²¹ “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue.

³⁴ During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere.

²⁵ He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.

³² He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

²⁰ “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. But after a very brief reign, he will die, though not from anger or in battle.

⁷ But when one of her relatives^[a] becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him.

²³ “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power.

⁹ Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.

⁸ As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.