The Sacred Bible:  The Prophecy of Daniel

8  9  10  11  12  13  14
[Daniel 8]

{8:1} Anno tertio regni Baltassar regis, visio apparuit mihi. Ego Daniel post id, quod videram in principio,
{8:1} 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,

{8:2} vidi in visione mea, cum essem in Susis castro, quod est in Ælam regione: vidi autem in visione esse me super portam Ulai.
{8:2} 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.

{8:3} Et levavi oculus meos, et vidi: et ecce aries unus stabat ante paludem, habens cornua excelsa, et unum excelsius altero atque succrescens.
{8:3} 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.

{8:4} Postea vidi arietem cornibus ventilantem contra Occidentem, et contra Aquilonem, et contra Meridiem, et omnes bestiæ non poterant resistere ei, neque liberari de manu eius: fecitque secundum voluntatem suam, et magnificatus est.
{8:4} 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.

~ The word Meridiem is sometimes incorrectly translated as South. Later in the book of Daniel, the Latin word for South is used, Austri. But here, a different area of the world is indicated. The Meridian, in my interpretation, refers to central Africa, where the meridians of latitude and longitude cross (just off the coast of central Africa). South is used to refer, instead, to the area of the world formerly the southern part of the great monarch’s (the he-goat’s) kingdom.

{8:5} Et ego intelligebam: ecce autem hircus caprarum veniebat ab Occidente super faciem totius terræ, et non tangebat terram: porro hircus habebat cornu insigne inter oculos suos.
{8:5} 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.

~ The phrase “hircus caprarum” literally means a he-goat of she-goats. Caprarum is in the genitive case, which often, but not always, implies possession. However, this phrase can be more loosely, and yet more accurately, translated as “a he-goat among she-goats.” The implication is that the leader symbolized by the he-goat is a leader among a group of other leaders, many of whom are women. This would be very unusual in past centuries, but fits the modern political situation, which is nevertheless unfortunate and offensive to God, wherein women take roles of leadership in society. Traveling across the whole earth without touching the ground was not possible when this book was written, nor for many centuries afterwards; it has only become possible relatively recently.

{8:6} Et venit usque ad arietem illum cornutum, quem videram stantem ante portam, et cucurrit ad eum in impetu fortitudinis suæ.
{8:6} 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.

{8:7} Cumque appropinquasset prope arietem, efferatus est in eum, et percussit arietem: et comminuit duo cornua eius, et non poterat aries resistere ei: cumque eum misisset in terram, conculcavit, et nemo quibat liberare arietem de manu eius.
{8:7} 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.

{8:8} Hircus autem caprarum magnus factus est nimis: cumque crevisset, fractum est cornu magnum, et orta sunt quattuor cornua subter illud per quattuor ventos cæli.
{8:8} 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.

{8:9} De uno autem ex eis egressum est cornu unum modicum: et factum est grande contra Meridiem, et contra Orientem, et contra fortitudinem.
{8:9} 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.

~ These are the three kings the Antichrist (the little horn) will put down: the king of the meridian (near the equator), the king of the East, and the king of the strength (the Middle East, where the holy land is and which will be the last bastion of Christianity). The king of the strength is also called the king of the South, because this kingdom used to be the southern part of the great monarch’s kingdom.

{8:10} Et magnificatum est usque ad fortitudinem cæli: et deiecit de fortitudine, et de stellis, et conculcavit eas.
{8:10} 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.

{8:11} Et usque ad principem fortitudinis magnificatum est: et ab eo tulit iuge sacrificium, et deiecit locum sanctificationis eius.
{8:11} 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.

{8:12} Robur autem datum est ei contra iuge sacrificium propter peccata: et prosternetur veritas in terra, et faciet, et prosperabitur.
{8:12} 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.

{8:13} Et audivi unum de sanctis loquentem: et dixit unus sanctus alteri nescio cui loquenti: Usquequo visio, et iuge sacrificium, et peccatum desolationis, quæ facta est: et sanctuarium, et fortitudo conculcabitur?
{8:13} 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?”

{8:14} Et dixit ei: Usque ad vesperam at mane, dies duo millia trecenti: et mundabitur sanctuarium.
{8:14} And he said to him, “From evening until morning, two thousand three hundred days, and so the sanctuary will be cleansed.”

~ The text is not counting 1150 days as 1150 evenings plus 1150 mornings (1150 x 2 = 2300); nor is the text telling us what we already know, that a day includes daytime and nighttime. Here the translation, “From evening until morning,” refers metaphorically to this space of time, i.e., from a time of darkness (evening) until a new day dawns (morning). The time of the Antichrist is a time of darkness, which lasts 2300 days, that is, until the end of his reign. After that end, and a brief time for repentance and the punishment of the unrepentant, Christ returns.

{8:15} Factum est autem cum viderem ego Daniel visionem, et quærerem intelligentiam: ecce stetit in conspectu meo quasi species viri.
{8:15} 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.

{8:16} Et audivi vocem viri inter Ulai: et clamavit, et ait: Gabriel fac intelligere istum visionem.
{8:16} And I heard the voice of a man within Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, make this one understand the vision.”

{8:17} Et venit, et stetit iuxta ubi ego stabam: cumque venisset, pavens corrui in faciem meam, et ait ad me: Intellige fili hominis, quoniam in tempore finis complebitur visio.
{8:17} 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.”

{8:18} Cumque loqueretur ad me, collapsus sum pronus in terram: et tetigit me, et statuit me in gradu meo,
{8:18} And when he spoke to me, I fell forward onto the ground, and so he touched me and stood me upright.

{8:19} dixitque mihi: Ego ostendam tibi quæ futura sunt in novissimo maledictionis: quoniam habet tempus finem suum.
{8:19} 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.

~ In the phrase “novissimo maledictionis,” novissimo does not mean newest, nor does it mean last, but rather refers, in this context, to something which occurs both at a later time (than the time of Daniel) and earlier than a similar event. The word maledictionis, which often means curse (evil-speaking), refers to an accursed time, that is, to the time often called the tribulation. The tribulation is divided into two parts, occurring in two different time periods; this text refers to the earlier of the two.

{8:20} Aries, quem vidisti habere cornua, rex Medorum est atque Persarum.
{8:20} The ram, which you saw to have horns, is the king of the Medes and Persians.

{8:21} Porro hircus caprarum, rex Græcorum est, et cornu grande, quod erat inter oculos eius, ipse est rex primus.
{8:21} 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.

{8:22} Quod autem fracto illo surrexerunt quattuor pro eo: quattuor reges de gente eius consurgent, sed non in fortitudine eius.
{8:22} And since, having been shattered, there grew four in its place, four kings will rise up from his people, but not in his strength.

~ The word fortitudine, or strength, is used here and elsewhere to refer to the strength of the Christian faith and to those areas or persons who are strong in the Faith.

{8:23} Et post regnum eorum, cum creverint iniquitates, consurget rex impudens facie, et intelligens propositiones.
{8:23} And after their reign, when iniquities will be increased, there will arise a king of shameless face and understanding negotiations.

~ Or, understanding strategies, or understanding (intellectual) arguments.

{8:24} Et roborabitur fortitudo eius, sed non in viribus suis: et supra quam credi potest, universa vastabit, et prosperabitur, et faciet. Et interficiet robustos, et populum sanctorum
{8:24} 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,

~ Again, fortitudo is used to refer to the strength of the Christian faith. Literally, it says “his strength will be strengthened.” However, in this case, fortitudo is combined with roborabitur to indicate that the Antichrist’s kind of strength will be reinforced by a strength from out of the midst of the Christian faith. This text refers to false Christians. The Antichrist will increase his advantage by making an alliance with the dishonorable, deceitful, unfaithful, false Christians. It is these false Christians who devise the abomination of desolation as a way to try to destroy the Church from within. The abomination of desolation is a false Eucharist, a perverse imitation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Mass.

{8:25} secundum voluntatem suam, et dirigetur dolus in manu eius: et cor suum magnificabit, et in copia rerum omnium occidet plurimos: et contra Principem principum consurget, et sine manu conteretur.
{8:25} 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.

~ Principem is often translated as Prince, but it usually refers not to the king’s son, but to the more general concept of a leader of some kind. The Principem principum is clearly Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The phrase “sine manu” can mean “without hand” or “by no human hand,” i.e., that God’s angel strikes him down, or it can mean “without effort,” in that he is struck down by God very easily, without need of great force or a legion of angels.

{8:26} Et visio vespere et mane, quæ dicta est, vera est: tu ergo visionem signa, quia post multos dies erit.
{8:26} 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.”

~ The word signa can refer to sealing something or to signing something. In this case, the context indicates sealing.

{8:27} Et ego Daniel langui, et ægrotavi per dies: cumque surrexissem, faciebam opera regis, et stupebam ad visionem, et non erat qui interpretaretur.
{8:27} 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.

[Daniel 9]

{9:1} In anno primo Darii filii Assueri de semine Medorum, qui imperavit super regnum Chaldæorum:
{9:1} In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who ruled over the kingdom of the Chaldeans,

{9:2} Anno uno regni eius, ego Daniel intellexi in libris numerum annorum, de quo factus est sermo Domini ad Ieremiam prophetam, ut complerentur desolationis Ierusalem septuaginta anni.
{9:2} in year one of his reign, I, Daniel, understood in the books the number of the years, concerning the word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah, the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would be completed in seventy years.

~ Daniel initially thinks he has understood the number of the years as seventy, but later he is told that it is seventy times seven years, or seventy weeks of years.

{9:3} Et posui faciem meam ad Dominum Deum meum rogare et deprecari in ieiuniis, sacco, et cinere.
{9:3} And I set my face to the Lord, my God, to ask and make supplication with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.

{9:4} Et oravi Dominum Deum meum, et confessus sum, et dixi: Obsecro Domine Deus magne et terribilis, custodiens pactum, et misericordiam diligentibus te, et custodientibus mandata tua.
{9:4} And I prayed to the Lord, my God, and I confessed, and I said, “I beg you, O Lord God, great and terrible, preserving the covenant and mercy for those who love you and keep your commandments.

