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 Canal. ³ Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a ^(D)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were ^[c]long, but one was ^[d]longer than the other, with the ^[e]longer one coming up last. ⁴ I saw the ram ^(E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his ^[f]power, but ^(F)he did as he pleased and made himself great.

⁵ While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a ^(G)prominent 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 canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. ⁷ And I saw him come up beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and smashed 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 no one to rescue the ram from his ^[g]power. ⁸ Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once ^(H)he became powerful, the ^(I)large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the ^(J)four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

⁹ And out of one of them came a rather ^(K)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the ^[h](L)Beautiful Land. ¹⁰ It grew up to the heavenly ^[i]lights, and some of the ^[j]lights, ^[k]that is, some of the ^(M)stars it threw down to the earth, and it ^(N)trampled them. ¹¹ It even ^(O)exalted itself ^[l]to be equal with the ^[m]Commander of the army; and it removed the ^(P)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. ¹² And because of ^[n]an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will ^(Q)hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. 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 offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army ^[p]to be ^(T)trampled?” ¹⁴ And he said to me, “For ^(U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary 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, explain the vision to this man.” ¹⁷ So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and ^(Y)fell on my face; and 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 was ^(AA)dazed with my face to the ground; but he ^(AB)touched me and made me stand at my place. ¹⁹ And he said, “Behold, I am going to ^(AC)inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because 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 ^[t]goat represents the ^[u]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 came up 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 and ^(AM)carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.

The Old and the New

9 Now even the first covenant had ^(A)regulations for divine worship and ^(B)the earthly sanctuary. ² For ^(C)a ^[a]tabernacle was equipped, the ^[b]outer sanctuary, in which were ^(D)the lampstand, ^(E)the table, and ^(F)the ^[c]sacred bread; this is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind ^(G)the second veil there was a ^[d]tabernacle which is called the ^(H)Most Holy Place, ⁴ having a golden ^[e](I)altar of incense and ^(J)the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ^(K)a golden jar holding the manna, ^(L)Aaron’s staff which budded, and ^(M)the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the ^(N)cherubim of glory ^(O)overshadowing the ^[f]atoning cover; but about these things we cannot now speak in detail.

⁶ Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests ^(P)are continually entering the ^[g]outer ^[h]tabernacle, performing the divine worship, ⁷ but into ^(Q)the second, only ^(R)the high priest enters ^(S)once a year, ^(T)not without taking blood which he ^(U)offers for himself and for the ^[i](V)sins of the people committed in ignorance. ^8 (W)The Holy Spirit is signifying this, ^(X)that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the ^[j]outer tabernacle is still standing, ⁹ which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly ^(Y)both gifts and sacrifices are offered which ^(Z)cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, ¹⁰ since they relate only to ^(AA)food, ^(AB)drink, and various ^(AC)washings, ^(AD)regulations for the ^[k]body imposed until ^(AE)a time of reformation.

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a ^(AF)high priest of the ^(AG)good things ^[l]having come, He entered through ^(AH)the greater and more perfect ^[m]tabernacle, ^(AI)not made by hands, that is, ^(AJ)not of this creation; ¹² and not through ^(AK)the blood of goats and calves, but ^(AL)through His own blood, He ^(AM)entered the holy place ^(AN)once for all time, ^[n]having obtained ^(AO)eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^(AP)the blood of goats and bulls, and ^(AQ)the ^[o]ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the ^[p]cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will ^(AR)the blood of Christ, who through ^[q](AS)the eternal Spirit ^(AT)offered Himself without blemish to God, ^(AU)cleanse your conscience from ^(AV)dead works to serve ^(AW)the living God?

