Print Page Options Listen to Daniel 11

Warring Kings of North and South

11 “Also (A)in the first year of (B)Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then (C)a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and (D)do according to his will. And when he has arisen, (E)his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity (F)nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Warring Kings of North and South

“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her [a]authority, and neither he nor his [b]authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their [c]princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come (G)and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return (H)to his fortress and stir up strife.

11 “And the king of the South shall be (I)moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the (J)multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be [d]lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, [e]violent men of your people shall exalt themselves [f]in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall (K)fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and (L)build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the [g]forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him (M)shall do according to his own will, and (N)no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his [h]power.

17 “He shall also (O)set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and [i]upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, (P)or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall (Q)stumble and fall, (R)and not be found.

20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place (S)shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the [j]force of a (T)flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, (U)and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him (V)he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, [k]spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall [l]be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the (W)appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King’s Blasphemies

29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 (X)For ships from [m]Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And [n]forces shall be mustered by him, (Y)and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall [o]corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by [p]intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, (Z)to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall (AA)exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [q]God of his fathers nor the desire of women, (AB)nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for [r]gain.

The Northern King’s Conquests

40 “At the (AC)time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him (AD)like a whirlwind, with chariots, (AE)horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: (AF)Edom, Moab, and the [s]prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of (AG)Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow (AH)at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and (AI)the glorious holy mountain; (AJ)yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
  2. Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
  3. Daniel 11:8 Or molded images
  4. Daniel 11:12 Proud
  5. Daniel 11:14 Or robbers, lit. sons of breakage
  6. Daniel 11:14 Lit. to establish
  7. Daniel 11:15 Lit. arms
  8. Daniel 11:16 Lit. hand
  9. Daniel 11:17 Or bring equitable terms
  10. Daniel 11:22 Lit. arms
  11. Daniel 11:24 booty
  12. Daniel 11:26 Or overflow
  13. Daniel 11:30 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
  14. Daniel 11:31 Lit. arms
  15. Daniel 11:32 pollute
  16. Daniel 11:34 Or slipperiness, flattery
  17. Daniel 11:37 Or gods
  18. Daniel 11:39 profit
  19. Daniel 11:41 Lit. chief of the sons of Ammon

Conflicts to Come

11 “Also I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I (Gabriel) arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him. And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, [a]three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a [b]fourth will become far richer than all of them. When he becomes strong through his riches he will stir up the whole empire against the realm of Greece. Then a [c]mighty [warlike, threatening] king will arise who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he (Alexander) has risen, his kingdom will be broken [by his death] and divided toward the four winds of heaven [the north, south, east, and west], but not to his descendants, nor according to the [Grecian] authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom will be torn out and uprooted and given to [d]others (his four generals) to the exclusion of these.

“Then the king of the South (Egypt) will be strong, along with one of his princes who will be stronger than he and have dominance over him; his domain will be a great dominion. After some years [e]the Syrian king of the North and the Egyptian king of the South will make an alliance; the [f]daughter (Berenice) of the king of the South will come to the [g]king of the North to make an equitable and peaceful agreement (marriage); [h]but she will not retain the power of her position, nor will he retain his power. She will be handed over with her attendants and her father as well as he who supported her in those times. But out of a branch of her [familial] roots will one (her brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes I) arise in his place, and he will come against the [Syrian] army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and will prevail. Also he will carry off to Egypt their [Syrian] gods with their cast images and their precious and costly treasure of silver and of gold, and he will refrain from waging war against the king of the North for some years. And the [i]king of the North will come into the realm of the king of the South, but he will retreat to his own country [badly defeated].

10 “His sons will prepare for battle and assemble a multitude of great forces; which will keep on coming and overflow [the land], and pass through, so that they may again wage war as far as his fortress. 11 The king of the South (Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt) will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North (Antiochus III the Great); and [j]the Syrian king will raise a great multitude (army), but the multitude shall be given into the hand of the Egyptian king. 12 When the multitude (army) is captured and carried away, the heart of the Egyptian king will be proud (arrogant), and he will cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a multitude (army) greater than the one before, and after several years he will advance with a great army and substantial equipment.