~ The word confessus is more literally translated as confessed, but is sometimes also translated as “gave thanks.” Even in English, the word confess can have a range of meanings which includes admitting ones errors and acknowledging God’s greatness (and thus thanking Him).

{9:5} Peccavimus, iniquitatem fecimus, impie egimus, et recessimus: et declinavimus a mandatis tuis, ac iudiciis.
{9:5} We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we acted impiously and have withdrawn, and we have turned aside from your commandments as well as your judgments.

{9:6} Non obedivimus servis tuis prophetis, qui locuti sunt in nomine tuo regibus nostris, principibus nostris, patribus nostris, omnique populo terræ.
{9:6} We have not obeyed your servants, the prophets, who have spoken in your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

{9:7} Tibi Domine iustitia: nobis autem confusio faciei, sicut est hodie viro Iuda, et habitatoribus Ierusalem, et omni Israel, his qui prope sunt, et his qui procul, in universis terris, ad quas eiecisti eos propter iniquitates eorum, in quibus peccaverunt in te.
{9:7} To you, O Lord, is justice, but to us is confusion of face, just as it is on this day for the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, for those who are near and those who are far off, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of their iniquities by which they have sinned against you.

{9:8} Domine nobis confusio faciei, regibus nostris, principibus nostris, et patribus nostris, qui peccaverunt.
{9:8} O Lord, to us belongs confusion of face: to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, who have sinned.

{9:9} Tibi autem Domino Deo nostro misericordia, et propitiatio, quia recessimus a te:
{9:9} But to you, the Lord our God, is mercy and atonement, for we have withdrawn from you,

{9:10} et non audivimus vocem Domini Dei nostri ut ambularemus in lege eius, quam posuit nobis per servos suos prophetas.
{9:10} and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord, our God, so as to walk in his law, which he established for us by his servants, the prophets.

{9:11} Et omnis Israel prævaricati sunt legem tuam, et declinaverunt ne audirent vocem tuam, et stillavit super nos maledictio, et detestatio, quæ scripta est in libro Moysi servi Dei, quia peccavimus ei.
{9:11} And all Israel has transgressed your law and has turned away, not listening to your voice, and so the condemnation and the curse, which is written in the book of Moses, servant of God, has rained down upon us, because we have sinned against him.

~ Stillavit super nos means to fall in drops over us, in other words, to rain down upon us.

{9:12} Et statuit sermones suos, quos locutus est super nos, et super principes nostros, qui iudicaverunt nos, ut superinduceret in nos magnum malum, quale numquam fuit sub omni cælo, secundum quod factum est in Ierusalem.
{9:12} And he has fulfilled his words, which he has spoken over us and over our leaders who judged us, that he would lead over us a great evil, such as has never before existed under all of heaven, according to what has been done in Jerusalem.

{9:13} Sicut scriptum est in lege Moysi, omne malum hoc venit super nos: et non rogavimus faciem tuam Domine Deus noster, ut reverteremur ab iniquitatibus nostris, et cogitaremus veritatem tuam.
{9:13} Just as it has been written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us, and we did not entreat your face, O Lord our God, so that we might turn back from our iniquities and consider your truth.

{9:14} Et vigilavit Dominus super malitiam, et adduxit eam super nos: iustus Dominus Deus noster in omnibus operibus suis, quæ fecit: non enim audivimus vocem eius.
{9:14} And the Lord kept watch over the evil and has led it over us; the Lord, our God, is just in all his works, which he has accomplished, for we have not listened to his voice.

{9:15} Et nunc Domine Deus noster, qui eduxisti populum tuum de terra Ægypti in manu forti, et fecisti tibi nomen secundum diem hanc: peccavimus, iniquitatem fecimus.
{9:15} And now, O Lord, our God, who has led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and has made yourself a name in accordance with this day: we have sinned, we have done wrong.

{9:16} Domine in omnem iustitiam tuam: avertatur, obsecro, ira tua, et furor tuus a civitate tua Ierusalem, et monte sancto tuo. Propter peccata enim nostra, et iniquitates patrum nostrorum, Ierusalem, et populus tuus in opprobrium sunt omnibus per circuitum nostrum.
{9:16} O Lord, for all your righteousness, turn away, I beg you, your anger and your fury from your city, Jerusalem, and from your holy mountain. For, because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are a reproach to all who surround us.

{9:17} Nunc ergo exaudi Deus noster orationem servi tui, et preces eius: et ostende faciem tuam super sanctuarium tuum, quod desertum est propter temetipsum.
{9:17} Now, therefore, heed, O God, the prayer of your servant and his requests, and reveal your face over your sanctuary, which is desolate, for your own sake.

{9:18} Inclina Deus meus aurem tuam, et audi: aperi oculos tuos, et vide desolationem nostram, et civitatem, super quam invocatum est nomen tuum: neque enim in iustificationibus nostris prosternimus preces ante faciem tuam, sed in miserationibus tuis multis:
{9:18} Incline your ear, O my God, and hear, open your eyes and see our desolation and the city over which your name is invoked. For it is not through our justifications that we offer requests before your face, but through the fullness of your compassion.

{9:19} Exaudi Domine, placare Domine: attende et fac: ne moreris propter temetipsum Deus meus: quia nomen tuum invocatum est super civitatem, et super populum tuum.
{9:19} Heed, O Lord. Be pleased, O Lord. Turn and act. Do not delay, for your own sake, O my God, because your name is invoked over your city and over your people.”

{9:20} Cumque adhuc loquerer, et orarem, et confiterer peccata mea, et peccata populi mei Israel, et prosternerem preces meas in conspectu Dei mei, pro monte sancto Dei mei:
{9:20} And while I was still speaking and praying and confessing my sins, and the sins of my people, Israel, and offering my prayers in the sight of my God, on behalf of the holy mountain of my God,

{9:21} adhuc me loquente in oratione, ecce vir Gabriel, quem videram in visione a principio, cito volans tetigit me in tempore sacrificii vespertini.
{9:21} as I was still speaking in prayer, behold, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice.

{9:22} Et docuit me, et locutus est mihi, dixitque: Daniel nunc egressus sum ut docerem te, et intelligeres.
{9:22} And he instructed me, and he spoke to me and said, “Now, Daniel, I have come forth to teach you and to help you understand.

{9:23} Ab exordio precum tuarum egressus est sermo: ego autem veni ut indicarem tibi, quia vir desideriorum es: tu ergo animadverte sermonem, et intellige visionem.
{9:23} At the beginning of your prayers, the message came forth, yet I have come to explain it to you because you are a man who is seeking. Therefore, you must pay close attention to the message and understand the vision.

~ Sermonem can mean word, but it often refers instead to something more general, to a concept or a message, of some kind.

{9:24} Septuaginta hebdomades abbreviatæ sunt super populum tuum, et super urbem sanctam tuam ut consummetur prævaricatio, et finem accipiat peccatum, et deleatur iniquitas, et adducatur iustitia sempiterna, et impleatur visio, et prophetia, et ungatur Sanctus sanctorum.
{9:24} Seventy weeks of years are concentrated on your people and on your holy city, so that transgression shall be finished, and sin shall reach an end, and iniquity shall be wiped away, and so that everlasting justice shall be brought in, and vision and prophecy shall be fulfilled, and the Saint of saints shall be anointed.

~ Literally, “Septuaginta hebdomades” means seventy groups of seven. Here the revelation to Daniel is correcting his misunderstanding; he thought it was seventy years, but the angel informs him it is actually seventy groups of seven (years). The translation uses “weeks of years” because years is clearly implied and because “weeks” is a concise way to say “groups of seven.”

{9:25} Scito ergo, et animadverte: Ab exitu sermonis, ut iterum ædificetur Ierusalem, usque ad Christum ducem, hebdomades septem, et hebdomades sexaginta duæ erunt: et rursum ædificabitur platea, et muri in angustia temporum.
{9:25} Therefore, know and take heed: from the going forth of the word to build up Jerusalem again, until the Christ leader, there will be seven weeks of years, and sixty-two weeks of years; and the wide path will be built again, and the walls, in a time of anguish.

~ The “Christum ducem” is quite a striking expression in the Latin; clearly, to a Christian mind, the translation of Christum as Christ is justified. But, in the case of the leader who arrives after only seven weeks of years, this is not Christ himself, but a Christ-like leader (the great monarch). In the case of the leader who arrives after the additional sixty-two weeks of years, again this cannot be Christ himself (since there is still one more week of years to be completed), but again a Christ-like leader (this time it refers to the king of the South, as well as the Pope). Some translations give the weaker and more ambiguous translation of “Anointed one.”

~ Interestingly, some Christians have misinterpreted the Christum ducem who arrives seven weeks of years after the rebuilding of Jerusalem (that is, after the founding of the State of Israel,) to mean that Christ himself would arrive at this early date (in the late 1990’s A.D.). Such an interpretation is not called for by the text itself.

{9:26} Et post hebdomades sexaginta duas occidetur Christus: et non erit eius populus, qui eum negaturus est. Et civitatem, et sanctuarium dissipabit populus cum duce venturo: et finis eius vastitas, et post finem belli statuta desolatio.
{9:26} And after sixty-two weeks of years, the Christ leader will be slain. And the people who have denied him will not be his. And the people, when their leader arrives, will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will be devastation, and, after the end of the war, the desolation will be set up.

~ Again, the Christus who is killed is not Christ himself. Rather, this text refers to the king of the South, a Christian, a Christ-leader, the king of the last bastion of Christianity, the only one of the ten kingdoms that still tolerates Christianity. He is defeated in battle, because of betrayal or denial by some persons, but not by any people who are Christians. Some non-Christians betray him. Then the Antichrist and his people arrive in the Holy Land of Israel and destroy the city and the sanctuary. They also kill the Pope of that time, another Christ-leader. The desolation is the abomination of desolation, which begins at this time, but does not reach its full power until the last half of the Antichrist's reign.

