Daniel 11
New Living Translation
11 1 I have been standing beside Michael[a] to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)
Kings of the South and North
2 “Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. He will use his wealth to stir up everyone to fight against the kingdom of Greece.[b]
3 “Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule with great authority and accomplish everything he sets out to do. 4 But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king’s descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others.
5 “The king of the south will increase in power, but one of his own officials will become more powerful than he and will rule his kingdom with great strength.
6 “Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. 7 But when one of her relatives[c] becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him. 8 When he returns to Egypt, he will carry back their idols with him, along with priceless articles of gold and silver. For some years afterward he will leave the king of the north alone.
9 “Later the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south but will soon return to his own land. 10 However, the sons of the king of the north will assemble a mighty army that will advance like a flood and carry the battle as far as the enemy’s fortress.
11 “Then, in a rage, the king of the south will rally against the vast forces assembled by the king of the north and will defeat them. 12 After the enemy army is swept away, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will execute many thousands of his enemies. But his success will be short lived.
13 “A few years later the king of the north will return with a fully equipped army far greater than before. 14 At that time there will be a general uprising against the king of the south. Violent men among your own people will join them in fulfillment of this vision, but they will not succeed. 15 Then the king of the north will come and lay siege to a fortified city and capture it. The best troops of the south will not be able to stand in the face of the onslaught.
16 “The king of the north will march onward unopposed; none will be able to stop him. He will pause in the glorious land of Israel,[d] intent on destroying it. 17 He will make plans to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will form an alliance with the king of the south. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom from within, but his plan will fail.
18 “After this, he will turn his attention to the coastland and conquer many cities. But a commander from another land will put an end to his insolence and cause him to retreat in shame. 19 He will take refuge in his own fortresses but will stumble and fall and be seen no more.
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.
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. 22 Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich—something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while.
25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. 26 His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each other’s harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time.
28 “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey.
29 “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from western coastlands[e] will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.
31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration.[f] 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.
33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. 37 He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. 38 Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors never knew—and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts. 39 Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward.[g]
40 “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will enter the glorious land of Israel,[h] and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape. 42 He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians[i] will be his servants.
44 “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. 45 He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him.
Daniel 11
International Standard Version
11 1 In year one of King Darius the Mede, I arose to fortify and strengthen him.’”
International Conflicts to Come
2 “‘Now I’ll tell you the truth: Pay attention! Three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain more than them all. As soon as he gains power by means of his wealth, he’ll stir up everyone against the Grecian kingdoms.
3 “‘A mighty king will come to power, and he’ll rule with awesome energy, doing whatever he pleases. 4 However, after he has come to power, his kingdom will be broken and parceled out in all directions.[a] It won’t go to his succeeding descendants, nor will its power match how he ruled, because his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to successors besides them.
5 “‘The southern king will become strong, along with one of his officials, who will become stronger than he and rule over his own realm with great power. 6 After a number of years, they’ll become allies and the daughter of the southern king will go to the northern king in order to craft alliances. But she won’t remain in power, nor will he retain his power. Instead, she’ll be surrendered, along with her entourage, the one who fathered her, and the one who supported her at that time.
7 “‘One of her family line will replace him. He’ll come against the army and enter the fortress of the northern king, conquering them and becoming victorious. 8 He’ll also take their gods, their molten images, and their valuable vessels of silver and gold into Egypt as hostages. He’ll avoid the northern king for a number of years. 9 Then he’ll come against the realm of the southern king and then return to his own territory. 10 His sons will prepare for war, assembling an army of considerable force. One of them will come on forcefully, overflowing, passing through, and waging war up to his own fortress.
11 “‘The southern king will fly into a rage and march out to fight the northern king. He’ll gather a large army, but that army will be handed over to him. 12 When that army has been defeated, he’ll become overconfident and slaughter many thousands, but he won’t succeed. 13 The northern king will return and raise a greater army than before. After a few years, he’ll advance with a great force and with a vast amount of armaments.’”
Rebellion against the Southern King
14 “‘During those years, many will rebel against the southern king. The more violent ones among your people will rebel in order to fulfill this vision, but they will fail. 15 Then the northern king will come, erect a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces won’t prevail—not even with their best troops—and they’ll have no strength to take a stand.