14 “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South (Egypt); also the violent men among your own people will arise in order to fulfill the [earlier] visions, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the North (Syria) will come and build up siege ramps and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even the finest troops, for there will be no strength to stand [against the Syrian king]. 16 But he (Syria) who comes against him (Egypt) will do exactly as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand against him; he (Antiochus III the Great) will also stay for a time in the Beautiful and Glorious Land [of Israel], with destruction in his hand. 17 He will be determined to come with the power of his entire kingdom, and propose equitable conditions and terms of peace, which he will put into effect [by making an agreement with the king of the South]. He will also give him his [k]daughter (Cleopatra I), in an attempt to overthrow the kingdom, but it will not succeed or be to his advantage. 18 After this, he (Antiochus III the Great, King of Syria) will turn his attention to the [l]islands and coastlands and capture many [of them]. But a commander (Lucius Scipio Asiaticus of Rome) will put an end to his aggression [toward Rome’s territorial interests]; in fact, he will repay his insolence and turn his audacity back upon him. 19 Then he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land [of Syria], but he will stumble and fall and not be found.

20 “Then in his place one (his eldest son, Seleucus IV Philopator) will arise who will send an oppressor through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be [m]shattered, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 And in his place [in Syria] will arise a [n]despicable and despised person, to whom royal majesty and the honor of kingship have not been conferred, but he will come [without warning] in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue.(A) 22 The overwhelming forces [of the invading armies of Egypt] will be flooded away before him and smashed; and also the [o]prince of the covenant [will be smashed]. 23 After an [p]alliance is made with him he will work deceitfully, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 In a time of tranquility, [without warning] he will enter the most productive and richest parts of the kingdom [of Egypt], and he will accomplish that which his fathers never did, nor his fathers’ fathers; he will distribute plunder, spoil and goods among them. He will devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time [decreed by God]. 25 He will stir up his strength and courage against [his former Egyptian ally] the king of the South (Ptolemy VI) with a great army; so the king of the South will prepare an extremely great and powerful army to wage war, but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 Yes, those who eat his fine food will betray and destroy him (Ptolemy VI), and his army will be swept away, and many will fall down slain. 27 And as for both of these [q]kings, their hearts will be set on doing evil; they will speak lies over the same table, but it will not succeed, for the end is yet to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) will return to his land with great treasure (plunder); and his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and return to his own land (Syria).

29 “At the time appointed [by God] he will return and come into the South, but this last time will not be successful as were the previous invasions [of Egypt]. 30 For ships of Cyprus [in Roman hands] will come against him; therefore he will be discouraged and turn back [to Israel] and carry out his rage against the holy covenant and take action; so he will return and show favoritism toward those [Jews] who abandon (break) the holy covenant [with God]. 31 Armed forces of his will arise [in Jerusalem] and defile and desecrate the sanctuary, the [spiritual] stronghold, and will do away with the regular sacrifice [that is, the daily burnt offering]; and they will set up [a pagan altar in the sanctuary which is] the abomination of desolation. 32 With smooth words [of flattery and praise] he will turn to godlessness those who [are willing to] disregard the [Mosaic] covenant, but the people who [are spiritually mature and] know their God will display strength and take action [to resist]. 33 They who are wise and have spiritual insight among the people will instruct many and help them understand; yet for many days some [of them and their followers] will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder. 34 Now when they fall they will receive a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 Some of those who are [spiritually] wise and have insight will fall [as martyrs] in order to refine, to purge and to make those among God’s people pure, until the end time; because it is yet to come at the time appointed [by God].