{9:27} Confirmabit autem pactum multis hebdomada una: et in dimidio hebdomadis deficiet hostia et sacrificium: set erit in templo abominatio desolationis: et usque ad consummationem et finem perseverabit desolatio.
{9:27} But he will confirm a covenant with many for one week of years; and for half of the week of years, victim and sacrifice will nearly cease; but there will be in the temple the abomination of desolation. And the desolation will continue even to the consummation and the end.”

~ The phrase “hostia et sacrificium” could also be translated as “sacrifice and offering.” The phrase “abominatio desolationis” could also be rendered as “the detestable thing of abandonment.” From a Catholic perspective, the first phrase clearly refers to the Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Mass. Thus, the abomination of desolation is a perverse imitation of the Eucharist and the Mass, a false Eucharist, which continues for about three and one half years, even until the end of the Passion and Crucifixion of the Church and the end of the reign of sin on earth.

[Daniel 10]

{10:1} Anno tertio Cyri regis Persarum, verbum revelatum est Danieli cognomento Baltassar, et verbum verum, et fortitudo magna: intellexitque sermonem: intelligentia enim est opus in visione.
{10:1} In the third year of Cyrus, king of the Persians, a message was revealed to Daniel, called Belteshazzar, and a true word, and great strength. And he understood the message, for understanding is needed in a vision.

~ Or, for understanding is the work of a vision.

{10:2} In diebus illis ego Daniel lugebam trium hebdomadarum diebus,
{10:2} In those days, I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks of days.

{10:3} panem desiderabilem non comedi, et caro et vinum non introierunt in os meum, sed neque unguento unctus sum: donec complerentur trium hebdomadarum dies.
{10:3} I ate no desirable bread, and neither meat, nor wine, entered my mouth, neither was I anointed with ointment, until the three weeks of days were completed.

~ He ate no desirable bread, but he did eat bread of some kind. He fasted on bread and water.

{10:4} Die autem vigesima et quarta mensis primi eram iuxta fluvium magnum, qui est Tigris.
{10:4} But on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was next to the great river, which is the Tigris.

~ The first month is Nisan, when Passover is celebrated. But Daniel could not celebrate the feast in captivity, so he fasted instead.

{10:5} Et levavi oculos meos, et vidi: et ecce vir unus vestitus lineis, et renes eius accincti auro obrizo:
{10:5} And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold, one man clothed in linen, and his waist was wrapped with the finest gold,

~ Here renes, kidneys, is used to refer to the waistline, not specifically to refer to the kidneys. This is often, somewhat inaccurately translated as loins. The waistline, in current modern fashions, tends to be at the hips. But the waistline in ancient times was considerably higher, encircling the torso at the level of the kidneys.

{10:6} et corpus eius quasi chrysolithus, et facies eius velut species fulguris, et oculi eius ut lampas ardens: et brachia eius, et quæ deorsum sunt usque ad pedes, quasi species æris candentis: et vox sermonum eius ut vox multitudinis.
{10:6} and his body was like the golden stone, and his face had the appearance of lightning, and his eyes that of a burning lamp, and his arms and all that is downward all the way to the feet had the appearance of glowing brass, and his speaking voice was like the voice of a multitude.

~ The word chrysolithus takes its origins from Greek, in which language it literally means “golden stone.” Which mineral or gemstone the word refers to is largely irrelevant. The body of the angel is being described by the text as similar to a gemstone, and lightening, and a burning lamp, and glowing brass – all of which have a golden bright appearance.

{10:7} Vidi autem ego Daniel solus visionem: porro viri, qui erant mecum, non viderunt: sed terror nimius irruit super eos, et fugerunt in absconditum.
{10:7} But I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see it, but an exceedingly great terror rushed over them, and they fled into hiding.

{10:8} Ego autem relictus solus vidi visionem grandem hanc: et non remansit in me fortitudo, sed et species mea immutata est in me, et emarcui, nec habui quidquam virium.
{10:8} And I, having been left alone, saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, moreover, my appearance was altered, and I languished, not having any strength.

{10:9} Et audivi vocem sermonum eius: et audiens iacebam consternatus super faciem meam, et vultus meus hærebat terræ.
{10:9} And I heard the voice of his words, and when I heard, I lay down in confusion on my face, and my face was close to the ground.

{10:10} Et ecce manus tetigit me, et erexit me super genua mea, et super articulos manuum mearum.
{10:10} And behold, a hand touched me, and raised me onto my knees and the knuckles of my hands.

{10:11} Et dixit ad me: Daniel vir desideriorum, intellige verba, quæ ego loquor ad te, et sta in gradu tuo: nunc enim sum missus ad te. Cumque dixisset mihi sermonem istum, steti tremens.
{10:11} And he said to me, “Daniel, man of longing, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand yourself upright, for I am now sent to you.” And when he had said these words to me, I stood trembling.

~ The phrase “vir desideriorum” is sometimes translated as “man of desire.” But the word vir is usually used in a complementary sense, and the word desire, in this context, is more like a longing for truth and justice, as seen by Daniel’s decisions and his search for the truth of the visions.

{10:12} Et ait ad me: Noli metuere Daniel: quia ex die primo, quo posuisti cor tuum ad intelligendum ut te affligeres in conspectu Dei tui, exaudita sunt verba tua: et ego veni propter sermones tuos.
{10:12} And he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, because from the first day that you set your heart to understand, by afflicting yourself in the sight of your God, your words have been heeded, and I have arrived because of your words.

{10:13} Princeps autem regni Persarum restitit mihi viginti et uno diebus: et ecce Michael unus de principibus primis venit in adiutorium meum, et ego remansi ibi iuxta regem Persarum.
{10:13} But the leader of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me for twenty-one days, and behold, Michael, one of the primary leaders, came to help me, and I remained there next to the king of the Persians.

{10:14} Veni autem ut docerem te quæ ventura sunt populo tuo in novissimis diebus, quoniam adhuc, visio in dies.
{10:14} But I have come to teach you what will happen to your people in the latter days, because the vision is for a long time from now.”

{10:15} Cumque loqueretur mihi huiuscemodi verbis, deieci vultum meum ad terram, et tacui.
{10:15} And while he was speaking words to me in this way, I cast my face down to the ground and was silent.

{10:16} Et ecce quasi similitudo filii hominis tetigit labia mea: et aperiens os meum locutus sum, et dixi ad eum, qui stabat contra me: domine mi, in visione tua dissolutæ sunt compages meæ, et nihil in me remansit virium.
{10:16} And behold, something in the likeness of a son of man touched my lips. Then, opening my mouth, I spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, at the sight of you, my limbs became weak and no strength has remained in me.

{10:17} Et quomodo poterit servus domini mei loqui cum domino meo? nihil enim in me remansit virium, sed et halitus meus intercluditur.
{10:17} And so, how can the servant of my lord speak with my lord? For no strength remains in me; and even my breathing is hindered.”

{10:18} Rursum ergo tetigit me quasi visio hominis, et confortavit me,
{10:18} Therefore, he who looked like a man, touched me again and strengthened me.

{10:19} et dixit: Noli timere vir desideriorum: pax tibi: confortare, et esto robustus. Cumque loqueretur mecum, convalui, et dixi: Loquere Domine mi, quia confortasti me.
{10:19} And he said, “Fear not, O man of longing. May peace be with you. Take courage and be strong.” And when he spoke to me, I recovered, and I said, “Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

{10:20} Et ait: Numquid scis quare venerim ad te? et nunc revertar ut prœlier adversum principem Persarum; cum ego egrederer, apparuit princeps Græcorum veniens.
{10:20} And he said, “Do you not know why I have come to you? And next I will return, to fight against the leader of the Persians. When I was leaving, there appeared the leader of the Greeks arriving.

{10:21} Verumtamen annuntiabo tibi quod expressum est in scriptura veritatis: et nemo est adiutor meus in omnibus his, nisi Michael princeps vester.
{10:21} But, in truth, I announce to you what is expressed in the scripture of truth. And no one is my helper in all these things, except Michael your leader.”

~ The phrase “scriptura veritatis” refers to the Bible. The word “leader” is a better translation of “princeps” than the word “prince” would be.

[Daniel 11]

{11:1} Ego autem ab anno primo Darii Medi stabam ut confortaretur, et roboraretur.
{11:1} “And so, from the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood firm, so that he might be reinforced and strengthened.

~ The word fortis is used in Daniel to refer to the strength of the Christian faith. But here the word roboraretur is used instead. Thus, Darius the Mede is not a faithful Christian or Jew. The angel strengthens him for some purpose, but he is not a holy leader whose strength is from God.

{11:2} Et nunc veritatem annuntiabo tibi. Ecce adhuc tres reges stabunt in Perside, et quartus ditabitur opibus nimiis super omnes: et cum invaluerit divitiis suis, concitabit omnes adversum regnum Græciæ.
{11:2} And now I will announce to you the truth. Behold, up to a certain point, three kings will stand in Persia, and the fourth will be exceedingly enriched in power above them all. And when he has grown strong by his resources, he will stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.

{11:3} Surget vero rex fortis, et dominabitur potestate multa: et faciet quod placuerit ei.
{11:3} But there will rise up a strong king, and he will rule with great power, and he will do what he pleases.

~ This king is the long-awaited great monarch, a holy devout Catholic king. Here the word fortis is again used to refer to the strength of the Christian faith. This king is not merely strong in body or in worldly power, he has a strong in faith in God.

{11:4} Et cum steterit, conteretur regnum eius, et dividetur in quattuor ventos cæli: sed non in posteros eius, neque secundum potentiam illius, qua dominatus est; lacerabitur enim regnum eius etiam in externos exceptis his.
{11:4} And when he has been firmly established, his kingdom will be shattered and will be divided towards the four winds of the heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to his power with which he ruled. For his kingdom will be torn to pieces, even for the outsiders who have been expelled from these.

~ The word “lacerabitur” has a meaning like: mangled, or wounded, or lacerated, but also (esp. in this context) means torn into pieces. Not a happy day for this kingdom. The externos or outsiders are those outside the Catholic faith or who have been “exceptis his” that is, who have been expelled from the Church.

{11:5} Et confortabitur rex Austri: et de principibus eius prævalebit super eum, et dominabitur ditione: multa enim dominatio eius.
{11:5} And the king of the South will be reinforced, yet one of his leaders will prevail over him, and he will rule with riches, for great is his domain.