¹⁵ For this reason ^(AX)He is the ^(AY)mediator of a ^(AZ)new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been ^(BA)called may ^(BB)receive the promise of ^(BC)the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶ For where there is a ^[r]covenant, there must of necessity ^[s]be the death of the one who made it. ¹⁷ For a ^[t]covenant is valid only when people are dead, ^[u]for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been ^(BD)spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, ^(BE)he took the ^(BF)blood of the calves and the goats, with ^(BG)water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both ^(BH)the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “^(BI)This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ²¹ And in the same way he ^(BJ)sprinkled both the ^[v]tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ²² And ^(BK)almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and ^(BL)without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³ Therefore it was necessary for the ^(BM)copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these things, but ^(BN)the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ ^(BO)did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of ^(BP)the true one, but into ^(BQ)heaven itself, now ^(BR)to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as ^(BS)the high priest enters ^(BT)the Holy Place ^(BU)year by year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since ^(BV)the foundation of the world; but now ^(BW)once at ^(BX)the consummation of the ages He has been ^(BY)revealed to put away sin ^[w](BZ)by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And just as ^(CA)it is destined for people to die once, and after this ^(CB)comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ also, having been ^(CC)offered once to ^(CD)bear the sins of many, will appear ^(CE)a second time for ^(CF)salvation ^(CG)without reference to sin, to those who ^(CH)eagerly await Him.

One Sacrifice of Christ Is Sufficient

10 For the Law, since it has only ^(CI)a shadow of ^(CJ)the good things to come and not the ^[x]form of those things itself, ^[y]can ^(CK)never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, ^(CL)make those who approach perfect. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had ^(CM)consciousness of sins? ³ But ^(CN)in ^[z]those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is ^(CO)impossible for the ^(CP)blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵ Therefore, ^(CQ)when He comes into the world, He says,

⁸ After saying above, “^(CW)Sacrifices and offerings and ^(CX)whole burnt offerings and offerings ^(CY)for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ then He ^[aa]said, “^(CZ)Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By ^[ab]this will, we have been ^(DA)sanctified through ^(DB)the offering of ^(DC)the body of Jesus Christ ^(DD)once for all time.

¹¹ Every priest stands daily ministering and ^(DE)offering time after time the same sacrifices, which ^(DF)can never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice ^(DG)for ^[ac]sins ^(DH)for all time, ^(DI)sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time onward ^(DJ)until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has ^(DK)perfected ^(DL)for all time those who are ^[ad]sanctified. ¹⁵ And ^(DM)the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

He then says,

¹⁸ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.

A New and Living Way

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we ^(DP)have confidence to ^(DQ)enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by ^(DR)a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through ^(DS)the veil, that is, through His flesh, ²¹ and since we have ^(DT)a great priest ^(DU)over the house of God, ²² let’s ^(DV)approach God with a ^[ae]sincere heart in ^(DW)full assurance of faith, having our hearts ^(DX)sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies ^(DY)washed with pure water. ²³ Let’s hold firmly to the ^(DZ)confession of our ^(EA)hope without wavering, for ^(EB)He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let’s consider how ^(EC)to ^[af]encourage one another in love and ^(ED)good deeds, ²⁵ not abandoning our own ^(EE)meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but ^(EF)encouraging one another; and all the more as you see ^(EG)the day drawing near.

Christ or Judgment

²⁶ For if we go on ^(EH)sinning willfully after receiving ^(EI)the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of ^(EJ)judgment and ^(EK)the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ^28 (EL)Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ^29 (EM)How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve ^(EN)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean ^(EO)the blood of the covenant ^(EP)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(EQ)insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “^(ER)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “^(ES)The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a ^(ET)terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the ^(EU)living God.

³² But remember ^(EV)the former days, ^[ag]when, after being ^(EW)enlightened, you endured a great ^(EX)conflict of sufferings, ³³ partly by being ^(EY)made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming ^[ah](EZ)companions with those who were so treated. ³⁴ For you ^(FA)showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted ^(FB)joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves ^(FC)a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your ^(FD)confidence, which has a great ^(FE)reward. ³⁶ For you have need of ^(FF)endurance, so that when you have ^(FG)done the will of God, you may ^(FH)receive ^[ai]what was promised.

³⁹ But ^[aj]we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.

God Praised and Pleas to Give Victory.

A Song, a Psalm of David.