36 “Then the [r]king (the Antichrist) will do exactly as he pleases; he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and will speak astounding and disgusting things against the God of gods and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is determined [by God] will be done. 37 He will have no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he have regard for any other god, for he shall magnify himself above them all. 38 Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold and silver, with precious stones and with expensive things. 39 He will act against the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and he will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

40 “At the end time the king of the South will push and attack him (the Antichrist), and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots and horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overwhelm them and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Beautiful and Glorious Land (Israel), and many countries will fall, but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost [core] of the people of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, but Egypt will not be among the ones which escape. 43 He will have power over the treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow in his footsteps. 44 But rumors from the east and from the north will alarm and disturb him, and he will set out with great fury to destroy and to annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his palatial tents between the seas and the glorious Holy Mountain (Zion); yet he will come to his end with no one to help him [in his final battle with God].(B)

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:2 Cambyses the son of Cyrus, Psuedo-Smerdis, and Darius I Hystaspes.
  2. Daniel 11:2 Xerxes I who is also known as Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther.
  3. Daniel 11:3 There are many reasons for identifying this king as Alexander the Great, as well as identifying the other rulers according to their relationship to the events of those times. There is nothing in the context which makes it necessary to limit the passage to Alexander. Some ruler may arise in the end times to whom the prophecy will also apply.
  4. Daniel 11:4 See note 8:22.
  5. Daniel 11:6 Lit they will.
  6. Daniel 11:6 Berenice was the daughter of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
  7. Daniel 11:6 King Antiochus II Theos of Syria.
  8. Daniel 11:6 King Antiochus II, Berenice and their baby were later murdered by the divorced wife of Antiochus II.
  9. Daniel 11:9 Seleucus II Callinicus, successor to Antiochus II Theos.
  10. Daniel 11:11 Lit the latter.
  11. Daniel 11:17 Cleopatra I, daughter of Antiochus III the Great, king of Syria, was married to Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt. She supported her husband instead of her father during his attempt to conquer Egypt.
  12. Daniel 11:18 Greek and Mediterranean territories under Rome’s influence.
  13. Daniel 11:20 Seleucus IV was poisoned soon after coming to power.
  14. Daniel 11:21 This contemptible conqueror is identified as Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the younger son of Antiochus III the Great, king of Syria, and is a type of the final Antichrist referred to in Dan 11:36; 2 Thess 2:3-12; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 7; and Rev 13:5-8. Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to destroy the worship of the true God by robbing the temple of its gold and silver treasures related to worship and setting up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He also breached the walls of Jerusalem, ordered a daily sacrifice of pig, forbade circumcision and destroyed all the sacred scrolls he could find (see note 8:10).
  15. Daniel 11:22 Onias III, the high priest at Jerusalem, was murdered by his brother Menelaus, who supported Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Antiochus IV later named Menelaus as high priest.
  16. Daniel 11:23 Antiochus IV allied himself with Ptolemy VI Philometer, in opposition to Ptolemy VII Euergetes II, as a deceptive way to plunder and conquer much of Egypt.
  17. Daniel 11:27 Ptolemy VI who was designated to rule at Memphis, and Ptolemy VII who was designated to rule at Alexandria, lied to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and established a joint rule.
  18. Daniel 11:36 The Antichrist is the subject from this point in the prophecy to the end of the chapter.

11 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: and shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. 11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. 12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. 13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. 16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. 17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. 18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. 21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. 24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. 26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. 27 And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. 28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. 31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

11 A prophecy of the kingdoms, which should be enemies to the Church of God, as of Persia, 3 Of Greece, 5 of Egypt, 28 of Syria, 36 and of the Romans.

Also I, in the first year of Darius of the Medes, even I [a]stood to encourage and to strengthen him.

And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet [b]three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength, and by his riches he shall stir up [c]all against the realm of Greece.

But a [d]mighty King shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his pleasure.

And when he shall stand up, [e]his kingdom shall be broken, [f]and shall be divided toward the [g]four winds of heaven: and not to his [h]posterity, nor according to [i]his dominion, which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up even to be for others besides [j]those.

And the [k]King of the South shall be mighty, and one of [l]his princes, and shall prevail against him, and bear rule: his dominion shall be a great dominion.

And in the end of years they shall be joined together: for the King’s [m]daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North to make an agreement, but she shall not retain the power of the [n]arm, neither shall [o]he continue, nor his [p]arm: but she shall be delivered to death, and they that brought her, and he [q]that begat her, and he that comforted her, in these times.

But out of the bud of her [r]roots shall one stand up in his stead, [s]which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the King of the North, and do with them as he list, and shall prevail,

And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods: with their molten images, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, and he shall continue [t]more years than the king of the North.

