo atterrò e lo calpestò; e non ci fu nessuno che potesse liberare il montone dalla potenza d’esso.
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 Il capro diventò sommamente grande; ma, quando fu potente, il suo gran corno si spezzò; e, in luogo di quello, sorsero quattro corna cospicue, verso i quattro venti del cielo.
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 E dall’una d’esse uscì un piccolo corno, che diventò molto grande verso mezzogiorno, verso levante, e verso il paese splendido.
[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 S’ingrandì, fino a giungere all’esercito del cielo; fece cader in terra parte di quell’esercito e delle stelle, e le calpestò.
[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 S’elevò anzi fino al capo di quell’esercito, gli tolse il sacrifizio perpetuo, e il luogo del suo santuario fu abbattuto.
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 L’esercito gli fu dato in mano col sacrifizio perpetuo a motivo della ribellione; e il corno gettò a terra la verità, e prosperò nelle sue imprese.
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 Poi udii un santo che parlava; e un altro santo disse a quello che parlava: “Fino a quando durerà la visione del sacrifizio continuo e la ribellione che produce la desolazione, abbandonando il luogo santo e l’esercito ad essere calpestati?”
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 Egli mi disse: “Fino a duemila trecento sere e mattine; poi il santuario sarà purificato”.
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 E avvenne che, mentre io, Daniele, avevo questa visione e cercavo d’intenderla, ecco starmi ritta davanti come una figura d’uomo.
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 E udii la voce d’un uomo in mezzo all’Ulai, che gridò, e disse: “Gabriele, spiega a colui la visione”.
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 Ed esso venne presso al luogo dove io stavo; alla sua venuta io fui spaventato, e caddi sulla mia faccia; ma egli mi disse: “Intendi bene, o figliuol d’uomo! perché questa visione concerne il tempo della fine”.
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 E com’egli mi parlava, io mi lasciai andare con la faccia a terra, profondamente assopito; ma egli mi toccò, e mi fece stare in piedi.
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 E disse: “Ecco, io ti farò conoscere quello che avverrà nell’ultimo tempo dell’indignazione; poiché si tratta del tempo fissato per la fine.
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 Il montone con due corna che hai veduto, rappresenta i re di Media e di Persia.
As for the ram with two horns that you saw, those horns [represent] the kingdoms of Media and Persia.
21 Il becco peloso è il re di Grecia; e il gran corno fra i suoi due occhi è il primo re.
The goat [that you saw represents] the kingdom of Greece, and the horn that appeared between its eyes [represents] its first king.
22 Quanto al corno spezzato, al cui posto ne son sorti quattro, questi sono quattro regni che sorgeranno da questa nazione, ma non con la stessa sua potenza.
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 E alla fine del loro regno, quando i ribelli avranno colmato la misura delle loro ribellioni, sorgerà un re dall’aspetto feroce, ed esperto in strattagemmi.
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 La sua potenza sarà grande, ma non sarà potenza sua; egli farà prodigiose ruine, prospererà nelle sue imprese, e distruggerà i potenti e il popolo dei santi.
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 A motivo della sua astuzia farà prosperare la frode nelle sue mani; s’inorgoglirà in cuor suo, e in piena pace distruggerà molta gente; insorgerà contro il principe de’ principi, ma sarà infranto, senz’opera di mano.
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 E la visione delle sere e delle mattine, di cui è stato parlato, è vera. Tu tieni segreta la visione, perché si riferisce ad un tempo lontano”.
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 E io, Daniele, svenni, e fui malato vari giorni; poi m’alzai, e feci gli affari del re. Io ero stupito della visione, ma nessuno se ne avvide.
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.