~ Notice that now we are told about the South, Austri, whereas before we were told about the Meridian, the area near the equator.

{11:6} Et post finem annorum fœderabuntur: filiaque regis Austri veniet ad regem Aquilonis facere amicitiam, et non obtinebit fortitudinem brachii, nec stabit semen eius: et tradetur ipsa, et qui adduxerunt eam, adolescentes eius, et qui confortabant eam in temporibus.
{11:6} And after the end of years, they will form a federation, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make friendship, but she will not obtain the strength of arms, neither will her offspring stand firm, and she will be handed over, along with those who brought her, her young men, and those who comforted her in these times.

~ A federation, or a league, or an alliance.

{11:7} Et stabit de germine radicum eius plantatio: et veniet cum exercitu, et ingredietur provinciam regis Aquilonis: et abutetur eis, et obtinebit.
{11:7} And a transplant from the germination of her roots will stand up, and he will come with an army, and will enter into the province of the king of the North, and he will abuse them, and will hold it fast.

~ The phrase “germine radicum eius plantation” is an unusual expression, which probably refers to some type of unusual medical technology used (in the distant future) in procreation. In modern terms, this sounds like something having to do with unnatural conception and birth, something similar to in vitro fertilization, or surrogate mothering, or human cloning.

{11:8} Insuper et deos eorum, et sculptilia, vasa quoque pretiosa argenti, et auri captiva ducet in Ægyptum: ipse prævalebit adversus regem Aquilonis.
{11:8} And, in addition, he will carry away captive into Egypt their gods, and their graven images, and likewise their precious vessels of gold and silver. He will prevail against the king of the North.

{11:9} Et intrabit in regnum rex Austri, et revertetur ad terram suam.
{11:9} And the king of the South will enter into the kingdom, and will return to his own land.

{11:10} Filii autem eius provocabuntur, et congregabunt multitudinem exercituum plurimorum: et veniet properans, et inundans: et revertetur, et concitabitur, et congredietur cum robere eius.
{11:10} But his sons will be challenged, and they will assemble a multitude of very many forces. And he will arrive rushing and overflowing. And he will be turned back, and he will be enraged, and he will join the battle in his redness.

~ Even though the translation is the literal “sons” the meaning might be metaphorical. The reference to the king’s redness, robere eius, means that the king will be either angry or embarrassed. The word provocabuntur can also be translated as provoked.

{11:11} Et provocatus rex Austri egredietur, et pugnabit adversus regem Aquilonis, et præparabit multitudinem nimiam, et dabitur multitudo in manu eius.
{11:11} And the king of the South, having being challenged, will go forth and will fight against the king of the North, and he will prepare an exceedingly great multitude, and a multitude will be given into his hand.

{11:12} Et capiet multitudinem, et exaltabitur cor eius, et deiiciet multa millia, sed non prævalebit.
{11:12} And he will seize a multitude, and his heart will be exalted, and he will cast down many thousands, but he will not prevail.

{11:13} Convertetur enim rex Aquilonis, et præparabit multitudinem multo maiorem quam prius: et in fine temporum, annorumque veniet properans cum exercitu magno, et opibus nimiis.
{11:13} For the king of the North will change strategy and will prepare a multitude much greater than before, and at the end of times and years, he will rush forward with a great army and exceedingly great resources.

~ Usually, opibus is translated as power or wealth, but in this context it means something like resources, though with a distinct military connotation.

{11:14} Et in temporibus illis multi consurgent adversus regem Austri: filii quoque prævaricatorum populi tui extollentur ut impleant visionem, et corruent.
{11:14} And in those times, many will rise up against the king of the South. And likewise the sons of the deceivers among your people will extol themselves, so as to fulfill the vision, and they will collapse.

~ The phrase “filii prævaricatorum populi tui” literally means the sons of the deceivers (or traitors) of your people. But the word “sons” is often used metaphorically in Jewish literature. The sons of the deceivers are not the biological offspring of deceivers, but those who act as if they were the offspring of deception personified.

{11:15} Et venit rex Aquilonis, et comportabit aggerem, et capiet urbes munitissimas: et brachia Austri non sustinebunt, et consurgent electi eius ad resistendum, et non erit fortitudo.
{11:15} And the king of the North will arrive and will transport siege works, and he will seize the most fortified cities. And the arms of the South will not withstand him, and his elect will rise up to resist, but the strength will not.

{11:16} Et faciet veniens super eum iuxta placitum suum, et non erit qui stet contra faciem eius: et stabit in terra inclyta, et consumetur in manu eius.
{11:16} And when he arrives, he will do just as he pleases, and there will be none who stand against his face. And he will stand in the illustrious land, and it will be consumed by his hand.

~ The illustrious land might seem to be the holy land of Israel, but the expression in Latin used here is somewhat different from other expressions referring to the land of Israel, so perhaps a different interpretation is indicated.

{11:17} Et ponet faciem suam ut veniat ad tenendum universum regnum eius, et recta faciet cum eo: et filiam feminarum dabit ei, ut evertat illud: et non stabit, nec illius erit.
{11:17} And he will set his face to strive to hold his entire kingdom, and he will make fair conditions with him. And he will give him a daughter among women, so as to overthrow it. But she will not stand, neither will she be for him.

~ A woman among women is an exemplary woman (cf. song of songs). But the phrase a daughter among women is an unusual twist on the more common expression of a woman among women. From the context and from the expression, this phrase would still seem somewhat complementary. She is an exemplary woman – but so young as to be called a daughter rather than a woman. An exemplary young woman, and perhaps the meaning is also that she is too young for the task she has been given. In any case, she fails at her unenviable task and she does not remain with him.

{11:18} Et convertet faciem suam ad insulas, et capiet multas: et cessare faciet principem opprobrii sui, et opprobrium eius convertetur in eum.
{11:18} And he will turn his face towards the islands, and he will seize many. And he will cause the leader of his reproach to cease, and his reproach will be turned around for him.

{11:19} Et convertet faciem suam ad imperium terræ suæ, et impinget, et corruet, et non invenietur.
{11:19} And he will turn his face to the empire of his own land, and he will strike, and will overthrow, but he will not succeed.

{11:20} Et stabit in loco eius vilissimus, et indignus decore regio: et in paucis diebus conteretur, non in furore, nec in prœlio.
{11:20} And there will stand up in his place one who is most worthless and unworthy of kingly honor. And in a short time, he will be worn out, but not in fury, nor in battle.

{11:21} Et stabit in loco eius despectus, et non tribuetur ei honor regius: et veniet clam, et obtinebit regnum in fraudulentia.
{11:21} And there will stand up in his place the despicable one, and he will not be assigned the honor of a king. And he will arrive in secret, and he will obtain the kingdom by deceitfulness.

~ The despectus is the despicable one, the Antichrist.

{11:22} Et brachia pugnantis expugnabuntur a facie eius, et conterentur: insuper et dux fœderis.
{11:22} And the arms of the fighting will be assaulted before his face and will be shattered, and, in addition, the leader of the federation.

{11:23} Et post amicitias, cum eo faciet dolum: et ascendet, et superabit in modico populo.
{11:23} And, after making friends, he will trick him, and he will go up and will overcome with a small people.

~ The phrase “modico populo” can mean a small people (not influential), or people who are short of stature, or people who are moderate and restrained, or people who are a short distance away. The phrase is quite ambiguous, in and of itself.

{11:24} Et abundantes, et uberes urbes ingredietur: et faciet quæ non fecerunt patres eius, et patres patrum eius: rapinas, et prædam, et divitias eorum dissipabit, et contra firmissimas cogitationes inibit: et hoc usque ad tempus.
{11:24} And he will enter into rich and resourceful cities, and he will do what his fathers never did, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter their spoils, and their prey, and their riches, and will form a plan against the most steadfast, and this until a time.

~ The word rapinas resembles the English word rape, and can mean rape in some contexts. But it tends to have a more general meaning, something like assault (including robbery) and/or the loot obtained from such a robbery. The most steadfast would seem to be the Christians.

{11:25} Et concitabitur fortitudo eius, et cor eius adversum regem Austri in exercitu magno: et rex Austri provocabitur ad bellum multis auxiliis, et fortibus nimis: et non stabunt, quia inibunt adversus eum consilia.
{11:25} And his strength and his heart will be enraged against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South will be provoked into going to war by having many allies and exceedingly good circumstances, and yet these will not stand, for they will form plans against him.

~ The king of the South is not foolish or rash, he knows it is very dangerous to go to war against the North – the only kingdom which can and has repeatedly defeated the South in war. But he will have so many things in his favor, including allies and good fortune, that he enters into a war that he ultimately will lose.

{11:26} Et comedentes panem cum eo, conterent illum, exercitusque eius opprimetur: et cadent interfecti plurimi.
{11:26} And those who eat bread with him will crush him, and his army will be suppressed, and very many will die, having been executed.

~ “Et comedentes panem cum eo,” (those who eat bread with him,) could well be a reference to the Eucharist. The king of the South and his kingdom may be the last refuge of Christianity, but it is a sinful kingdom, not a holy one. Here the Antichrist uses unfaithful Christians to help him overcome the kingdom where Christianity has the most influence. Later, he uses a similar tactic (in promoting the abomination of desolation).

{11:27} Duorum quoque regnum cor erit ut malefaciant, et ad mensam unam mendacium loquentur, et non proficient: quia adhuc finis in aliud tempus.
{11:27} And the heart of two kings will be similar, to do harm, and they will speak lies at one table, but they will not succeed, because as yet the end is for another time.

~ These two other kings are the kings of the East and of the Meridian (Africa). They realize the danger of the Antichrist and try to outmaneuver and out-deceive him. The word “malefaciant” can mean to do evil, but in this context (of trying to defeat the Antichrist), it tends more towards the meaning of doing harm.

{11:28} Et revertetur in terram suam cum opibus multis: et cor eius adversum testamentum sanctum, et faciet, et revertetur in terram suam.
{11:28} And he will return to his land with many resources. And his heart will be against the holy testament, and he will act, and he will return to his own land.