So the king of the South shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10 Wherefore his [u]sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a mighty great army: and one [v]shall come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he [w]return, and be stirred up at his fortress.

11 And the King of the South shall be angry, and shall come forth, and fight with him, even with the king of the North: for he shall set forth a great [x]multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 Then the multitude shall be proud, and their heart shall be lifted up: for he shall cast down thousands: but he shall not still prevail,

13 For the King of the North [y]shall return, and shall set forth a greater multitude than afore, and shall come forth (after certain years) with a mighty army, and great riches.

14 And at the same time there shall [z]many stand up against the king of the South: also the rebellious children of thy [aa]people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision, but they shall fall.

15 So the King of the North shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the strong city: and the arms of the South shall [ab]not resist, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16 But he that shall come, shall do unto him as he list, and none shall stand against him: and he shall stand in the [ac]pleasant land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17 Again he shall [ad]set his face to enter with the power of his whole kingdom, and his confederates with him: thus shall he do, and he shall give him the [ae]daughter of women to destroy [af]her: but [ag]she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18 After this shall he turn his face unto the [ah]isles, and shall take many, but a prince [ai]shall cause his shame to light upon him, besides that he shall cause his own shame to turn upon [aj]himself.

19 For he shall turn his face toward the forts of [ak]his own land: but he shall be overthrown and fall, and be no more [al]found.

20 [am]Then shall stand up in his place in the glory of the kingdom, one that shall raise taxes: but after few days he shall be destroyed, neither in [an]wrath, nor in battle.

21 And in his place shall stand up a [ao]vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 And the [ap]arms shall be overthrown with a flood before him, and shall be broken: and also the prince of the [aq]covenant.

23 And after [ar]the league made with him, he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and overcome with a [as]small people.

24 He shall enter into the quiet and plentiful province, and he shall do that which his fathers [at]have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers: he shall divide among them the prey and the spoil, and the substance, yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strongholds, even for a [au]time.

25 Also he shall stir up his power, and his courage against the King of the South with a great army, and the King of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army: but he shall not [av]stand: for they shall forecast and practice against him.

26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of [aw]his meat, shall destroy him: and his army [ax]shall overflow: and many shall fall, and be slain.

27 And both these Kings’ hearts shall be to do [ay]mischief, and they shall talk of deceit at one table: but it shall not avail: for [az]yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great [ba]substance: for his heart shall be against the holy covenant: so shall he do and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the South: but the last shall not be as the first.

30 For the ships [bb]of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be sorry and return and fret against the holy covenant: so shall he do, he shall even return [bc]and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

31 And arms [bd]shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the Sanctuary [be]of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall set up the abominable desolation.

32 And such as wickedly [bf]break the covenant, shall he cause to sin by flattery: but the people that do know their God, shall prevail and prosper.

33 And they that understand among the [bg]people, shall instruct many: [bh]yet they shall fall by sword, and by flame, by captivity and by spoil many days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a [bi]little help: but many shall cleave unto them [bj]feignedly.

35 And some of them [bk]of understanding shall fall to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, till the time be out: for there is a time appointed.

36 And the [bl]king shall do what him list: he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself against all, that is God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper, till the wrath [bm]be accomplished: for the determination is made.

37 Neither shall he regard the [bn]God of his fathers, nor the desires [bo]of women, nor care for any God: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his place shall he honor the [bp]god Mauzzim, and the god whom his fathers knew not, shall he honor with [bq]gold and with silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39 Thus shall he do in [br]the holds of Mauzzim with a strange god whom he shall acknowledge: he shall increase his glory, and shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 And at the end of time shall the king of the [bs]South push at him, and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through.

41 He shall enter also into the [bt]pleasant land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He shall stretch forth his hands also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and of the Libyans, and of the black Mores where he shall pass.

44 But the tidings out of the East and the North shall [bu]trouble him: therefore he shall go forth [bv]with great wrath to destroy and root out many.

