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Mercoledi, 1 maggio 2024 - San Giuseppe Lavoratore ( Letture di oggi)

Daniel 8


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NEW AMERICAN BIBLECATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 After this first vision, I, Daniel, had another, in the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar.1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me. After that which I had seen in the beginning, I, Daniel,
2 In my vision I saw myself in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam; I was beside the river Ulai.2 saw in my vision, that I was in the capital city of Susa, which is in the region of Elam, yet I saw in the vision that I was over the gate of Ulai.
3 I looked up and saw standing by the river a ram with two great horns, the one larger and newer than the other.3 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a single ram stood before the marsh, having two high horns, and one was higher than the other and growing higher still.
4 I saw the ram butting toward the west, north, and south. No beast could withstand it or be rescued from its power; it did what it pleased and became very powerful.4 After this, I saw the ram brandishing his horns against the West, and against the North, and against the Meridian, and all the beasts could not withstand him, nor be freed from his hand, and he did according to his own will, and he became great.
5 As I was reflecting, a he-goat with a prominent horn on its forehead suddenly came from the west across the whole earth without touching the ground.5 And I understood, and behold, a he-goat among she-goats came from the West above the face of the entire earth, and he did not touch the ground. Furthermore, the he-goat had a preeminent horn between his eyes.
6 It approached the two-horned ram I had seen standing by the river, and rushed toward it with savage force.6 And he went all the way to the ram that had the horns, which I had seen standing before the gate, and he ran towards him in the force of his strength.
7 I saw it attack the ram with furious blows when they met, and break both its horns. It threw the ram, which had not the force to withstand it, to the ground, and trampled upon it; and no one could rescue it from its power.7 And when he approached near to the ram, he was enraged against him, and he struck the ram, and broke his two horns, and the ram could not withstand him, and when he had cast him down on the ground, he trampled him, and no one was able to free the ram from his hand.
8 The he-goat became very powerful, but at the height of its power the great horn was shattered, and in its place came up four others, facing the four winds of heaven.8 But the he-goat among she-goats became exceedingly great, and when he had prospered, the great horn was shattered, and four horns were rising up beneath it by means of the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came a little horn which kept growing toward the south, the east, and the glorious country.9 But from one of them came forth one little horn, and it became great against the Meridian, and against the East, and against the strength.
10 Its power extended to the host of heaven, so that it cast down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.10 And it was magnified even towards the strength of heaven, and it threw down those of the strength and of the stars, and it trampled them.
11 It boasted even against the prince of the host, from whom it removed the daily sacrifice, and whose sanctuary it cast down,11 And it was magnified, even to the leader of the strength, and it took away from him the continual sacrifice, and cast down the place of his sanctuary.
12 as well as the host, while sin replaced the daily sacrifice. It cast truth to the ground, and was succeeding in its undertaking.12 And the advantage was given to him against the continual sacrifice, because of the sins, and truth will be struck down to the ground, and he will act, and he will prosper.
13 I heard a holy one speaking, and another said to whichever one it was that spoke, "How long shall the events of this vision last concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating sin which is placed there, the sanctuary, and the trampled host?"13 And I heard one of the holy ones speaking, and one saint said to another, (I know not to whom he was speaking,) “What is the extent of the vision, and the continual sacrifice, and the sin of the desolation, which has happened, and of the sanctuary and the strength, which will be trampled?”
14 He answered him, "For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be purified."14 And he said to him, “From evening until morning, two thousand three hundred days, and so the sanctuary will be cleansed.”
15 While I, Daniel, sought the meaning of the vision I had seen, a manlike figure stood before me,15 But it came to pass, when I, Daniel, saw the vision and sought understanding that, behold, there stood in my sight something like the appearance of a man.
16 and on the Ulai I heard a human voice that cried out, "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."16 And I heard the voice of a man within Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, make this one understand the vision.”
17 When he came near where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. But he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the end time."17 And he came and stood next to where I was standing, and when he approached, I fell on my face, trembling, and he said to me, “Understand, son of man, for in the time of the end the vision will be fulfilled.”
18 As he spoke to me, I fell forward in a faint; he touched me and made me stand up.18 And when he spoke to me, I fell forward onto the ground, and so he touched me and stood me upright.
19 "I will show you," he said, "what is to happen later in the period of wrath; for at the appointed time, there will be an end.19 And he said to me, “I will reveal to you what the future things are in the earlier tribulation, for the time has its end.
20 "The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.20 The ram, which you saw to have horns, is the king of the Medes and Persians.
21 The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king.21 Furthermore, the he-goat among she-goats is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn, which was between his eyes, is the same one, the first king.
22 The four that rose in its place when it was broken are four kingdoms that will issue from his nation, but without his strength.22 And since, having been shattered, there grew four in its place, four kings will rise up from his people, but not in his strength.
23 "After their reign, when sinners have reached their measure, There shall arise a king, impudent and skilled in intrigue.23 And after their reign, when iniquities will be increased, there will arise a king of shameless face and understanding negotiations.
24 He shall be strong and powerful, bring about fearful ruin, and succeed in his undertaking. He shall destroy powerful peoples;24 And his advantage will be strengthened, but not by his kind of force, and other than what he will be able to trust, everything will be eradicated, and he will prosper, and he will act. And he will execute the successful and the people of the saints,
25 his cunning shall be against the holy ones, his treacherous conduct shall succeed. He shall be proud of heart and destroy many by stealth. But when he rises against the prince of princes, he shall be broken without a hand being raised.25 according to his will, and treachery will be guided by his hand. And his heart will be inflated, and by the abundance of everything he will kill many, and he will rise up against the Lord of lords, and he will be knocked down without a hand.
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings is true, as spoken; Do you, however, keep this vision undisclosed, because the days are to be many."26 And the vision of the evening and the morning, which was told, is true. Therefore, you must seal the vision, because, after many days, it will occur.”
27 I, Daniel, was weak and ill for some days; then I arose and took care of the king's affairs. But I was appalled at the vision, which I could not understand.27 And I, Daniel, languished and was sick for some days, and when I had lifted myself up, I performed the king’s works, and I was astonished at the vision, and there was none who could interpret it.