16 “‘However, the one who invades him will do whatever he wants to do. No one will oppose him. He’ll establish himself in the Beautiful Land, wielding devastating power. 17 He’ll decide to come with the full power of his kingdom, bringing with him an alliance that he’ll implement. He’ll give him a daughter in marriage to overthrow it, but it won’t succeed or work out for him. 18 Then he’ll turn his attention to the coastal lands[b] and will capture many. But a commander will put an end to his insolence, repaying him for his scorn. 19 He’ll turn his attention toward the fortresses in his own territory, but he’ll stumble and fall, and won’t endure. 20 His successor will send out a tax collector for royal splendor, but in a short period of time he’ll be shattered, though neither in anger nor in battle.’”
The Despicable King
21 “‘In his place there will arise a despicable person, upon whom no royal authority has been conferred, but he’ll invade in a time of tranquility, taking over the kingdom through deception. 22 Overwhelming forces will be carried away before him, along with the Commander-in-Chief[c] of the covenant. 23 From the time that an alliance is made with him, he’ll act deceitfully, and he will go up and take power with only a small group of nations. 24 He’ll invade the most prosperous areas of the province during a time of tranquility, accomplishing what neither his predecessors nor his ancestors ever could. He’ll distribute war spoils, booty, and wealth to them, and he’ll plot the overthrow of fortresses, though only for a time. 25 He’ll encourage himself against the southern king by raising[d] a large army. As a result, the southern king will mobilize for war with a large and powerful army, but he won’t succeed because they will devise elaborate schemes against him. 26 His own security detail[e] will undermine him, his army will be swept away, and many will fall and be killed in battle.[f] 27 Now as for the two kings, their intentions will be evil, and they’ll promote deception at their dinner table, but none of this will succeed, because the end won’t have come yet. 28 Then he’ll return to his homeland with great wealth, will focus his attention against the holy covenant, and will take action as he returns to his land.’”
Desecration of the Sanctuary
29 “‘At the scheduled time he’ll return, moving southward, but the end result won’t be as before, 30 because ships will come against him from the Mediterranean islands.[g] Disheartened, he’ll return, incited to vehemence against the holy covenant, and he’ll take action. As he returns, he’ll show deference to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Armed forces will arise from his midst, and they’ll desecrate the fortified Sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and establish the destructive desecration. 32 Through flattery he’ll corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 Insightful people[h] will impart understanding to many, though they’ll fall by sword, by fire, by captivity, and as war booty for a while.[i] 34 When they fall, they’ll be given some relief, but many will join them by pretending to be sympathetic to their cause. 35 Some of the insightful will fall so they may be refined, purged, and purified until the time of the end, since it will surely come about.’”
The King Who Calls Himself God
36 “‘The king will do as he pleases. He’ll exalt and magnify himself above every god, speaking amazing things against the God of Gods. He’ll succeed until the indignation is completed, because what has been determined must be carried out. 37 He’ll recognize neither the gods of his ancestors nor those desired by women—he won’t recognize any god, because he’ll exalt himself above everything. 38 He’ll glorify the god of fortresses,[j] a god whom his ancestors never knew, honoring him with gold, silver, valuable jewels, and treasures. 39 He’ll take action against the strongest fortresses. With the help of a foreign god, he’ll recognize those who honor him, making them rule over many, and he’ll parcel out the land for a profit.
40 “‘At the time of the end, the southern king will oppose him, and the northern king will overrun him with chariots, cavalry, and many ships. He’ll invade countries, moving swiftly and sweeping through. 41 He’ll enter the Beautiful Land, and many will fall, even though these will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and certain Ammonite officials.
42 He’ll extend his power over other countries, and even the land of Egypt won’t escape. 43 He’ll capture treasures of gold, silver, and all the treasures of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites[k] at his feet. 44 However, reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he’ll march out in great anger, intending to destroy and to desolate many. 45 When he pitches his royal pavilions between the seas[l] facing the mountain of holy Glory, he’ll come to his end, and no one will help him.’”
Footnotes
- Daniel 11:4 Lit. out to the four winds of heaven
- Daniel 11:18 Or islands
- Daniel 11:22 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
- Daniel 11:25 The Heb. lacks raising
- Daniel 11:26 Lit. Those who eat his delicacies
- Daniel 11:26 The Heb. lacks in battle
- Daniel 11:30 Lit. from Kittim
- Daniel 11:33 I.e. believers; cf. v. 35
- Daniel 11:33 Lit. for days
- Daniel 11:38 Or forces
- Daniel 11:43 Or Nubians
- Daniel 11:45 I.e. between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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