Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat

In the third year of the reign of (A)King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, (B)after that which appeared to me (C)at the first. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in (D)Susa the citadel, which is in the province of (E)Elam. And (F)I saw in the vision, (G)and I was at the (H)Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, (I)a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw (J)the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No (K)beast (L)could stand before him, (M)and there was no one who could rescue from his power. (N)He did as he pleased and (O)became great.

As I was considering, behold, a (P)male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had (Q)a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to (R)the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, (S)and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, (T)and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. (U)And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he (V)cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then (W)the goat (X)became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four (Y)conspicuous horns toward (Z)the four winds of heaven.

Out of one of them came (AA)a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward (AB)the south, toward the east, and toward (AC)the glorious land. 10 (AD)It grew great, (AE)even to the host of heaven. And some of the host (AF)and some[a] of (AG)the stars it threw down to the ground and (AH)trampled on them. 11 (AI)It became great, even as great as (AJ)the Prince of the host. (AK)And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,[b] and it will throw truth to the ground, and (AL)it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard (AM)a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, (AN)“For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, (AO)the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me,[c] “For 2,300 (AP)evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

The Interpretation of the Vision

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I (AQ)sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having (AR)the appearance of a man. 16 (AS)And I heard a man's voice (AT)between the banks of the (AU)Ulai, and it called, (AV)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, (AW)I was frightened (AX)and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, (AY)O son of man, that the vision is for (AZ)the time of the end.”

18 And when he had spoken to me, (BA)I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But (BB)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 (BC)the indignation, for it refers to (BD)the appointed time of the end. 20 As for (BE)the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of (BF)Media and Persia. 21 And (BG)the goat[d] is the king of Greece. And (BH)the great horn between his eyes is (BI)the first king. 22 (BJ)As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[e] nation, (BK)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—(BL)but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction (BM)and shall succeed in what he does, (BN)and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 (BO)By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind (BP)he shall become great. (BQ)Without warning he shall destroy many. And he (BR)shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but (BS)by no human hand. 26 The vision of (BT)the evenings and the mornings that has been told (BU)is true, but (BV)seal up the vision, (BW)for it refers to many days from now.”

27 And (BX)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 (BY)and did not understand it.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 8:10 Or host, that is, some
  2. Daniel 8:12 Or in an act of rebellion
  3. Daniel 8:14 Hebrew; Septuagint, Theodotion, Vulgate to him
  4. Daniel 8:21 Or the shaggy goat
  5. Daniel 8:22 Theodotion, Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew a

In the shnat shalosh (third year) of the reign of Belshatzar HaMelech, a chazon (vision) appeared unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me in the beginning.

And I beheld in a chazon; and it came to pass, while I was seeing, that I was in Shushan (Susa) the fortress, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a chazon, and I was by the stream Ulai.

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, hinei, there stood before the stream a ram which had two karnayim (horns), and the two karnayim were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher was coming up last.

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no chayyot (beasts) might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and made a great display of strength.

And as I was considering, hinei, a he-goat was coming from the west on the face of kol ha’aretz, and it was not touching the earth; and as to the goat it had a conspicuous keren (horn) between its eyes.

And he came to the ram that had two karnayim, which I had seen standing before the stream, and he ran against him with the wrath of his koach (strength).

And I saw him approaching the ram, and he was enraged against him, and he smote the ram, broke his two karnayim, and there was no koach in the ram to stand before him, and he cast him down to the ground, and trampled him; there was none to deliver the ram from him.

Therefore the he-goat was acting very presumptuously; and when he was powerful, the keren hagedolah (great horn, [i.e., Alexander’s Empire]) was broken; and in the place of it came up conspicuously four, toward the arbah ruchot HaShomayim (the four winds of Heaven).

And out of one of them came forth a little horn [Antiochus Epiphanes], which became exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the [eretz] hatzevi (the glorious land, [i.e., Eretz Israel]).

10 And it became great, even unto the tzva HaShomayim; and it caused to fall down to the earth some of the host and some of the kokhavim it trampled.

11 Yea, he magnified himself even unto the Sar HaTzava, and the daily sacrifice was taken away from Him, and the place of His Mikdash was cast down.

12 And a tzva (army) was given over to oppose the daily sacrifice on account of peysha (transgression, rebellion), and it cast down emes to the ground; and it acted, and prospered.

13 Then I heard one kadosh (angel) speaking, and another kadosh said unto that certain kadosh which spoke, How long shall be the chazon concerning the daily sacrifice, and the desolating peysha (transgression), to give both the Kodesh (Sanctuary) and the tzva (host) to be trodden under foot?

14 And he said unto me, Unto erev-boker two thousand and three hundred; then shall the Kodesh (Sanctuary) be vindicated.

15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, was beholding the chazon, that I sought the meaning; then, hinei, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

16 And I heard a kol adam (man’s voice) amidst the Ulai, and he called, and said, Gavriel, cause this one to understand the vision [see Daniel 9:21].

17 So he came near where I stood; and as he came, I was filled with fear, and I fell down upon my face, but he said unto me, Understand, O ben adam, the chazon (vision) points to the time of the ketz (end).

18 Now while he was speaking with me, I swooned upon my face toward the ground, but he touched me, and made me stand upright.

19 And he said, Hineni, I will cause thee to know that which shall take place in the latter part of HaZa’am (the Wrath period), since at a mo’ed (an appointed time) the Ketz (End) shall be.

20 The ram which thou sawest having two karnayim are the melachim of Media and Paras (Persia).

21 And the shaggy he-goat is melech Yavan (the king of Greece), and the keren hagedolah (great horn) that is between his eyes is the melech harishon (the first king [ i.e., Alexander]).

22 Now one being broken and four stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in its koach (strength).

23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when haposhe’im (the transgressors, the ones rebelling) are come to the full, a melech of unyielding countenance, and mastering intrigues, shall stand up.

24 And his koach shall be mighty, but not by his own koach; and he shall cause astounding destruction, and shall prosper, and accomplish, and shall destroy the mighty and Am Kedoshim (the Holy People).

25 And by his cunning also he shall cause mirmah (deceit) to prosper through his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his lev, and by peace shall destroy rabbim (many); he shall also stand up against the Sar Sarim (Prince of Princes); but he shall be broken without [human] hand.

26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is emes; and thou! Shut up the chazon; for it shall be for many yamim [i.e., distant times].

27 And I Daniel was faint, and lay ill several yamim; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but without understanding it.