The Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s^(A) reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier.^{(B) 2} I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the fortress city of Susa,^(C) in the province of Elam.^(D) I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. ³ I looked up,^[a] and there was a ram^(E) standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. ⁴ I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south.^(F) No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted^(G) and became great.

⁵ As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn^[b] between his eyes.^{(H) 6} He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury. ⁷ I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power. ⁸ Then the male goat became very great,^(I) but when he became powerful, the large horn was shattered.^(J) Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.^(K)

The Little Horn

⁹ From one of them a little horn^(L) emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.^{[c](M) 10} It grew as high as the heavenly host, made some of the stars and some of the host fall to the earth,^(N) and trampled them.^{(O) 11} It made itself great,^(P) even up to the Prince of the host;^(Q) it removed His daily sacrifice^(R) and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. ¹² Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful^(S) in whatever it does.

¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking,^(T) and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will the events of this vision last^(U)—the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”^(V)

¹⁴ He said to me,^[d] “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.^{(W) 16} I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel,^(X) explain the vision to this man.”

¹⁷ So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown.^(Y) “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.”^{(Z) 18} While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep,^(AA) with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up,^{(AB) 19} and said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the conclusion of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.^{(AC) 20} The two-horned ram^(AD) that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.^{[e] 22} The four horns that took the place of the shattered horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.

²⁷ I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days.^(AI) Then I got up and went about the king’s business.^(AJ) I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.

2 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate^(A) with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. ² He Himself is the propitiation^(B) for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.^(C)

God’s Commands

³ This is how we are sure^(D) that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands.^{(E) 4} The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn't keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word,^(F) truly in him the love of God is perfected.^[a] This is how we know we are in Him:^{(G) 6} The one who says he remains in Him^(H) should walk just as He walked.

⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command^(I) but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message^(J) you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away^(K) and the true light^(L) is already shining.^(M)

⁹ The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother^(N) is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰ The one who loves his brother^(O) remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.^{[b] 11} But the one who hates his brother^(P) is in the darkness, walks in the darkness,^(Q) and doesn’t know where he’s going,^(R) because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Reasons for Writing

A Warning about the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world^(W) or the things that belong to^[c] the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For everything that belongs to^[d] the world—the lust of the flesh,^(X) the lust of the eyes,^(Y) and the pride^(Z) in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world with its lust is passing away,^(AA) but the one who does God’s will^(AB) remains forever.^(AC)

Psalm 120

A Cry for Truth and Peace

A song of ascents.