~ The holy testament is the Christian faith. He acts against Christianity in the conquered land of the South, where Christianity is strongest, and in the two conquered lands of the two kings.

{11:29} Statuto tempore revertetur, et veniet ad Austrum: et non erit priori simile novissimum.
{11:29} At the appointed time, he will return, and he will approach the South, but the latter time will not be like the former.

{11:30} Et veniet super eum Trieres, et Romani: et percutietur, et revertetur, et indignabitur contra testamentum sanctuarii, et faciet: reverteturque et cogitabit adversum eos, qui dereliquerunt testamentum sanctuarii.
{11:30} And the Greek warships and the Romans will come upon him, and he will be pierced, and will retreat, and will have scorn against the testament of the sanctuary, and he will act. And he will return and will consult their adversaries, who have forsaken the covenant of the sanctuary.

~ This text is translated quite differently in other English texts. RSV: “ships of Kittim,” NIV: “Ships of the western coastlands,” NKJV: “ships from Cyprus,” NIRV: “Roman ships,” NLT: “warships from western coastlands.” The Bible has been translated into Latin since the earliest days of the Church, so this Latin text (Trieres, et Romani) may be based on some ancient manuscripts, in Hebrew or Greek, which are not now extant.

~ The Trieres is a type of warship used by the ancient Greeks. But in Daniel, Greece symbolizes democracy, since that is where democracy first began. So, giving the text a modern interpretation, these warships are from an area which still, at that time in the future, practices some form of democracy. But, though the ships are Greek ships, the crew is Roman, which in the modern context would refer to Roman Catholics (or to Christians in general during a future time when all Christians are united in one Church). This interpretation explains why the Antichrist is indignant against Christianity after his defeat and why he sets out to destroy the Faith about halfway through his reign. Daniel 9:27 refers to this time of half a week of years.

~ The Antichrist then consults the adversaries of the Christians, those who have abandoned the Christian faith.

{11:31} Et brachia ex eo stabunt, et polluent sanctuarium fortitudinis, et auferent iuge sacrificium: et dabunt abominationem in desolationem.
{11:31} And arms will take his side, and they will pollute the sanctuary of the strength, and they will take away the continual sacrifice and will replace it with the abomination of desolation.

~ Here again the word strength is used to refer to Christianity, as in the sanctuary of the strength, which will be polluted by the abomination of desolation (a false Eucharist). The continual sacrifice is the Eucharist.

{11:32} Et impii in testamentum simulabunt fraudulenter: populus autem sciens Deum suum, obtinebit, et faciet.
{11:32} And the impious within the testament will imitate deceitfully, but the people, knowing their God, will persevere and will act.

{11:33} Et docti in populo docebunt plurimos: et ruent in gladio, et in flamma, et in captivitate, et in rapina dierum.
{11:33} And the teachers among the people will teach many, but they will be ruined by the sword, and by fire, and by captivity, and by assaults for many days.

~ The word rapina can mean sexual assault. In other contexts, rapina tends more towards robbery or even the loot obtained by robbery, but in this context rapina refers to physical assaults of various kinds.

{11:34} Cumque corruerint, sublevabuntur auxilio parvulo: et applicabuntur eis plurimi fraudulenter.
{11:34} And when they have fallen, they will be supported with a little help, but many will apply to them deceitfully.

{11:35} Et de eruditis ruent, ut conflentur, et eligantur, et dealbentur usque ad tempus præfinitum: quia adhuc aliud tempus erit.
{11:35} And some of the learned will be ruined, that they may be kindled and chosen and purified, up to the predetermined time, because there will be still another time.

~ The learned are not pure and on fire with the love of God; but some will be brought to this by suffering. Not many, just some. The very learned tend not to be very faithful nor very holy.

{11:36} Et faciet iuxta voluntatem suam rex, et elevabitur, et magnificabitur adversus omnem deum: et adversus Deum deorum loquetur magnifica, et dirigetur, donec compleatur iracundia: perpetrata quippe est definitio.
{11:36} And the king will act according to his will, and he will be lifted up and will be extolled against every god. And he will speak great things against the God of gods, and he will control, until the passion is completed. Once accomplished, the limit is reached with certainty.

~ The word “iracundia” can refer to anger and is sometimes translated in this context as wrath, that is, until the wrath of God is completed. But such a translation does not fit the context well. The verse is about the Antichrist exalting himself, and acting according to his ill will, and controlling the world, and blaspheming God. This is not yet the Wrath of God on the unrepentant wicked. In this context, the phrase refers to the Passion of the Church, that is, to the great sufferings of the faithful during the reign of the Antichrist.

{11:37} Et Deum patrum suorum non reputabit: et erit in concupiscentiis feminarum, nec quemquam deorum curabit: quia adversum universa consurget:
{11:37} And he will give no thought to the God of his fathers, and he will be in the desire of women, and he will not attend to any gods, because he will rise up against all things.

~ The phrase “erit in concupiscentiis feminarum” does not mean that he will lust after women, but that women will lust for him.

{11:38} deum autem Maozim in loco suo venerabitur: et deum, quem ignoraverunt patres eius, colet auro, et argento, et lapide pretioso, rebusque pretiosis.
{11:38} But he will do homage to the god Maozim in his place, and, a god whom his fathers did not know, he will worship with gold, and silver, and precious stones, and costly things.

{11:39} Et faciet ut muniat Maozim cum deo alieno, quem cognovit, et multiplicabit gloriam, et dabit eis potestatem in multis, et terram dividet gratuito.
{11:39} And he will act to reinforce Maozim with an alien god, of whom he has become aware, and he will increase their glory, and will give them power over many, and he will distribute land for free.

{11:40} Et in tempore præfinito prœliabitur adversus eum rex Austri, et quasi tempestas veniet contra illum rex Aquilonis in curribus, et in equitibus, et in classe magna, et ingredietur terras, et conteret, et pertransiet.
{11:40} And, at the predetermined time, the king of the South will fight against him, and the king of the North will come against him like a tempest, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with a great fleet, and he will enter into the lands, and will crush and pass through.

{11:41} Et introibit in terram gloriosam, et multæ corruent: hæ autem solæ salvabuntur de manu eius, Edom, et Moab, et principium filiorum Ammon.
{11:41} And he will enter into the glorious land, and many will fall. But only these will be saved from his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the first part of the sons of Ammon.

~ The illustrious land, terra inclyta, (Dan 11:16) is probably a different land than the glorious land, terram gloriosam. The glorious land appears to be Israel, the holy land.

{11:42} Et mittet manum suam in terras: et terra Ægypti non effugiet.
{11:42} And he will cast his hand upon the lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape.

{11:43} Et dominabitur thesaurorum auri, et argenti, et in omnibus pretiosis Ægypti: per Libyam quoque, et Æthiopiam transibit.
{11:43} And he will rule over the treasure chests of gold, and silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and likewise he will pass through Libya and Ethiopia.

{11:44} Et fama turbabit eum ab Oriente et ab Aquilone: et veniet in multitudine magna ut conterat et interficiat plurimos.
{11:44} And rumors from the East and from the North will trouble him. And he will arrive with a great multitude to destroy and to execute many.

~ Fama is rumors, or news, or reports. The word interficiat implies that the killing is an execution, from governmental authority (whether legitimate or not), and not a killing in battle.

{11:45} Et figet tabernaculum suum Apadno inter maria, super montem inclytum et sanctum: et veniet usque ad summitatem eius, et nemo auxiliabitur ei.
{11:45} And he will fasten his tabernacle, Apadno, between the seas, upon an illustrious and holy mountain, and he will come even to its summit, and no one will help him.”

~ Again, illustrious would seem to indicate a different land than the glorious land of Israel.

[Daniel 12]

{12:1} In tempore autem illo consurget Michael princeps magnus, qui stat pro filiis populi tui: et veniet tempus quale non fuit ab eo ex quo gentes esse cœperunt usque ad tempus illud. Et in tempore illo salvabitur populus tuus, omnis qui inventus fuerit scriptus in libro.
{12:1} “But at that time Michael will rise up, the great leader, who stands up for the sons of your people. And a time will come, such as has not been from the time that nations began, even until that time. And, at that time, your people will be saved, all who will be found written in the book.

{12:2} Et multi de his, qui dormiunt in terræ pulvere, evigilabunt: alii in vitam æternam, et alii in opprobrium ut videant semper.
{12:2} And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken: some to everlasting life, and others to a reproach that they will always see.

{12:3} Qui autem docti fuerint, fulgebunt quasi splendor firmamenti: et qui ad iustitiam erudiunt multos, quasi stellæ in perpetuas æternitates.
{12:3} But those who have taught will shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who instruct many towards justice, like the stars for unending eternity.

{12:4} Tu autem Daniel claude sermones, et signa librum usque ad tempus statutum: plurimi pertransibunt, et multiplex erit scientia.
{12:4} But you, Daniel, close the message and seal the book, until the established time. Many will pass through, and knowledge will be increased.”

~ The phrase “plurimi pertransibunt” refers to the passage of time. Many generations will pass through between the time of Daniel and the events of his visions.

{12:5} Et vidi ego Daniel, et ecce quasi duo alii stabant: unus hinc super ripam fluminis, et alius inde ex altera ripa fluminis.
{12:5} And I, Daniel, looked, and behold, similarly two others stood up, one over here, on the bank of the river, and the other over there, on the other bank of the river.

{12:6} Et dixi viro, qui erat indutus lineis, qui stabat super aquas fluminis: Usquequo finis horum mirabilium?
{12:6} And I said to the man, who was clothed in linen, who stood over the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?”

{12:7} Et audivi virum, qui indutus erat lineis, qui stabat super aquas fluminis, cum elevasset dexteram et sinistram suam in cælum, et iurasset per Viventem in æternum, quia in tempus, et tempora, et dimidium temporis. Et cum completa fuerit dispersio manus populi sancti, complebuntur universa hæc.
{12:7} And I heard the man, who was clothed in linen, who stood over the waters of the river, when he had lifted his right hand and his left hand up to heaven, and had sworn by He who lives forever, that it would be for a time, and times, and half a time. And when the dispersion of the hand of the holy people is completed, all these things will be completed.

