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11 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.

But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:

And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

18 After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

27 And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

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11 And in the first year of Darius(A) the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)

The Kings of the South and the North

“Now then, I tell you the truth:(B) Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.(C) Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.(D) After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.(E) It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted(F) and given to others.

“The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power[a] will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father[b] and the one who supported her.

“One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North(G) and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. He will also seize their gods,(H) their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt.(I) For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. 10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood(J) and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated.(K) 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. 13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps(L) and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 16 The invader will do as he pleases;(M) no one will be able to stand against him.(N) He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.(O) 17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans[c] will not succeed(P) or help him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands(Q) and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him.(R) 19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall,(S) to be seen no more.(T)

20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor.(U) In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.

21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible(V) person who has not been given the honor of royalty.(W) He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away(X) before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.(Y) 23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully,(Z) and with only a few people he will rise to power. 24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers.(AA) He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.

25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil,(AB) will sit at the same table and lie(AC) to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.(AD) 28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands(AE) will oppose him, and he will lose heart.(AF) Then he will turn back and vent his fury(AG) against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice.(AH) Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.(AI) 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist(AJ) him.

33 “Those who are wise will instruct(AK) many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.(AL) 34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere(AM) will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined,(AN) purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

The King Who Exalts Himself

36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself(AO) above every god and will say unheard-of things(AP) against the God of gods.(AQ) He will be successful until the time of wrath(AR) is completed, for what has been determined must take place.(AS) 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.[d]

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South(AT) will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm(AU) out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.(AV) 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land.(AW) Many countries will fall, but Edom,(AX) Moab(AY) and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt,(AZ) with the Libyans(BA) and Cushites[e] in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at[f] the beautiful holy mountain.(BB) Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:6 Or offspring
  2. Daniel 11:6 Or child (see Vulgate and Syriac)
  3. Daniel 11:17 Or but she
  4. Daniel 11:39 Or land for a reward
  5. Daniel 11:43 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  6. Daniel 11:45 Or the sea and

The Kings of the South and the North

11 “And as for me, (A)in the first year of (B)Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

“And now I will show you (C)the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then (D)a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and (E)do as he wills. And as soon as he has arisen, (F)his kingdom shall be broken and divided (G)toward the (H)four winds of heaven, but (I)not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.

“Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he (J)and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. After some years (K)they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported[a] her in those times.

“And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the (L)fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious (M)vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.

10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming (N)and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his (O)fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, (P)moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. (Q)And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again (R)raise a multitude, greater than the first. And (S)after some years[b] he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.

14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but (T)they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and (U)throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall (V)do as he wills, and (W)none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in (X)the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall (Y)set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom,[c] but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed,[d] he (Z)shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the (AA)fortresses of his own land, but he shall (AB)stumble and fall, (AC)and shall not be found.

20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an (AD)exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. (AE)He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom (AF)by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be (AG)utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 (AH)Without warning he shall come into (AI)the richest parts[e] of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against (AJ)the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be (AK)swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for (AL)the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.

29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of (AM)Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and (AN)be enraged and (AO)take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and (AP)profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And (AQ)they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 (AR)And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, (AS)purified, and (AT)made white, until (AU)the time of the end, (AV)for it still awaits the appointed time.

36 “And the king shall (AW)do as he wills. (AX)He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, (AY)and shall speak astonishing things against (AZ)the God of gods. (BA)He shall prosper (BB)till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for (BC)he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor (BD)with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and (BE)shall divide the land for a price.[f]

40 (BF)“At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack[g] him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him (BG)like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and (BH)shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into (BI)the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: (BJ)Edom and (BK)Moab and the main part of the (BL)Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the (BM)Libyans and the (BN)Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:6 Or obtained
  2. Daniel 11:13 Hebrew at the end of the times
  3. Daniel 11:17 Hebrew her, or it
  4. Daniel 11:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. Daniel 11:24 Or among the richest men
  6. Daniel 11:39 Or land as payment
  7. Daniel 11:40 Hebrew thrust at

11 In the first year of Darius the Mede,(A) I stood up to strengthen and protect him.) Now I will tell you the truth.(B)

Prophecies about Persia and Greece

“Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.(C) Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.(D) But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven,(E) but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.(F)

Kings of the South and the North

“The king of the South(G) will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his. After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North(H) to seal the agreement. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father,[a] and the one who supported her during those times. In the place of the king of the South, one from her family[b] will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph. He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold.(I) For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, who will enter the kingdom of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

