Daniel 8:15-27
Expanded Bible
15 I, Daniel, saw this vision and ·tried to understand what it meant [L sought understanding]. I saw someone who looked like a man standing near me. 16 And I heard a man’s voice calling from the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate]: “Gabriel [C an angel], explain the vision to this man.”
17 ·Gabriel [L He] came to where I was standing. When he came close to me, I was ·very afraid [terrified; or overwhelmed] and ·bowed facedown on the ground [L fell on my face]. But ·Gabriel [L he] said to me, “·Human being [L Son of man], understand that this vision is about the time of the end.”
18 While ·Gabriel [L he] was speaking, I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground. Then he touched me [C strengthening him] and ·lifted me to my feet [L made me stand in my place]. 19 He said, “Now, I will ·explain [make known; reveal] to you what will happen in the time of anger. Your vision was about the ·set [appointed] time of the end.
20 “You saw a ·male sheep [ram] with two horns, which are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of ·Greece [L Javan], and the big horn between its eyes is the first king [C Alexander the Great, who defeated Persia around 330 bc]. 22 The four horns that grew in the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms [C Alexander died in 323 bc and his four most powerful generals carved up his empire between them]. Those four kingdoms will come from ·the nation of the first king [L his nation], but ·they will not be as strong as the first king [L not with his power/strength].
23 “When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a ·bold and cruel [fierce/stern-faced] king who ·tells lies will come [L understands riddles/enigmas; C Antiochus Epiphanes, who terrorized the Jews in the mid-second century bc]. This will happen when ·many people have turned against God [rebellions/transgressions will reach their height]. 24 ·This king will be very powerful [L His power will be strong], but ·his power will not come from himself [L not his own power]. He will cause ·terrible [fearful] destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and even ·God’s holy people [L the people of the holy ones]. 25 This king will succeed by using ·lies and force [L the deceit in his hand/power]. He will ·think that he is very important [L be great in his heart]. He will destroy many people ·without warning [or with ease]; he will ·try to fight [L stand against] even the Prince of princes! But ·that cruel king [L he] will be ·destroyed [L broken], and not by human ·power [L hand].
26 “The vision that has been shown to you about these evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because ·those things won’t happen for a long time [L it concerns many days from now].”
27 I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for ·several days after that vision [L some days]. Then I got up and went back to work for the king, but I was very ·upset [dismayed; perplexed] about the vision. I didn’t understand what it meant.
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