~ The word manus, usually translated as hand, can also mean a band or small group of people, especially soldiers.

{12:8} Et ego audivi, et non intellexi. Et dixi: Domine mi, quid erit post hæc?
{12:8} And I heard and did not understand. And I said, “My lord, what will be after these things?”

{12:9} Et ait: Vade Daniel, quia clausi sunt, signatique sermones usque ad præfinitum tempus.
{12:9} And he said, “Go, Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed until the predetermined time.

{12:10} Eligentur, et dealbabuntur, et quasi ignis probabuntur multi: et impie agent impii, neque intelligent omnes impii, porro docti intelligent.
{12:10} Many will be chosen and purified, and, as if by fire, they will be tested, and the impious will act impiously, and none of the impious will understand, yet the teachers will understand.

{12:11} Et a tempore cum ablatum fuerit iuge sacrificium, et posita fuerit abominatio in desolationem, dies mille ducenti nonaginta.
{12:11} And from the time when the continual sacrifice will be taken away and the abomination of desolation will be set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days.

{12:12} Beatus, qui expectat, et pervenit usque ad dies mille trecentos trigintaquinque.
{12:12} Blessed is he who waits and reaches until one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.

{12:13} Tu autem vade ad præfinitum: et requiesces, et stabis in sorte tua in finem dierum.
{12:13} But you, go, until the predetermined time, and you will rest and will stand in your allotted place at the end of days.

[Daniel 13]

{13:1} Et erat vir habitans in Babylone, et nomen eius Ioakim:
{13:1} And there was a man living in Babylon, and his name was Joakim.

{13:2} Et accepit uxorem nomine Susannam, filiam Helciæ pulchram nimis, et timentem Deum:
{13:2} And he received a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who was very beautiful and God-fearing.

{13:3} parentes enim illius, cum essent iusti, erudierunt filiam suam secundum legem Moysi.
{13:3} For her parents, because they were righteous, had educated their daughter according to the law of Moses.

{13:4} Erat autem Ioakim dives valde, et erat ei pomarium vicinum domui suæ: et ad ipsum confluebant Iudæi, eo quod esset honorabilior omnium.
{13:4} But Joakim was very wealthy, and he had an orchard near his house, and the Jews flocked to him, because he was the most honorable of them all.

{13:5} Et constituti sunt de populo duo senes iudices in illo anno: de quibus locutus est Dominus: Quia egressa est iniquitas de Babylone a senioribus iudicibus, qui videbantur regere populum.
{13:5} And two elder judges had been appointed among the people that year, about whom the Lord has said, “Iniquity has come out of Babylon, from the elder judges, who seemed to govern the people.”

~ One of the terms used to describe these two judges is “senes iudices,” elder judges.

{13:6} Isti frequentabant domum Ioakim, et veniebant ad eos omnes, qui habebant iudicia.
{13:6} These frequented the house of Joakim, and all came to them, who had need of judgment.

{13:7} Cum autem populus revertisset per meridiem, ingrediebatur Susanna, et deambulabat in pomario viri sui.
{13:7} But when the people departed at noontime, Susanna went in and walked around in her husband’s orchard.

~ Deambulabat means to walk around or to take a walk, it does not merely mean walking.

{13:8} Et videbant eam senes quotidie ingredientem, et deambulantem: et exarserunt in concupiscentiam eius:
{13:8} And the elders saw her entering and walking around every day, and they were inflamed with desire towards her.

{13:9} et everterunt sensum suum, et declinaverunt oculos suos ut non viderent cælum, neque recordarentur iudiciorum iustorum.
{13:9} And they perverted their reason and turned away their eyes, so that they would not look to heaven, nor call to mind just judgments.

~ Sensum can also mean mind or understanding.

{13:10} Erant ergo ambo vulnerati amore eius, nec indicaverunt sibi vicissim dolorem suum:
{13:10} And so they were both wounded by the love of her, yet they did not reveal their grief to one another.

{13:11} erubescebant enim indicare sibi concupiscentiam suam, volentes concumbere cum ea:
{13:11} For they were ashamed to reveal to each other their desire, wanting to lie with her.

~ Here is one way to refer to sexual relations: concumbere, to lie with (someone).

{13:12} et observabant quotidie solicitius videre eam. Dixitque alter ad alterum:
{13:12} And so they watched carefully every day to see her. And one said to the other,

{13:13} Eamus domum, quia hora prandii est. Et egressi recesserunt a se.
{13:13} “Let us go home, for it is lunch time.” And going out, they departed one from another.

{13:14} Cumque revertissent, venerunt in unum: et sciscitantes ab invicem causam, confessi sunt concupiscentiam suam: et tunc in communi statuerunt tempus, quando eam possent invenire solam.
{13:14} And returning again, they came to the same place, and, each asking the other the reason, they admitted their desire. And then they agreed to set a time when they would be able to find her alone.

{13:15} Factum est autem, cum observarent diem aptum, ingressa est aliquando sicut heri et nudiustertius, cum duabus solis puellis, voluitque lavari in pomario: æstus quippe erat:
{13:15} But it happened, while they watched for an opportune day, that she entered at a particular time, just as yesterday and the day before, with only two maids, and she wanted to wash in the orchard, because it was so hot.

~ The word quippe means “of course” or “naturally” or “as you see.” Literally, the phrase says “it was, of course, very hot.”

{13:16} et non erat ibi quisquam, præter duos senes absconditos, et contemplantes eam.
{13:16} And there was no one there, except the two elders in hiding, and they were studying her.

{13:17} Dixit ergo puellis: Afferte mihi oleum, et smegmata, et ostia pomarii claudite, ut laver.
{13:17} And so she said to the maids, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the doors of the orchard, so that I may wash.”

~ The word smegmata is obscure, translated as “washing balls” by the Douay-Rheims and, alternately, as “ointments.” It refers to whatever type of soap or other substance the persons of that time and place used to wash themselves.

{13:18} Et fecerunt sicut præceperat: clauseruntque ostia pomarii, et egressæ sunt per posticum ut afferrent quæ iusserat: nesciebantque senes intus esse absconditos.
{13:18} And they did as she ordered them. And they shut the doors of the orchard and left through a back door to fetch what she required, and they did not know that the elders were hiding within.

{13:19} Cum autem egressæ essent puellæ, surrexerunt duo senes, et accurrerunt ad eam, et dixerunt:
{13:19} But when the maids had departed, the two elders arose and hurried to her, and they said,

{13:20} Ecce ostia pomarii clausa sunt, et nemo nos videt, et nos in concupiscentia tui sumus: quam ob rem assentire nobis, et commiscere nobiscum.
{13:20} “Behold, the doors of the orchard are closed, and no one can see us, and we are in desire for you. Because of these things, consent to us and lie with us.

~ Here is another way to refer to sexual relations: commiscere, to intermingle or to unite.

{13:21} Quod si nolueris, dicemus contra te testimonium, quod fuerit tecum iuvenis, et ob hanc causam emiseris puellas a te.
{13:21} But if you will not, we will bear witness against you that a young man was with you and, for this reason, you sent your maids away from you.”

{13:22} Ingemuit Susanna, et ait: Angustiæ sunt mihi undique: si enim hoc egero, mors mihi est: si autem non egero, non effugiam manus vestras.
{13:22} Susanna sighed and said, “I am closed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death to me; yet if I do not do it, I will not escape your hands.

{13:23} Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus vestras, quam peccare in conspectu Domini.
{13:23} But it is better for me to fall unavoidably into your hands, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.”

{13:24} Et exclamavit voce magna Susanna: exclamaverunt autem et senes adversus eam.
{13:24} And Susanna cried out with a loud voice, but the elders also cried out against her.

{13:25} Et cucurrit unus ad ostia pomarii, et aperuit.
{13:25} And one of them hurried to the door of the orchard and opened it.

~ So the door was closed, which would not be the case if a young man had just been chased out of it.

{13:26} Cum ergo audissent clamorem famuli domus in pomario, irruerunt per posticum ut viderent quidnam esset.
{13:26} And so, when the servants of the house heard the outcry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door to see what was happening.

{13:27} Postquam autem senes locuti sunt, erubuerunt servi vehementer: quia numquam dictus fuerat sermo huiuscemodi de Susanna. Et facta est dies crastina:
{13:27} But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed, for there had never been anything of this kind said about Susanna. And it happened on the next day,

{13:28} cumque venisset populus ad Ioakim virum eius, venerunt et duo presbyteri pleni iniqua cogitatione adversus Susannam ut interficerent eam.
{13:28} when the people came to Joakim her husband, that the two appointed elders also came, full of wicked plans against Susanna, in order to put her to death.

~ Here the elders are referred to as “presbyteri,” a word which could be translated as elders, but which indicates that these were elders who were appointed to a position of leadership, appointed elders.

{13:29} Et dixerunt coram populo: Mittite ad Susannam filiam Helciæ uxorem Ioakim. Et statim miserunt.
{13:29} And they said before the people, “Send for Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, the wife of Joakim.” And immediately they sent for her.

{13:30} Et venit cum parentibus, et filiis, et universis cognatis suis.
{13:30} And she arrived with her parents, and sons, and all her relatives.

~ The word cognatis means relatives, but resembles the word for knowing, and so, it is those who knew her well.

{13:31} Porro Susanna erat delicata nimis, et pulchra specie.
{13:31} Moreover, Susanna was exceedingly delicate and beautiful in appearance.

{13:32} At iniqui illi iusserunt ut discooperiretur (erat enim cooperta) ut vel sic satiarentur decore eius.
{13:32} But those wicked ones commanded that her face should be uncovered, (for she was covered,) so that at least they might be satisfied with her beauty.

~ Now the elders are referred to as iniqui, wicked ones.

{13:33} Flebant igitur sui, et omnes qui noverant eam.
{13:33} Therefore, her own and all who knew her wept.

{13:34} Consurgentes autem duo presbyteri in medio populi, posuerunt manus suas super caput eius.
{13:34} Yet the two appointed elders, rising up in the midst of the people, set their hands upon her head.

