1. In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said:

1. La première année de Belschatsar, roi de Babylone, Daniel eut un songe et des visions de à son esprit, pendant qu`il était sur sa couche. Ensuite il écrivit le songe, et raconta les principales choses.

2. I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.

2. Daniel commença et dit: Je regardais pendant ma vision nocturne, et voici, les quatre vents des cieux firent irruption sur la grande mer.

3. And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.

3. Et quatre grands animaux sortirent de la mer, différents l`uns de l`autre.

4. The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

4. Le premier était semblable à un lion, et avait des ailes d`aigles; je regardai, jusqu`au moment où ses ailes furent arrachées; il fut enlevé de terre et mis debout sur ses pieds comme un homme, et un coeur d`homme lui fut donné.

5. And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: “Arise, devour much flesh.”

5. Et voici, un second animal était semblable à un ours, et se tenait sur un côté; il avait trois côtes dans la gueule entre les dents, et on lui disait: Lève-toi, mange beaucoup de chair.

6. After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it.

6. Après cela je regardai, et voici, un autre était semblable à un léopard, et avait sur le dos quatre ailes comme un oiseau; cet animal avait quatre têtes, et la domination lui fut donnée.

7. After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns.

7. Après cela, je regardai pendant mes visions nocturnes, et voici, il y avait un quatrième animal, terrible, épouvantable et extraordinairement fort; il avait de grandes dents de fer, il mangeait, brisait, et il foulait aux pieds ce qui restait; il était différent de tous les animaux précédents, et il avait dix cornes.

8. I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn rose out of the midst of them. And three of the first horns were rooted out by its presence. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking unnatural things.

8. Je considérai les cornes, et voici, une autre petite corne sortit du milieu d`elles, et trois des premières cornes furent arrachées devant cette corne; et voici, elle avait des yeux comme des yeux d`homme, et une bouche, qui parlait avec arrogance.

9. I watched until thrones were set up, and the ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire.

9. Je regardai, pendant que l`on plaçait des trônes. Et l`ancien des jours s`assit. Son vêtement était blanc comme la neige, et les cheveux de sa tête étaient comme de la laine pure; son trône était comme des flammes de feu, et les roues comme un feu ardent.

10. A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened.

10. Un fleuve de feu coulait et sortait de devant lui. Mille milliers le servaient, et dix mille millions se tenaient en sa présence. Les juges s`assirent, et les livres furent ouverts.

11. I watched because of the voice of the great words which that horn was speaking, and I saw that the beast had been destroyed, and its body was ruined and had been handed over to be burnt with fire.

11. Je regardai alors, à cause des paroles arrogantes que prononçait la corne; et tandis que je regardais, l`animal fut tué, et son corps fut anéanti, livré au feu pour être brûlé.

12. Likewise, the power of the other beasts was taken away, and a limited time of life was appointed to them, until one time and another.

12. Les autres animaux furent dépouillés de leur puissance, mais une prolongation de vie leur fut accordée jusqu`à un certain temps.

13. I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the ancient of days, and they presented him before him.

13. Je regardai pendant mes visions nocturnes, et voici, sur les nuées des cieux arriva quelqu`un de semblable à un fils de l`homme; il s`avança vers l`ancien des jours, et on le fit approcher de lui.

14. And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted.

14. On lui donna la domination, la gloire et le règne; et tous les peuples, les nations, et les hommes de toutes langues le servirent. Sa domination est une domination éternelle qui ne passera point, et son règne ne sera jamais détruit.

15. My spirit was terrified. I, Daniel, was fearful at these things, and the visions of my head disturbed me.

15. Moi, Daniel, j`eus l`esprit troublé au dedans de moi, et les visions de ma tête m`effrayèrent.

16. I approached one of the attendants and asked the truth from him about all these things. He told me the interpretation of the words, and he instructed me:

16. Je m`approchai de l`un de ceux qui étaient là, et je lui demandai ce qu`il y avait de vrai dans toutes ces choses. Il me le dit, et m`en donna l`explication:

17. “These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which will rise from the earth.

17. Ces quatre grands animaux, ce sont quatre rois qui s`élèveront de la terre;

18. Yet it is the saints of the Most High God who will receive the kingdom, and they will hold the kingdom from this generation, and forever and ever.”

18. mais les saints du Très Haut recevront le royaume, et ils posséderont le royaume éternellement, d`éternité en éternité.

19. After this, I wanted to learn diligently about the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceedingly terrible; his teeth and claws were of iron; he devoured and crushed, and the remainder he trampled with his feet;

19. Ensuite je désirai savoir la vérité sur le quatrième animal, qui était différent de tous les autres, extrêmement terrible, qui avait des dents de fer et des ongles d`airain, qui mangeait, brisait, et foulait aux pieds ce qu`il restait;

20. and about the ten horns, which he had on his head, and about the other, which had sprung up, before which three horns fell, and about that horn which had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, and which was more powerful than the rest.

20. et sur les dix cornes qu`il avait à la tête, et sur l`autre qui était sortie et devant laquelle trois étaient tombées, sur cette corne qui avait des yeux, une bouche parlant avec arrogance, et une plus grande apparence que les autres.

21. I watched, and behold, that horn made war against the holy ones and prevailed over them,

21. Je vis cette corne faire la guerre aux saints, et l`emporter sur eux,

22. until the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the time arrived, and the holy ones obtained the kingdom.

22. jusqu`au moment où l`ancien des jours vint donner droit aux saints du Très Haut, et le temps arriva où les saints furent en possession du royaume.

23. And thus he said, “The fourth beast will be the fourth kingdom on earth, which will be greater than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will trample and crush it.

23. Il me parla ainsi: Le quatrième animal, c`est un quatrième royaume qui existera sur la terre, différent de tous les royaumes, et qui dévorera toute la terre, la foulera et la brisera.

24. Moreover, the ten horns of the same kingdom will be ten kings, and another will rise up after them, and he will be mightier than the ones before him, and he will bring down three kings.

24. Les dix cornes, ce sont dix rois qui s`élèveront de ce royaume. Un autre s`élèvera après eux, il sera différent des premiers, et il abaissera trois rois.

25. And he will speak words against the Supreme One, and will exhaust the holy ones of the Most High, and he will think about what it would take to change the times and the laws, and they will be given into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time.

25. Il prononcera des paroles contre le Très Haut, il opprimera les saints du Très Haut, et il espérera changer les temps et la loi; et les saints seront livrés entre ses mains pendant un temps, des temps, et la moitié d`un temps.

26. And a trial will begin, so that his power may be taken away, and be crushed, and be undone all the way to the end.

26. Puis viendra le jugement, et on lui ôtera sa domination, qui sera détruite et anéantie pour jamais.

27. Yet the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of that kingdom, which is under all of heaven, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings will serve and obey him.”

27. Le règne, la domination, et la grandeur de tous les royaumes qui sont sous les cieux, seront donnés au peuple des saints du Très Haut. Son règne est un règne éternel, et tous les dominateurs le serviront et lui obéiront.

28. And here is the end of the message. I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed by my thoughts, and my mood was changed in me, but I preserved the message in my heart.

28. Ici finirent les paroles. Moi, Daniel, je fus extrêmement troublé par mes pensées, je changeai de couleur, et je conservai ces paroles dans mon coeur.





“É difícil tornar-se santo. Difícil, mas não impossível. A estrada da perfeição é longa, tão longa quanto a vida de cada um. O consolo é o repouso no decorrer do caminho. Mas, apenas restauradas as forças, é necessário levantar-se rapidamente e retomar a viagem!” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina