7 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babel, Daniel saw a dream. And there were visions in his head, upon his bed: Then he wrote the dream, and declared the sum of the matter.

² Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven stirred up the great sea.

³ “And four great beasts came up from the sea, one diverse from another.

⁴ “The first was as a lion; and had eagle’s wings. I looked until the wings thereof were plucked off. And it was lifted up from the earth, and set upon his feet as a man. And a man’s heart was given him.

⁵ “And behold, another beast which was the second, was like a bear; and stood upon one side. And he had three ribs in his mouth, between his teeth. And they said to him, ‘Arise, and devour much flesh.’

⁶ “After this, I beheld, and lo, there was another, like a leopard, which had upon his back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads. And dominion was given him.

⁷ “After this, I saw in the visions by night. And behold, the fourth beast was fearful and terrible and very strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue under his feet. And it was unlike the beasts that were before it. For it had ten horns.

⁸ “As I considered the horns, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked away. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things.

⁹ “I beheld till the thrones were set up. And the Ancient of Days sat, whose garment was white as snow. And the hair of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

¹⁰ “A fiery stream issued, and came forth from before him. A thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand thousands stood before him. The judgment was set, and the books opened.

¹¹ “Then I beheld, because of the voice of the presumptuous words which the horn spoke. I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning fire.

¹² “As for the other beasts, they had their dominion taken away. Yet their lives were prolonged for a certain time and season.

¹³ “As I beheld in visions by night, behold, one like the son of man came in the clouds of heaven, and approached the Ancient of Days. And they brought him before him.

¹⁴ “And he gave him dominion, and honor, and a kingdom; that all people, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall never be taken away. And his dominion shall never be destroyed.

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was troubled in my spirit, in the midst of my body. And the visions of my head made me afraid.

¹⁶ “Therefore I came to one of them who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and showed me the interpretation of these things.

¹⁷ “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth.

¹⁸ “And they shall take the kingdom of the Saints of the most High, and shall possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.

¹⁹ “After this, I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was so unlike all the others - very fearful - whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue under his feet;

²⁰ “Also to know of the ten horns that were on his head, and of the others which came up (before whom three fell), and of the horn that had eyes, and of the mouth that spoke presumptuous things; whose look was more stout than his fellows.

²¹ “I beheld, and the same horn made battle against the Saints; yea, and prevailed against them;

²² Until the Ancient of Days came. And judgment was given to the Saints of the most High. And the time approached for the Saints to possess the kingdom.

²³ “Then he said, ‘The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on the earth, which shall be unlike all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth. And shall tread it down and break it in pieces.

²⁴ ‘And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall rise. And another shall rise after them. And he shall be unlike the first. And he shall subdue three kings;

²⁵ ‘And shall speak words against the most High, and shall consume the Saints of the most High, and think that he may change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time.

²⁶ ‘But the judges shall sit. And they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end.

²⁷ ‘And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the holy people of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And all powers shall serve and obey him.’

²⁸ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, had many thoughts which troubled me. And my countenance changed. But I kept the matter in my heart.”