~ They not only uncovered her face, they dared to touch her, thus showing their lack of chastity and self-restraint by their actions.

{13:35} Quæ flens suspexit ad cælum: erat enim cor eius fiduciam habens in Domino.
{13:35} And weeping, she gazed up to heaven, for her heart had faith in the Lord.

{13:36} Et dixerunt presbyteri: Cum deambularemus in pomario soli, ingressa est hæc cum duabus puellis: et clausit ostia pomarii, et dimisit a se puellas.
{13:36} And the appointed elders said, “While we were taking a walk in the orchard alone, this one came in with two maids, and she shut the doors of the orchard, and she sent the maids away from her.

{13:37} Venitque ad eam adolescens, qui erat absconditus, et concubuit cum ea.
{13:37} And a young man came to her, who was in hiding, and he lay down with her.

~ Again, sexual relations is referred to with the word concubuit, to lie with someone.

{13:38} Porro nos cum essemus in angulo pomarii, videntes iniquitatem, cucurrimus ad eos, et vidimus eos pariter commisceri.
{13:38} Furthermore, since we were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, we ran up to them, and we saw them consorting together.

~ Now the word commisceri, to intermingle is used to refer to sexual relations. Both of these expressions are somewhat euphemistic: to lie together or to intermingle. But both expressions are also fairly blunt and show, in the social and religious context of this story, that the elders are unchaste and unrestrained with their words.

{13:39} Et illum quidem non quivimus comprehendere, quia fortior nobis erat, et apertis ostiis exilivit:
{13:39} And, indeed, we were unable to catch him, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors, he leaped out.

{13:40} hanc autem cum apprehendissemus, interrogavimus, quisnam esset adolescens, et noluit indicare nobis: huius rei testes sumus.
{13:40} But, since we had apprehended this one, we demanded to know who the young man was, but she was unwilling to tell us. On this matter, we are witnesses.”

{13:41} Credidit eis multitudo quasi senibus et iudicibus populi, et condemnaverunt eam ad mortem.
{13:41} The multitude believed them, just as if they were elders and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.

{13:42} Exclamavit autem voce magna Susanna, et dixit: Deus æterne, qui absconditorum es cognitor, qui nosti omnia antequam fiant,
{13:42} But Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, “Eternal God, who knows what is hidden, who knows all things before they happen,

{13:43} tu scis quoniam falsum testimonium tulerunt contra me: et ecce morior, cum nihil horum fecerim, quæ isti malitiose composuerunt adversum me.
{13:43} you know that they have borne false witness against me, and behold, I must die, though I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously invented against me.”

~ Susanna shows her chastity and self-restraint by not even repeating explicitly the charge against herself.

{13:44} Exaudivit autem Dominus vocem eius.
{13:44} But the Lord heeded her voice.

{13:45} Cumque duceretur ad mortem, suscitavit Dominus spiritum sanctum pueri iunioris, cuius nomen Daniel:
{13:45} And when she was led away to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel.

{13:46} Et exclamavit voce magna: Mundus ego sum a sanguine huius.
{13:46} And he cried out with a loud voice, “I am clean of the blood of this one.”

{13:47} Et conversus omnis populus ad eum, dixit: Quis est iste sermo, quem tu locutus es?
{13:47} And all the people, turning back towards him, said, “What is this word that you are saying?”

{13:48} Qui cum staret in medio eorum, ait: Sic fatui filii Israel, non iudicantes, neque quod verum est cognoscentes, condemnastis filiam Israel?
{13:48} But he, while standing in the midst of them, said, “Are you so foolish, sons of Israel, that without judging and without knowing what the truth is, you have condemned a daughter of Israel?

{13:49} Revertimini ad iudicium, quia falsum testimonium locuti sunt adversus eam.
{13:49} Return to judgment, because they have spoken false witness against her.”

{13:50} Reversus est ergo populus cum festinatione, et dixerunt ei senes: Veni, et sede in medio nostrum, et indica nobis: quia tibi Deus dedit honorem senectutis.
{13:50} Therefore, the people returned with haste, and the old men said to him, “Come and sit down in our midst and show us, since God has given you the honor of old age.”

{13:51} Et dixit ad eos Daniel: Separate illos ab invicem procul, et diiudicabo eos.
{13:51} And Daniel said to them, “Separate these at a distance from one another, and I will judge between them.”

{13:52} Cum ergo divisi essent alter ab altero, vocavit unum de eis, et dixit ad eum: Inveterate dierum malorum, nunc venerunt peccata tua, quæ operabaris prius:
{13:52} And so, when they were divided, one from the other, he called one of them, and he said to him, “You deep-rooted ancient evil, now your sins have come out, which you have committed before,

~ “Inveterate dierum malorum” translates somewhat loosely as “deep-rooted ancient evil.” More literally, dierum means a long time, malorum means evil or harmful, and inveterate means to become old or to become rooted or to become hardened by age.

{13:53} iudicans iudicia iniusta, innocentes opprimens, et dimittens noxios, dicente Domino: Innocentem et iustum non interficies.
{13:53} judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and setting free the guilty, though the Lord declares, ‘The innocent and the just you must not put to death.’

{13:54} Nunc ergo si vidisti eam, dic sub qua arbore videris eos colloquentes sibi. Qui ait: Sub schino.
{13:54} Now then, if you saw her, declare under which tree you saw them conversing together.” He said, “Under an evergreen mastic tree.”

~ This tree is a short evergreen tree found in the Middle East. Notice that Daniel shows more discretion than the elders in the language he uses to describe sexual relations. He uses the more euphemistic and more discrete term “colloquentes sibi.” The term conversation was used by Flavius Josephus to denote sexual relations. It is an ancient euphemistic expression.

{13:55} Dixit autem Daniel: Recte mentitus es in caput tuum: Ecce enim Angelus Dei accepta sententia ab eo, scindet te medium.
{13:55} But Daniel said, “Truly, you have lied against your own head. For behold, the angel of God, having received the sentence from him, will split you down the middle.

{13:56} Et, amoto eo, iussit venire alium, et dixit ei: Semen Chanaan, et non Iuda, species decepit te, et concupiscentia subvertit cor tuum:
{13:56} And, having put him aside, he commanded the other to approach, and he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan, and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire has perverted your heart.

{13:57} sic faciebatis filiabus Israel, et illæ timentes loquebantur vobis: sed filia Iuda non sustinuit iniquitatem vestram.
{13:57} Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they, out of fear, consorted with you, but a daughter of Judah would not tolerate your iniquity.

~ Again, Daniel uses a term referring to conversation, loquebantur, to refer to sexual relations. He does the same in the next verse also.

{13:58} Nunc ergo dic mihi, sub qua arbore comprehenderis eos loquentes sibi. Qui ait: Sub prino.
{13:58} Now then, declare to me, under which tree you caught them conversing together.” He said, “Under an evergreen oak tree.”

{13:59} Dixit autem ei Daniel: Recte mentitus es et tu in caput tuum: manet enim Angelus Domini, gladium habens, ut secet te medium, et interficiat vos.
{13:59} And Daniel said to him, “Truly, you also have lied against your own head. For the angel of the Lord waits, holding a sword, to cut you down the middle and put you to death.”

~ Note that “interficiat” refers to execution by authority and that “vos” is plural. Daniel is saying that God will execute both of these elders for their false testimony against Susanna.

{13:60} Exclamavit itaque omnis cœtus voce magna, et benedixerunt Deum, qui salvat sperantes in se.
{13:60} And then the entire assembly cried out in a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saves those who hope in him.

{13:61} Et consurrexerunt adversus duos presbyteros (convicerat enim eos Daniel ex ore suo falsum dixisse testimonium) feceruntque eis sicut male egerant adversus proximum,
{13:61} And they rose up against the two appointed elders, (for Daniel had convicted them, by their own mouth, of bearing false witness,) and they did to them just as they had wickedly done against their neighbor,

{13:62} ut facerent secundum legem Moysi: et interfecerunt eos, et salvatus est sanguis innoxius in die illa.
{13:62} so as to act according to the law of Moses. And they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved on that day.

{13:63} Helcias autem et uxor eius laudaverunt Deum pro filia sua Susanna cum Ioakim marito eius, et cognatis omnibus, quia non esset inventa in ea res turpis.
{13:63} But Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter, Susanna, with Joakim, her husband, and all her relatives, because there had been found in her no disgrace.

{13:64} Daniel autem factus est magnus in conspectu populi a die illa, et deinceps.
{13:64} And so Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thereafter.

{13:65} Et rex Astyages appositus est ad patres suos, et suscepit Cyrus Perses regnum eius.
{13:65} And king Astyages was laid to rest with his fathers. And Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.

[Daniel 14]

{14:1} Erat autem Daniel conviva regis, et honoratus super omnes amicos eius.
{14:1} And so Daniel was living with the king, and he was honored above all his friends.

{14:2} Erat quoque idolum apud Babylonios nomine Bel: et impendebantur in eo per dies singulos similæ artabæ duodecim, et oves quadraginta, vinique amphoræ sex.
{14:2} Now there was an idol with the Babylonians named Bel. And each day there was expended on him twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.

~ Artabae is an Egyptian unit of measure equivalent to 3.5 Roman measures or about 7 gallons.

{14:3} Rex quoque colebat eum, et ibat per singulos dies adorare eum: porro Daniel adorabat Deum suum. Dixitque ei rex: Quare non adoras Bel?
{14:3} The king likewise worshipped him and went each day to adore him, but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him, “Why do you not adore Bel?”

{14:4} Qui respondens, ait ei: Quia non colo idola manufacta, sed viventem Deum, qui creavit cælum, et terram, et habet potestatem omnis carnis.
{14:4} And answering, he said to him, “Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth, and who holds power over all flesh.”

{14:5} Et dixit rex ad eum: Non videtur tibi esse Bel vivens Deus? An non vides quanta comedat, et bibat quotidie?
{14:5} And the king said to him, “Does not Bel seem to you to be a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?”