45 And he shall plant the tabernacles [bw]of his palace between the seas in the glorious and holy mountain, yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:1 The Angel assureth Daniel that God hath given him power to perform these things, seeing he appointed him to assist Darius when he overcame the Chaldeans.
  2. Daniel 11:2 Whereof Cambyses that now reigned, was the first, the second Smerdis, the third Darius the son of Hystaspis, and the fourth Xerxes, which all were enemies to the people of God, and stood against them.
  3. Daniel 11:2 For he raised up all the East countries to fight against the Greeks, and albeit he had in his army nine hundred thousand men, yet in four battles he was discomfited and fled away with shame.
  4. Daniel 11:3 That is, Alexander the great.
  5. Daniel 11:4 For when his estate was most flourishing, he overcame himself with drink, and so fell into a disease: or as some write, was poisoned by Cassander.
  6. Daniel 11:4 For his twelve chief Princes first divided his kingdom among themselves.
  7. Daniel 11:4 After this his Monarchy was divided into four: for Seleucus had Syria, Antigonus Asia minor, Cassander the kingdom of Macedonia, and Ptolemy Egypt.
  8. Daniel 11:4 Thus God revenged Alexander’s ambition and cruelty in causing his posterity to be murdered, partly of the father’s chief friends, and partly one of another.
  9. Daniel 11:4 None of these four shall be able to be compared to the power of Alexander.
  10. Daniel 11:4 That is, his posterity having no part thereof.
  11. Daniel 11:5 To wit, Ptolemy king of Egypt.
  12. Daniel 11:5 That is, Antiochus the son of Seleucus, and one of Alexander’s princes shall be more mighty: for he should have both Asia and Syria.
  13. Daniel 11:6 That is, Berenice the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus shall be given in marriage to Antiochus Theos, thinking by this affinity that Syria and Egypt should have a continual peace together.
  14. Daniel 11:6 That force and strength shall not continue: for soon after Berenice and her young son after her husband’s death, was slain of her stepson Seleucus Callinicus the son of Laodice, the lawful wife of Antiochus, but put away for this woman’s sake.
  15. Daniel 11:6 Neither Ptolemy nor Antiochus.
  16. Daniel 11:6 Some read, seed, meaning, the child begotten of Berenice.
  17. Daniel 11:6 Some read, she that begate her, and thereby understand her nurse, which brought her up: so that all they that were occasion of this marriage, were destroyed.
  18. Daniel 11:7 Meaning, that Ptolemeus Euergetes after the death of his father Philadelphus should succeed in the kingdom being of the same stock that Berenice was.
  19. Daniel 11:7 To revenge the sister’s death against Antiochus Callinicus king of Syria.
  20. Daniel 11:8 For this Ptolemy reigned six and forty years.
  21. Daniel 11:10 Meaning, Seleucus and Antiochus the great, the sons of Callinicus, shall make war against Ptolemy Philopater the son of Philadelphus.
  22. Daniel 11:10 For his elder brother Seleucus died, or was slain while the wars were preparing.
  23. Daniel 11:10 That is, Philopater when he shall see Antiochus to take great dominions from him in Syria, and also ready to invade Egypt.
  24. Daniel 11:11 For Antiochus had six thousand horsemen, and threescore thousand footmen.
  25. Daniel 11:13 After the death of Ptolemy Philopater, who left Ptolemeus Epiphanes his heir.
  26. Daniel 11:14 For not only Antiochus came against him but also Philip King of Macedonia, and these two brought great power with them.
  27. Daniel 11:14 For under Onias which falsely alleged that place of Isa. 19:19, certain of the Jews retired with him into Egypt to fulfill this prophecy: also the Angel showeth that all these troubles which are in the Church, are by the providence and counsel of God.
  28. Daniel 11:15 The Egyptians were not able to resist Scopas Antiochus’ captain.
  29. Daniel 11:16 He showeth that he shall not only afflict the Egyptians, but also the Jews, and shall enter into their country, whereof he admonisheth them before, that they may know that all these things came by God’s providence.
  30. Daniel 11:17 This was the second battle that Antiochus fought against Ptolemy Epiphanes.
  31. Daniel 11:17 To wit, a beautiful woman which was Cleopatra Antiochus’ daughter.
  32. Daniel 11:17 For he regarded not the life of his daughter in respect of the kingdom of Egypt.
  33. Daniel 11:17 She shall not agree to his wicked counsel, but shall love her husband, as her duty requireth, and not seek his destruction.
  34. Daniel 11:18 That is, toward Asia, Greece, and those isles which are in the sea called Mediterranean: for the Jews called all countries isles which were divided from them by sea.
  35. Daniel 11:18 For whereas Antiochus was wont to contemn the Romans, and put their ambassadors to shame in all places, Atilius the Consul, or Lucius Scipio put him to flight, and caused his shame to turn on his own head.
  36. Daniel 11:18 By his wicked life, and obeying of foolish counsel.
  37. Daniel 11:19 For fear of the Romans he shall flee to his holds.
  38. Daniel 11:19 For when as under the pretence of poverty he would have robbed the Temple of Jupiter Dodomeus, the countrymen slew him.
  39. Daniel 11:20 That is, Seleucus shall succeed his father Antiochus.
  40. Daniel 11:20 Not by foreign enemies, or battle, but by treason.
  41. Daniel 11:21 Which was Antiochus Epiphanes, who as is thought was the occasion of Seleucus his brother’s death, and was of a vile, cruel and flattering nature, and defrauded his brother’s son of the kingdom, and usurped the kingdom without the consent of the people.
