¹ 巴比伦王伯沙撒元年，但以理在床上做梦，见了脑中的异象，就记录这梦，述说其中的大意。

² 但以理说：我夜里见异象，看见天的四风陡起，刮在大海之上。

³ 有四个大兽从海中上来，形状各有不同：

⁴ 头一个像狮子，有鹰的翅膀；我正观看的时候，兽的翅膀被拔去，兽从地上得立起来，用两脚站立，像人一样，又得了人心。

⁵ 又有一兽如熊，就是第二兽，旁跨而坐，口齿内衔着三根肋骨。有吩咐这兽的说：起来吞吃多肉。

⁶ 此後我观看，又有一兽如豹，背上有鸟的四个翅膀；这兽有四个头，又得了权柄。

⁷ 其後我在夜间的异象中观看，见第四兽甚是可怕，极其强壮，大有力量，有大铁牙，吞吃嚼碎，所剩下的用脚践踏。这兽与前三兽大不相同，头有十角。

⁸ 我正观看这些角，见其中又长起一个小角；先前的角中有三角在这角前，连根被他拔出来。这角有眼，像人的眼，有口说夸大的话。

⁹ 我观看，见有宝座设立，上头坐着亘古常在者。他的衣服洁白如雪，头发如纯净的羊毛。宝座乃火焰，其轮乃烈火。

¹⁰ 从他面前有火，像河发出；事奉他的有千千，在他面前侍立的有万万；他坐着要行审判，案卷都展开了。

¹¹ 那时我观看，见那兽因小角说夸大话的声音被杀，身体损坏，扔在火中焚烧。

¹² 其馀的兽，权柄都被夺去，生命却仍存留，直到所定的时候和日期。

¹³ 我在夜间的异象中观看，见有一位像人子的，驾着天云而来，被领到亘古常在者面前，

¹⁴ 得了权柄、荣耀、国度，使各方、各国、各族的人都事奉他。他的权柄是永远的，不能废去；他的国必不败坏。

¹⁵ 至於我─但以理，我的灵在我里面愁烦，我脑中的异象使我惊惶。

¹⁶ 我就近一位侍立者，问他这一切的真情。他就告诉我，将那事的讲解给我说明。

¹⁷ 这四个大兽就是四王将要在世上兴起。

¹⁸ 然而，至高者的圣民，必要得国享受，直到永永远远。

¹⁹ 那时我愿知道第四兽的真情，他为何与那三兽的真情大不相同，甚是可怕，有铁牙铜爪，吞吃嚼碎，所剩下的用脚践踏；

²⁰ 头有十角和那另长的一角，在这角前有三角被他打落。这角有眼，有说夸大话的口，形状强横，过於他的同类。

²¹ 我观看，见这角与圣民争战，胜了他们。

²² 直到亘古常在者来给至高者的圣民伸冤，圣民得国的时候就到了。

²³ 那侍立者这样说：第四兽就是世上必有的第四国，与一切国大不相同，必吞吃全地，并且践踏嚼碎。

²⁴ 至於那十角，就是从这国中必兴起的十王，後来又兴起一王，与先前的不同；他必制伏三王。

²⁵ 他必向至高者说夸大的话，必折磨至高者的圣民，必想改变节期和律法。圣民必交付他手一载、二载、半载。

²⁶ 然而，审判者必坐着行审判；他的权柄必被夺去，毁坏，灭绝，一直到底。

²⁷ 国度、权柄，和天下诸国的大权必赐给至高者的圣民。他的国是永远的；一切掌权的都必事奉他，顺从他。

²⁸ 那事至此完毕。至於我─但以理，心中甚是惊惶，脸色也改变了，却将那事存记在心。

²³ As he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.

²⁴ All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were terrified.

²⁵ The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. It shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."

²⁶ David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

²⁷ The people answered him in this way, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."

²⁸ Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle."

²⁹ David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

³⁰ He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.

³¹ When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

³² David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

³³ Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

³⁴ David said to Saul, "Your servant was keeping his father's sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,

³⁵ I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.

³⁶ Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God."

³⁷ David said, "Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go; and Yahweh shall be with you."

³⁸ Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

³⁹ David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, "I can't go with these; for I have not tested them." David took them off.

⁴⁰ He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. His sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹ The Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.

⁴² When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair face.

⁴³ The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" The Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field."

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶ Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn't save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you into our hand."

⁴⁸ It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹ Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.