Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s^(A) reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,^(B) after the one that had already appeared to me. ² In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa^(C) in the province of Elam;^(D) in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. ³ I looked up,^(E) and there before me was a ram^(F) with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. ⁴ I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.^(G) It did as it pleased^(H) and became great.

⁵ As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. ⁶ It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. ⁷ I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,^(I) and none could rescue the ram from its power.^{(J) 8} The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,^(K) and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.^(L)

⁹ Out of one of them came another horn, which started small^(M) but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.^{(N) 10} It grew until it reached^(O) the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth^(P) and trampled^(Q) on them. ¹¹ It set itself up to be as great as the commander^(R) of the army of the Lord;^(S) it took away the daily sacrifice^(T) from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.^{(U) 12} Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people^[a] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.^(V)

¹³ Then I heard a holy one^(W) speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled^(X)—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot^(Y) of the Lord’s people?”

¹⁴ He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”^(Z)

The Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision^(AA) and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.^{(AB) 16} And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai^(AC) calling, “Gabriel,^(AD) tell this man the meaning of the vision.”^(AE)

¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.^(AF) “Son of man,”^[b] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”^(AG)

¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.^(AH) Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.^(AI)

¹⁹ He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,^(AJ) because the vision concerns the appointed time^(AK) of the end.^{[c](AL) 20} The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.^{(AM) 21} The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,^(AN) and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.^{(AO) 22} The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.^{(AP) 25} He will cause deceit^(AQ) to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.^(AR) Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.^(AS)

²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,^(AT) but seal^(AU) up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”^(AV)

²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted^(AW) for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.^(AX) I was appalled^(AY) by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Daniel’s Prayer

9 In the first year of Darius^(AZ) son of Xerxes^[d](BA) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian^[e] kingdom— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy^(BB) years. ³ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,^(BC) and in sackcloth and ashes.^(BD)

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:^(BE)

The Seventy “Sevens”

²⁰ While I was speaking and praying, confessing^(DB) my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill^(DC)— ²¹ while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,^(DD) the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.^{(DE) 22} He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.^{(DF) 23} As soon as you began to pray,^(DG) a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.^(DH) Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:^(DI)

²⁴ “Seventy ‘sevens’^[f] are decreed for your people and your holy city^(DJ) to finish^[g] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone^(DK) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,^(DL) to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.^[h]

²⁵ “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild^(DM) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,^[i](DN) the ruler,^(DO) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.^{(DP) 26} After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death^(DQ) and will have nothing.^[j] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:^(DR) War will continue until the end, and desolations^(DS) have been decreed.^{(DT) 27} He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’^[k] In the middle of the ‘seven’^[l] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple^[m] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed^(DU) is poured out on him.^[n]”^[o]

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^{(C) 2} The beast I saw resembled a leopard,^(D) but had feet like those of a bear^(E) and a mouth like that of a lion.^(F) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.^{(G) 3} One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.^(H) The whole world was filled with wonder^(I) and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like^(J) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies^(K) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.^{(L) 6} It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.^{(M) 7} It was given power to wage war^(N) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.^{(O) 8} All inhabitants of the earth^(P) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,^(Q) the Lamb^(R) who was slain from the creation of the world.^[b](S)

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(T)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness^(V) on the part of God’s people.^(W)

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.^(X) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.^{(Y) 12} It exercised all the authority^(Z) of the first beast on its behalf,^(AA) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,^(AB) whose fatal wound had been healed.^{(AC) 13} And it performed great signs,^(AD) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(AE) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(AF) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(AG) the inhabitants of the earth.^(AH) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(AI) 15} The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship^(AJ) the image to be killed.^{(AK) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(AL) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(AM) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(AN) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(AO)

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom.^(AP) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.^[e](AQ) That number is 666.