  42. Daniel 11:22 He showeth that great foreign powers shall come to help the young son of Seleucus against his uncle Antiochus: and yet shall be overthrown.
  43. Daniel 11:22 Meaning, Ptolemais Philopater’s son who was this child’s cousin germane, and is here called the prince of the covenant, because he was the chief, and all others followed his conduct.
  44. Daniel 11:23 For after the battle Philometor and his uncle Antiochus made a league.
  45. Daniel 11:23 For he came upon him at unawares, and when he suspected his uncle Antiochus nothing.
  46. Daniel 11:24 Meaning, in Egypt.
  47. Daniel 11:24 He will content himself with the small holds for a time, but ever labor by craft to attain to the chiefest.
  48. Daniel 11:25 He shall be overcome with treason.
  49. Daniel 11:26 Signifying his princes and the chief about him.
  50. Daniel 11:26 Declaring that his soldiers shall brast out and venture their life to slay and to be slain for the safeguard of their prince.
  51. Daniel 11:27 The uncle and the nephew shall take truce, and banquet together, yet in their hearts they shall imagine mischief one against the other.
  52. Daniel 11:27 Signifying, that it standeth not in the counsel of men to bring things to pass, but in the providence of God, who ruleth the Kings by a secret bridle, that they cannot do what they list themselves.
  53. Daniel 11:28 Which he shall take of the Jews in spoiling Jerusalem and the Temple, and this is told them before to move them to patience, knowing that all things are done by God’s providence.
  54. Daniel 11:30 That is, the Roman power shall come against him: for P. Popilius the Ambassador appointed him to depart in the Romans’ name, to which thing he obeyed, although with grief, and to revenge his rage he came against the people of God the second time.
  55. Daniel 11:30 With the Jews which shall forsake the covenant of the Lord: for first he was called against the Jews by Jason the high Priest, and this second time by Menelaus.
  56. Daniel 11:31 A great faction of the wicked Jews shall hold with Antiochus.
  57. Daniel 11:31 So called because the power of God was nothing diminished, although this tyrant set up in the Temple the image of Jupiter Olympius, and so began to corrupt the pure service of God.
  58. Daniel 11:32 Meaning, such as bare the name of Jews, but indeed were nothing less, for they sold their souls, and betrayed their brethren for gain.
  59. Daniel 11:33 They that remain constant among the people shall teach others by their example, and edify many in the true religion.
  60. Daniel 11:33 Whereby he exhorteth the godly to constancy, although they should perish a thousand times, and though their miseries endure never so long.
  61. Daniel 11:34 As God will not leave his Church destitute, yet will he not deliver it all at once, but so help, as they may still seem to fight under the cross, as he did in the time of the Maccabees, whereof he here prophesieth.
  62. Daniel 11:34 That is, there shall be even of this small number many hypocrites.
  63. Daniel 11:35 To wit, of them that fear God and will lose their life for the defense of true religion. Signifying also that the Church must continually be tried and purged, and ought to look for one persecution after another: for God hath appointed the time: therefore we must obey.
  64. Daniel 11:36 Because the Angel’s purpose is to show the whole course of the persecutions of the Jews unto the coming of Christ, he now speaketh of the Monarchy of the Romans which he noteth by the name of a King, who were without religion and condemned the true God.
  65. Daniel 11:36 So long the tyrants shall prevail as God hath appointed to punish his people: but he showeth that it is but for a time.
  66. Daniel 11:37 The Romans shall observe no certain form of religion as other nations, but shall change their gods at their pleasures, yea, contemn them and prefer themselves to their gods.
  67. Daniel 11:37 Signifying that they should be without all humanity: for the love of women is taken for singular or great love, as 2 Sam. 1:26.
  68. Daniel 11:38 That is, the god of power and riches: they shall esteem their own power above all their gods and worship it.
  69. Daniel 11:38 Under pretence of worshipping the gods, they shall enrich their city with the most precious jewels of all the world, because that hereby all men should have them in admiration for their power and riches.
  70. Daniel 11:39 Although in their hearts they had no religion, yet they did acknowledge the gods, and worshipped them in their temples, lest they should have been despised as Atheists: but this was to increase their fame and riches: and when they got any country, they so made others the rulers thereof, that the profit ever came to the Romans.
  71. Daniel 11:40 That is, both the Egyptians and the Syrians shall at length fight against the Romans, but they shall be overcome.
  72. Daniel 11:41 The Angel forewarneth the Jews that when they should see the Romans invade them, and that the wicked should escape their hands, that then they should not think but that all this was done by God’s providence, forasmuch as he warned them of it so long afore, and therefore he would still preserve them.
  73. Daniel 11:44 Hearing that Crassus was slain, and Antonius discomfited.
  74. Daniel 11:44 For Augustus overcame the Parthians, and recovered that which Antonius had lost.
  75. Daniel 11:45 The Romans after this reigned quietly throughout all countries, and from sea to sea, and in Judea: but at length for their cruelty God shall destroy them.

