Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, even to me Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. ² I saw in the vision, and while I was looking, I was at Susa in the palace which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision that I was by the canal of Ulai. ³ Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there stood before the river a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high. But one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. ⁴ I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward, so that no animal might stand before him; nor was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

⁵ As I was considering this, suddenly a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ⁶ He came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran to him in the fury of his power. ⁷ I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with rage against him, and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped on him. And there was none who could deliver the ram out of his hand. ⁸ Therefore the male goat grew very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns came up in its place toward the four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

⁹ Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Pleasant Land. ¹⁰ It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them. ¹¹ Indeed, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and from Him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. ¹² Because of rebellion, an army was given to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifice; and it cast truth to the ground. It practiced this and prospered.

¹³ Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spoke, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”

¹⁴ And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be cleansed properly.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

¹⁵ When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought for the meaning. Then there before me stood one who had the appearance of a man. ¹⁶ I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

¹⁷ So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was afraid and fell upon my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision deals with the time of the end.”

¹⁸ Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face toward the ground. But he touched me and set me upright.

¹⁹ He said, “Listen, I will make you know what shall be in the final period of the indignation, for the end shall be at the appointed time. ²⁰ The ram which you saw having two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The rough goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ²² Now the broken horn and the four horns that stood up in its place are four kingdoms that shall stand up out of his nation, but not with his power.

²³ “In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king will arise, having a fierce countenance, skilled in intrigue. ²⁴ His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice his will and shall destroy the mighty men and the holy people. ²⁵ By his cunning, he shall cause deceit to succeed under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in a time of peace. He shall also rise up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken, not by human hands.

²⁶ “And the vision of the evenings and the mornings, which was told, is true. Therefore shut up the vision, for it deals with many days in the future.”

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for some days. Afterward I rose up again and did the king’s business. So I was astonished at the vision, but there was none to explain it.

Belshazzar’s Feast

5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand. ² While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his officials, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem. And the king and his officials, his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

The Writing on the Wall

⁵ Immediately fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. And the king saw the back of the hand that wrote. ⁶ Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck against one another.

⁷ The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever shall read this writing and show me its interpretation shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king its interpretation. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his nobles were astonished.

¹⁰ Now the queen came into the banquet house because of the words of the king and his nobles. And the queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, or let your countenance be changed. ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And, in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, made him master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. ¹² Inasmuch as an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding, interpreting dreams and explanation of enigmas and solving of problems, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Writing

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? ¹⁴ Now I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you; and that light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in you. ¹⁵ Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the matter. ¹⁶ And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

¹⁸ “O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. ¹⁹ And for the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he slaughtered, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he set up, and whom he would, he put down. ²⁰ But when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne and they took his glory from him. ²¹ And he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He wills.

²² “Yet you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; ²³ but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine in them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified. ²⁴ Then the hand was sent from Him, and this inscription was written.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

²⁶ “This is the interpretation of the message:

Mene:^[a] God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.

²⁷ Tekel:^[b] you have been weighed in the balances and are found wanting.

²⁸ Peres:^[c] your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰ That same night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain. ³¹ Then Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.