10 “His sons will mobilize for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood,[c](J) and will again wage war as far as his fortress. 11 Infuriated, the king of the South will march out to fight with the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but they will be handed over to his enemy. 12 When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph. 13 The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years[d](K) he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

14 “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will assert themselves to fulfill a vision, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp,(L) and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their select troops will not be able to resist. 16 The king of the North who comes against him will do whatever he wants,(M) and no one can oppose him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land[e](N) with total destruction in his hand. 17 He will resolve(O) to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with him.[f] He will give him a daughter in marriage[g] to destroy it,[h] but she will not stand with him or support him. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands[i](P) and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him.(Q) 19 He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble, fall,(R) and be no more.(S)

20 “In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector(T) for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger[j] or in battle.

21 “In his place a despised(U) person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace[k](V) and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 A flood of forces will be swept away before him; they will be broken, as well as the covenant prince. 23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully. He will rise to power with a small nation.[l] 24 During a time of peace,[m] he will come into the richest parts of the province(W) and do what his fathers and predecessors never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans against fortified cities, but only for a time.

25 “With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will prepare for battle with an extremely large and powerful army, but he will not succeed, because plots will be made against him. 26 Those who eat his provisions(X) will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. 27 The two kings, whose hearts are bent on evil, will speak lies(Y) at the same table but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.(Z) 28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant;[n] he will take action, then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time[o] will not be like the first. 30 Ships of Kittim[p](AA) will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the regular sacrifice(AB) and set up the abomination of desolation.(AC) 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.(AD) 33 Those who have insight among the people(AE) will give understanding to many, yet they will fall by the sword and flame,(AF) and they will be captured and plundered for a time. 34 When they fall, they will be helped by some, but many others will join them insincerely.(AG) 35 Some of those who have insight will fall so that they may be refined,(AH) purified, and cleansed(AI) until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

36 “Then the king will do whatever he wants.(AJ) He will exalt and magnify himself above every god,(AK) and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods.(AL) He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed,(AM) because what has been decreed will be accomplished. 37 He will not show regard for the gods[q] of his ancestors, the god desired by women, or for any other god,(AN) because he will magnify himself above all. 38 Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his ancestors did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. 39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him,[r] making them rulers over many and distributing land as a reward.

40 “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him(AO) with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood.(AP) 41 He will also invade the beautiful land,(AQ) and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people[s] of the Ammonites.(AR) 42 He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. 43 He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission.[t](AS) 44 But reports from the east(AT) and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and[u] the beautiful holy mountain,(AU) but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:6 Some Hb mss, Theod read the child; Syr, Vg read her children
  2. 11:7 Lit from the shoot of her roots
  3. 11:10 Lit advance and overflow and pass through
  4. 11:13 Lit At the end of the times
  5. 11:16 = Israel
  6. 11:17 = the king of the South
  7. 11:17 Lit him the daughter of women
  8. 11:17 Perhaps the kingdom
  9. 11:18 of the Mediterranean
  10. 11:20 Or not openly
  11. 11:21 Or come without warning
  12. 11:23 Or a few people
  13. 11:24 Or Without warning
  14. 11:28 Or the Jewish people and religion
  15. 11:29 Lit but the last
  16. 11:30 = the Romans
  17. 11:37 Or God
  18. 11:39 Or those he acknowledges
  19. 11:41 Lit the first
  20. 11:43 Lit Cushites at his steps
  21. 11:45 Or the seas at

Conflicts to Come

11 “In the (A)first year of Darius the Mede, [a]I arose to be [b]an encouragement and a protection for him. And now I will tell you the (B)truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise [c]in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, [d]he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of [e](C)Greece. And a (D)mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and (E)do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out (F)toward the (G)four [f]points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be (H)uprooted and given to others besides [g]them.

“Then the (I)king of the South will grow strong, [h]along with one of his princes [i]who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the (J)king of the North to carry out [j]a peaceful arrangement. But she will not retain her [k]position of power, nor will he remain with his [l]power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times. But one of the [m]descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the (K)fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and display great strength. Also their (L)gods with their [n]metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, and he on his part will [o]refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. Then [p]the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

10 “His sons will [q]mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and (M)overflow and pass through, that he may [r]again wage war up to his very fortress. 11 The (N)king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight [s]with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be given into [t]the hand of the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be lifted up, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and [u]after an (O)interval of some years he will [v]press on with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will [w]fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, cast up a (P)siege ramp and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even [x]their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will (Q)do as he pleases, and (R)no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the [y](S)Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He will (T)set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, [z]bringing with him [aa]a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be [ab]on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the (U)coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him; moreover, he will (V)repay him for his scorn. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will (W)stumble and fall and be (X)found no more.