11 `And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, my standing [is] for a strengthener, and for a stronghold to him;

and, now, truth I declare to thee, Lo, yet three kings are standing for Persia, and the fourth doth become far richer than all, and according to his strength by his riches he stirreth up the whole, with the kingdom of Javan.

And a mighty king hath stood, and he hath ruled a great dominion, and hath done according to his will;

and according to his standing is his kingdom broken, and divided to the four winds of the heavens, and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion that he ruled, for his kingdom is plucked up -- and for others apart from these.

`And a king of the south -- even of his princes -- doth become strong, and doth prevail against him, and hath ruled; a great dominion [is] his dominion.

`And at the end of years they do join themselves together, and a daughter of the king of the south doth come in unto the king of the north to do upright things; and she doth not retain the power of the arm; and he doth not stand, nor his arm; and she is given up, she, and those bringing her in, and her child, and he who is strengthening her in [these] times.

`And [one] hath stood up from a branch of her roots, [in] his station, and he cometh in unto the bulwark, yea, he cometh into a stronghold of the king of the south, and hath wrought against them, and hath done mightily;

and also their gods, with their princes, with their desirable vessels of silver and gold, into captivity he bringeth [into] Egypt; and he doth stand more years than the king of the north.

`And the king of the south hath come into the kingdom, and turned back unto his own land;

10 and his sons stir themselves up, and have gathered a multitude of great forces, and he hath certainly come in, and overflowed, and passed through, and he turneth back, and they stir themselves up unto his stronghold.

11 And the king of the south doth become embittered, and hath gone forth and fought with him, with the king of the north, and hath caused a great multitude to stand, and the multitude hath been given into his hand,

12 and he hath carried away the multitude, his heart is high, and he hath caused myriads to fall, and he doth not become strong.

13 `And the king of the north hath turned back, and hath caused a multitude to stand, greater than the first, and at the end of the times a second time he doth certainly come in with a great force, and with much substance;

14 and in those times many do stand up against the king of the south, and sons of the destroyers of thy people do lift themselves up to establish the vision -- and they have stumbled.

