Daniel 7 - Bíblia Online

No primeiro ano de Belsazar, rei da Babilônia, Daniel teve um sonho, e certas visões passaram por sua mente, estando ele deitado em sua cama. Ele escreveu o resumo do seu sonho. 
Daniel disse: "Na minha visão à noite, eu vi os quatro ventos do céu agitando o grande mar. 
Quatro grandes animais, cada um diferente dos outros, subiram do mar. 
"O primeiro parecia um leão, e tinha as asas de águia. Eu o observei até que as suas asas foram arrancadas, e ele foi erguido do chão de modo que levantou-se sobre dois pés como um homem, e recebeu coração de homem. 
"A seguir vi um segundo animal, que tinha a aparência de um urso. Ele foi erguido por um dos seus lados, e na boca, entre os dentes, tinha três costelas. E lhe foi dito: ‘Levante-se e coma quanta carne puder! ’ 
"Depois disso, vi um outro animal, que se parecia com um leopardo. E nas costas tinha quatro asas, como asas de uma ave. Esse animal tinha quatro cabeças, e recebeu autoridade para governar. 
"Na minha visão à noite, vi ainda um quarto animal, aterrorizante, assustador e muito poderoso. Tinha grandes dentes de ferro, com as quais despedaçava e devorava suas vítimas, e pisoteava tudo o que sobrava. Era diferente de todos os animais anteriores, e tinha dez chifres. 
"Enquanto eu estava refletindo nos chifres, vi um outro chifre, pequeno, que surgiu entre eles; e três dos primeiros chifres foram arrancados para dar lugar a ele. Esse chifre possuía olhos como os olhos de um homem e uma boca que falava com arrogância. 
"Enquanto eu olhava, "tronos foram postos no lugar, e um ancião se assentou. Sua veste era branca como a neve; o cabelo era branco como a lã. Seu trono ardia em fogo, e as rodas do trono estavam todas incandescentes. 
E saía um rio de fogo, de diante dele. Milhares de milhares o serviam; milhões e milhões estavam diante dele. O tribunal iniciou o julgamento, e os livros foram abertos. 
"Continuei a observar por causa das palavras arrogantes que o chifre falava. Fiquei olhando até que o animal foi morto, e o seu corpo foi destruído e atirado no fogo. 
E foi tirada a autoridade dos outros animais, mas eles tiveram permissão para viver por um período de tempo. 
"Na minha visão à noite, vi alguém semelhante a um filho de um homem, vindo com as nuvens dos céus. Ele se aproximou do ancião e foi conduzido à sua presença. 
A ele foram dados autoridade, glória e reino; todos os povos, nações e homens de todas as línguas o adoraram. Seu domínio é um domínio eterno que não acabará, e seu reino jamais será destruído. 
"Eu, Daniel, fiquei agitado em meu espírito, e as visões que passaram pela minha mente me aterrorizaram. 
Então me aproximei de um dos que ali estavam e lhe perguntei o significado disso tudo. "E ele me respondeu, dando-me a interpretação: 
‘Os quatro grandes animais são quatro reinos que se levantarão na terra. 
Mas os santos do Altíssimo receberão o reino e o possuirão para sempre; sim, para todo o sempre’. 
"Então eu quis saber o significado do quarto animal, diferente de todos os outros e o mais aterrorizante, com seus dentes de ferro e garras de bronze, o animal que despedaçava e devorava suas vítimas, e pisoteava tudo o que sobrava. 
E também quis saber sobre os dez chifres da sua cabeça e sobre o outro chifre que surgiu para ocupar o lugar dos três chifres que caíram, o chifre que era maior do que os demais e que tinha olhos e uma boca que falava com arrogância. 
Enquanto eu observava, esse chifre guerreava contra os santos e os derrotava, 
até que o ancião veio e pronunciou a sentença a favor dos santos do Altíssimo, e chegou a hora de eles tomarem posse do reino. 
"Ele me deu a seguinte explicação: ‘O quarto animal é um quarto reino que aparecerá na terra. Será diferente de todos os outros reinos e devorará a terra inteira, despedaçando-a e pisoteando-a. 
Os dez chifres são dez reis que sairão desse reino. Depois deles um outro rei se levantará, e será diferente dos primeiros reis. 
Ele falará contra o Altíssimo, oprimirá os seus santos e tentará mudar os tempos e as leis. Os santos serão entregues nas mãos dele por um tempo, tempos e meio tempo’. 
"Mas o tribunal o julgará, e o seu poder será tirado e totalmente destruído para sempre. 
Então a soberania, o poder e a grandeza dos reinos debaixo de todo o céu serão entregues nas mãos dos santos, o povo do Altíssimo. O reino dele será um reino eterno, e todos os governantes o adorarão e lhe obedecerão. 
"Esse é o fim da visão. Eu, Daniel, fiquei aterrorizado por causa de meus pensamentos, e meu rosto empalideceu, mas guardei essas coisas comigo". 

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 
Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 
Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 
"The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 
"And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' 
"After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 
"After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast —terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 
"While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 
"As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. 
A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. 
"Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 
(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, "coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. 
"I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 
I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 
'The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 
But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever —yes, for ever and ever.' 
"Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws —the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 
I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell —the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 
until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 
"He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 
The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. [^2] 
"'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 
Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' 
"This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself." 

Daniel 8