Daniel 8:15-27

English Standard Version

The Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I ^(A)sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having ^(B)the appearance of a man. ^16 (C)And I heard a man's voice ^(D)between the banks of the ^(E)Ulai, and it called, ^(F)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” ¹⁷ So he came near where I stood. And when he came, ^(G)I was frightened ^(H)and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, ^(I)O son of man, that the vision is for ^(J)the time of the end.”

¹⁸ And when he had spoken to me, ^(K)I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But ^(L)he touched me and made me stand up. ¹⁹ He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of ^(M)the indignation, for it refers to ^(N)the appointed time of the end. ²⁰ As for ^(O)the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of ^(P)Media and Persia. ²¹ And ^(Q)the goat^[a] is the king of Greece. And ^(R)the great horn between his eyes is ^(S)the first king. ^22 (T)As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his^[b] nation, ^(U)but not with his power. ²³ And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. ²⁴ His power shall be great—^(V)but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction ^(W)and shall succeed in what he does, ^(X)and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. ^25 (Y)By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind ^(Z)he shall become great. ^(AA)Without warning he shall destroy many. And he ^(AB)shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but ^(AC)by no human hand. ²⁶ The vision of ^(AD)the evenings and the mornings that has been told ^(AE)is true, but ^(AF)seal up the vision, ^(AG)for it refers to many days from now.”

²⁷ And ^(AH)I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision ^(AI)and did not understand it.