15 `And the king of the north cometh in, and poureth out a mount, and hath captured fenced cities; and the arms of the south do not stand, nor the people of his choice, yea, there is no power to stand.

16 And he who is coming unto him doth according to his will, and there is none standing before him; and he standeth in the desirable land, and [it is] wholly in his hand.

17 And he setteth his face to go in with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; and he hath wrought, and the daughter of women he giveth to him, to corrupt her; and she doth not stand, nor is for him.

18 `And he turneth back his face to the isles, and hath captured many; and a prince hath caused his reproach of himself to cease; without his reproach he turneth [it] back to him.

19 And he turneth back his face to the strongholds of his land, and hath stumbled and fallen, and is not found.

20 `And stood up on his station hath [one] causing an exactor to pass over the honour of the kingdom, and in a few days he is destroyed, and not in anger, nor in battle.

21 `And stood up on his station hath a despicable one, and they have not given unto him the honour of the kingdom, and he hath come in quietly, and hath strengthened the kingdom by flatteries.

22 And the arms of the flood are overflowed from before him, and are broken; and also the leader of the covenant.

23 And after they join themselves unto him, he worketh deceit, and hath increased, and hath been strong by a few of the nation.

24 Peaceably even into the fertile places of the province He cometh, and he hath done that which his fathers did not, nor his fathers' fathers; prey, and spoil, and substance, to them he scattereth, and against fenced places he deviseth his devices, even for a time.

25 `And he stirreth up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great force, and the king of the south stirreth himself up to battle with a very great and mighty force, and standeth not, for they devise devices against him,

26 and those eating his portion of food destroy him, and his force overfloweth, and fallen have many wounded.

27 `And both of the kings' hearts [are] to do evil, and at one table they speak lies, and it doth not prosper, for yet the end [is] at a time appointed.

28 And he turneth back [to] his land with great substance, and his heart [is] against the holy covenant, and he hath wrought, and turned back to his land.

29 At the appointed time he turneth back, and hath come against the south, and it is not as the former, and as the latter.

30 And ships of Chittim have come in against him, and he hath been pained, and hath turned back, and hath been insolent toward the holy covenant, and hath wrought, and turned back, and he understandeth concerning those forsaking the holy covenant.

31 And strong ones out of him stand up, and have polluted the sanctuary, the stronghold, and have turned aside the continual [sacrifice], and appointed the desolating abomination.

32 And those acting wickedly [against] the covenant, he defileth by flatteries; and the people knowing their God are strong, and have wrought.

33 And the teachers of the people give understanding to many; and they have stumbled by sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil -- days.

34 And in their stumbling, they are helped -- a little help, and joined to them have been many with flatteries.

35 And some of the teachers do stumble for refining by them, and for purifying, and for making white -- till the end of the time, for [it is] yet for a time appointed.

36 `And the king hath done according to his will, and exalteth himself, and magnifieth himself against every god, and against the God of gods he speaketh wonderful things, and hath prospered till the indignation hath been completed, for that which is determined hath been done.

37 And unto the God of his fathers he doth not attend, nor to the desire of women, yea, to any god he doth not attend, for against all he magnifieth himself.

38 And to the god of strongholds, on his station, he giveth honour; yea, to a god whom his fathers knew not he giveth honour, with gold, and with silver, and with precious stone, and with desirable things.

39 And he hath dealt in the fortresses of the strongholds with a strange god whom he hath acknowledged; he multiplieth honour, and hath caused them to rule over many, and the ground he apportioneth at a price.

40 `And at the time of the end, push himself forward with him doth a king of the south, and storm against him doth a king of the north, with chariot, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he hath come in to the lands, and hath overflowed, and passed over,

41 and hath come into the desirable land, and many do stumble, and these escape from his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the sons of Ammon.

42 `And he sendeth forth his hand upon the lands, and the land of Egypt is not for an escape;

43 and he hath ruled over treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt, and Lubim and Cushim [are] at his steps.

44 `And reports trouble him out of the east and out of the north, and he hath gone forth in great fury to destroy, and to devote many to destruction;

45 and he planteth the tents of his palace between the seas and the holy desirable mountain, and hath come unto his end, and there is no helper to him.