{14:6} Et ait Daniel arridens: Ne erres rex: iste enim intrinsecus luteus est, et forinsecus æreus, neque comedit aliquando.
{14:6} Then Daniel said, smiling, “O king, do not make a mistake, for this one is clay on the inside and brass on the outside, and he has never eaten.”

{14:7} Et iratus rex vocavit sacerdotes eius, et ait eis: Nisi dixeritis mihi, quis est qui comedat impensas has, moriemini.
{14:7} And the king, being angry, called for his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who it is that has eaten these expenses, you will die.

{14:8} Si autem ostenderitis, quoniam Bel comedat hæc, morietur Daniel, quia blasphemavit in Bel. Et dixit Daniel regi: Fiat iuxta verbum tuum.
{14:8} But if you can show that Bel has eaten these, Daniel will die, because he has blasphemed against Bel.” And Daniel said to the king, “Let it be according to your word.”

~ Fiat means “let it be” or “let it be done” or “may it be done.” The form of the word is subjunctive, present tense.

{14:9} Erant autem sacerdotes Bel septuaginta, exceptis uxoribus, et parvulis, et filiis. Et venit rex cum Daniele in templum Bel.
{14:9} Now the priests of Bel were seventy, besides their wives, and little ones, and sons. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

~ The word filiis literally means sons, but is sometimes used to refer to a group of children, including both boys and girls. The male term is used to denote both males and female, as in mankind (or man), or brethren, because men are intended by God to be leaders in the Church, the family, and society.

{14:10} Et dixerunt sacerdotes Bel: Ecce nos egredimur foras: et tu rex pone escas, et vinum misce, et claude ostium, et signa annulo tuo:
{14:10} And the priests of Bel said, “Behold, we are going out, and you, O king, set out the meats, and mix the wine, and close the door, and seal it with your ring.

~ The wine is most likely mixed with water. The use of the term “mix the wine” might seem strange, but in ancient times they mixed wine with water. The alcohol purified the water and the water prevented the wine from too easily causing drunkenness.

{14:11} et cum ingressus fueris mane, nisi inveneris omnia comesta a Bel, morte moriemur, vel Daniel qui mentitus est adversum nos.
{14:11} And when you have entered in the morning, if you have not found that Bel has consumed all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel will, who has lied against us.”

{14:12} Contemnebant autem, quia fecerant sub mensa absconditum introitum, et per illum ingrediebantur semper, et devorabant ea.
{14:12} But they had no concern because they had made a secret entrance under the table, and they always went in through it and devoured those things.

{14:13} Factum est igitur postquam egressi sunt illi, rex posuit cibos ante Bel: præcepit Daniel pueris suis, et attulerunt cinerem, et cribravit per totum templum coram rege: et egressi clauserunt ostium: et signantes annulo regis abierunt.
{14:13} And so it happened, after they had departed, that the king set the foods before Bel, and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them throughout the temple in the sight of the king, and, as they left, they shut the door, and after sealing it with the king’s ring, they departed.

{14:14} Sacerdotes autem ingressi sunt nocte iuxta consuetudinem suam, et uxores et filii eorum: et comederunt omnia, et biberunt.
{14:14} But the priests entered by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their sons, and they ate and drank everything.

{14:15} Surrexit autem rex primo diluculo, et Daniel cum eo.
{14:15} But the king arose at first light, and Daniel with him.

{14:16} Et ait rex: Salvane sunt signacula, Daniel? Qui respondit: Salva, rex.
{14:16} And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” And he answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”

{14:17} Statimque cum aperuisset ostium, intuitus rex mensam, exclamavit voce magna: Magnus es Bel, et non est apud te dolus quisquam.
{14:17} And as soon as he had opened the door, the king stared at the table, and cried out with a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with you.”

{14:18} Et risit Daniel: et tenuit regem ne ingrederetur intro: et dixit: Ecce pavimentum, animadverte cuius vestigia sint hæc.
{14:18} And Daniel laughed, and he held back the king, so that he would not enter, and he said, “Look at the pavement, notice whose footsteps these are.”

{14:19} Et dixit rex: Video vestigia virorum, et mulierum, et infantium. Et iratus est rex.
{14:19} And the king said, “I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children.” And the king was angry.

{14:20} Tunc apprehendit sacerdotes, et uxores, et filios eorum: et ostenderunt ei abscondita ostiola, per quæ ingrediebantur, et consumebant quæ erant super mensam.
{14:20} Then he apprehended the priests, and their wives, and their sons, and they showed him the secret doors through which they entered and consumed the things that were on the table.

{14:21} Occidit ergo illos rex, et tradidit Bel in potestatem Danielis: qui subvertit eum, et templum eius.
{14:21} Therefore, the king slaughtered them and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who overturned him and his temple.

~ The king “occidit,” that is, slaughtered them. He did not interfecit, put them to death by execution. In other words, the king did not give them a trial, nor send them to prison to await formal execution. He merely ordered their immediate deaths by his soldiers.

{14:22} Et erat draco magnus in loco illo, et colebant eum Babylonii.
{14:22} And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.

~ The word draco, dragon, can also mean snake. It most likely refers to some unusual type of animal kept by the Babylonians. This was not so unusual. The Roman leaders used to obtain and keep unusual animals from far off lands, including lions and other animals brought to Rome from Africa.

{14:23} Et dixit rex Danieli: Ecce nunc non potes dicere quia iste non sit Deus vivens: adora ergo eum.
{14:23} And the king said to Daniel, “Behold, now you cannot say that this is not a living god; therefore, adore him.”

{14:24} Dixitque Daniel: Dominum Deum meum adoro: quia ipse est Deus vivens: iste autem non est Deus vivens.
{14:24} And Daniel said, “I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God. But that one is not a living god.

{14:25} Tu autem rex da mihi potestatem, et interficiam draconem absque gladio, et fuste. Et ait rex: Do tibi.
{14:25} Therefore, you give me the power, O king, and I will execute this dragon without sword or club.” And the king said, “I give it to you.”

{14:26} Tulit ergo Daniel picem, et adipem, et pilos, et coxit pariter: fecitque massas, et dedit in os draconis, et diruptus est draco. Et dixit: Ecce quem colebatis.
{14:26} And so Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and cooked them together. And he made lumps and put them into the dragon’s mouth, and the dragon burst open. And he said, “Behold, this is what you worship.”

{14:27} Quod cum audissent Babylonii, indignati sunt vehementer: et congregati adversum regem, dixerunt: Iudæus factus est rex: Bel destruxit, draconem interfecit, et sacerdotes occidit.
{14:27} When the Babylonians had heard this, they were greatly indignant. And gathering together against the king, they said, “The king has become a Jew. He has destroyed Bel, he has executed the dragon, and he has slaughtered the priests.”

~ The dragon’s death was an execution by authority (interfecit), whereas the priests where killed where they stood.

{14:28} Et dixerunt cum venissent ad regem: Trade nobis Danielem, alioquin interficiemus te, et domum tuam.
{14:28} And when they came to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, otherwise we will execute you and your house.”

~ An insurrection is threatened whereby the other leaders in the kingdom would rise up and take power, then put the king to death by a formal execution. They were not threatening merely to kill the king.

{14:29} Vidit ergo rex quod irruerent in eum vehementer: et necessitate compulsus tradidit eis Danielem.
{14:29} Thus the king saw that they pressured him vehemently, and so, being compelled by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them.

{14:30} Qui miserunt eum in lacum leonum, et erat ibi diebus sex.
{14:30} And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there for six days.

{14:31} Porro in lacu erant leones septem, et dabantur eis duo corpora quotidie, et duæ oves: et tunc non data sunt eis, ut devorarent Danielem.
{14:31} Furthermore, in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep, but then they were not given to them, so that they would devour Daniel.

{14:32} Erat autem Habacuc propheta in Iudæa, et ipse coxerat pulmentum, et intriverat panes in alveolo: et ibat in campum ut ferret messoribus.
{14:32} Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk, and he had cooked a small meal and had broken bread in a bowl, and he was going into the field, to bring it to the harvesters.

{14:33} Dixitque Angelus Domini ad Habacuc: Fer prandium, quod habes, in Babylonem Danieli, qui est in lacu leonum.
{14:33} And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Carry the meal that you have into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.”

{14:34} Et dixit Habacuc: Domine, Babylonem non vidi, et lacum nescio.
{14:34} And Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know the den.”

{14:35} Et apprehendit eum Angelus Domini in vertice eius, et portavit eum capillo capitis sui, posuitque eum in Babylone supra lacum in impetu spiritus sui.
{14:35} And the angel of the Lord seized him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, by the force of his spirit.

{14:36} Et clamavit Habacuc, dicens: Daniel serve Dei, tolle prandium, quod misit tibi Deus.
{14:36} And Habakkuk shouted, saying, “Daniel, servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.”

{14:37} Et ait Daniel: Recordatus es mei Deus, et non dereliquisti diligentes te.
{14:37} And Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not abandoned those who love you.”

{14:38} Surgensque Daniel comedit. Porro Angelus Domini restituit Habacuc confestim in loco suo.
{14:38} And Daniel arose and ate. And then the angel of the Lord immediately returned Habakkuk to his place.

{14:39} Venit ergo rex die septimo ut lugeret Danielem: et venit ad lacum, et introspexit, et ecce Daniel sedens in medio leonum.
{14:39} And so, on the seventh day, the king came to morn Daniel. And he came to the den, and gazed in, and behold, Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.

{14:40} Et exclamavit voce magna rex, dicens: Magnus es Domine Deus Danielis. Et extraxit eum de lacu leonum.
{14:40} And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Great are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he pulled him out of the lions’ den.

{14:41} Porro illos, qui perditionis eius causa fuerant, intromisit in lacum, et devorati sunt in momento coram eo.
{14:41} Furthermore, those who had been the cause of his downfall, he hurled into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.

{14:42} Tunc rex ait: Paveant omnes habitantes in universa terra Deum Danielis: quia ipse est Salvator, faciens signa, et mirabilia in terra: qui liberavit Danielem de lacu leonum.
{14:42} Then the king said, “Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel. For he is the Savior, working signs and miracles on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”

~ The word mirabilia means wonders or miracles.