Vision of the Ram and Goat

8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, ^[a]Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me ^[b]previously. ² I ^(A)looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of ^(B)Susa, which is in the province of ^(C)Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai ^[c]Canal. ³ Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ^(D)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the ^[d]canal. Now the two horns were ^[e]long, but one was ^[f]longer than the other, with the ^[g]longer one coming up last. ⁴ I saw the ram ^(E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his ^[h]power, but ^(F)he did as he pleased and magnified himself.

⁵ While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the ^[i]goat had a ^(G)conspicuous horn between his eyes. ⁶ He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the ^[j]canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. ⁷ I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his ^[k]power. ⁸ Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as ^(H)he was mighty, the ^(I)large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the ^(J)four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

⁹ Out of one of them came forth a rather ^(K)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the ^[l](L)Beautiful Land. ¹⁰ It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the ^(M)stars to fall to the earth, and it ^(N)trampled them down. ¹¹ It even ^(O)magnified itself ^[m]to be equal with the ^[n]Commander of the host; and it removed the ^(P)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. ¹² And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will ^(Q)fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. ¹³ Then I heard a ^(R)holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “^(S)How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, ^[o]while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host ^[p]to be ^(T)trampled?” ¹⁴ He said to me, “For ^(U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be ^[q]properly restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ When ^(V)I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought ^[r]to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one ^[s]who looked like a ^(W)man. ¹⁶ And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “^(X)Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” ¹⁷ So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and ^(Y)fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the ^(Z)time of the end.”

¹⁸ Now while he was talking with me, I ^(AA)sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he ^(AB)touched me and made me stand ^[t]upright. ¹⁹ He said, “Behold, I am going to ^(AC)let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.

The Ram’s Identity

²⁰ The ^(AD)ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.

The Goat

²¹ The shaggy ^[u]goat represents the ^[v]kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ²² The ^(AE)broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, was ^[ai](AL)exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and ^(AM)carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to ^[aj]explain it.

Duties of the Older and Younger

2 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for ^(A)sound doctrine. ^2 (B)Older men are to be ^(C)temperate, dignified, sensible, ^(D)sound ^(E)in faith, in love, in ^[a]perseverance.

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, ^(F)not malicious gossips nor ^(G)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴ so that they may ^[b]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, ^(H)workers at home, kind, being ^(I)subject to their own husbands, ^(J)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

⁶ Likewise urge ^(K)the young men to be ^[c]sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be ^(L)an example of good deeds, with ^[d]purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so ^(M)that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Urge ^(N)bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not ^[e]argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of ^(O)God our Savior in every respect.

¹¹ For the grace of God has ^(P)appeared, ^[f](Q)bringing salvation to all men, ^12 [g]instructing us to deny ungodliness and ^(R)worldly desires and ^(S)to live sensibly, righteously and godly ^(T)in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the ^(U)appearing of the glory of ^[h](V)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who ^(W)gave Himself for us ^(X)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to ^(Y)purify for Himself a ^(Z)people for His own possession, ^(AA)zealous for good deeds.

¹⁵ These things speak and ^(AB)exhort and ^(AC)reprove with all ^[i]authority. ^(AD)Let no one disregard you.