20 “Then in his place one will arise who will (Y)send an [ac]oppressor through the [ad]Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and (Z)seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 The overflowing (AA)forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 [ae]In a time of tranquility he will enter the (AB)richest parts of the [af]realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his [ag]ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 He will stir up his strength and [ah]courage against the (AC)king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will [ai]destroy him, and his army will [aj](AD)overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on (AE)evil, and they will (AF)speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the (AG)end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much [ak]plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but [al]this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of [am](AH)Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, (AI)desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the (AJ)abomination [an]of desolation. 32 By (AK)smooth words he will [ao]turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display (AL)strength and take action. 33 [ap](AM)Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will (AN)fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will (AO)join with them in (AP)hypocrisy. 35 Some of [aq]those who have insight will fall, in order to (AQ)refine, (AR)purge and make them [ar](AS)pure until the (AT)end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

36 “Then the king will (AU)do as he pleases, and he will exalt and (AV)magnify himself above every god and will (AW)speak [as]monstrous things against the (AX)God of gods; and he will prosper until the (AY)indignation is finished, for that which is (AZ)decreed will be done. 37 He will show no regard for the [at]gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. 38 But [au]instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. 39 He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to [av]those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

40 “At the (BA)end time the (BB)king of the South will collide with him, and the (BC)king of the North will (BD)storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, (BE)overflow them and pass through. 41 He will also enter the [aw](BF)Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, (BG)Moab and the foremost of the sons of (BH)Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will [ax]gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and (BI)Libyans and (BJ)Ethiopians will follow at his [ay]heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and [az]annihilate many. 45 He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful (BK)Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:1 Lit my standing up was
  2. Daniel 11:1 Lit for a strengthener
  3. Daniel 11:2 Lit for
  4. Daniel 11:2 Or they all will stir up the realm of Greece
  5. Daniel 11:2 Heb Javan
  6. Daniel 11:4 Lit winds of the heaven
  7. Daniel 11:4 I.e. his descendants
  8. Daniel 11:5 Lit and
  9. Daniel 11:5 Lit and he
  10. Daniel 11:6 Or an equitable agreement
  11. Daniel 11:6 Lit strength of arm
  12. Daniel 11:6 Lit arm
  13. Daniel 11:7 Lit branch of her roots
  14. Daniel 11:8 Lit cast images
  15. Daniel 11:8 Or stand against the king
  16. Daniel 11:9 Lit he will, and so throughout the ch
  17. Daniel 11:10 Or wage war
  18. Daniel 11:10 Or return and wage
  19. Daniel 11:11 Lit with him, with
  20. Daniel 11:11 Lit his hand
  21. Daniel 11:13 Lit at the end of the times, years
  22. Daniel 11:13 Or keep on coming
  23. Daniel 11:14 Lit stumble, and so throughout the ch
  24. Daniel 11:15 Lit the people of its choice ones
  25. Daniel 11:16 I.e. Palestine
  26. Daniel 11:17 Lit and
  27. Daniel 11:17 Lit equitable things
  28. Daniel 11:17 Lit for him; i.e. for her father
  29. Daniel 11:20 Or exactor of tribute
  30. Daniel 11:20 Lit adornment; i.e. probably Jerusalem and its temple
  31. Daniel 11:24 Lit Into tranquility and the richest...he will enter
  32. Daniel 11:24 Or province
  33. Daniel 11:24 Lit fathers’ fathers
  34. Daniel 11:25 Lit heart
  35. Daniel 11:26 Lit break
  36. Daniel 11:26 Or be swept away, and many
  37. Daniel 11:28 Lit possessions
  38. Daniel 11:29 Lit it will not happen as the first and as the last
  39. Daniel 11:30 I.e. Cyprus
  40. Daniel 11:31 Lit that makes desolate; or that causes horror
  41. Daniel 11:32 Or pollute those
  42. Daniel 11:33 Or Instructors of the people
  43. Daniel 11:35 Or the instructors
  44. Daniel 11:35 Lit white
  45. Daniel 11:36 Lit extraordinary
  46. Daniel 11:37 Or God
  47. Daniel 11:38 Lit in his place
  48. Daniel 11:39 Lit the one who acknowledges
  49. Daniel 11:41 I.e. Palestine
  50. Daniel 11:43 Or rule over
  51. Daniel 11:43 Lit footsteps
  52. Daniel 11:44 Lit devote to destruction