The Interpretation of the Dream

¹⁵ I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him the truth of all this.

So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things. ¹⁷ “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”

¹⁹ Then I desired to know the truth of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and its nails of bronze, and which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet; ²⁰ and of the ten horns that were in its head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell, even of that horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastful words, whose look was more stout than its fellows. ²¹ I beheld, and the same horn was warring with the saints and prevailing against them ²² until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

²³ Thus he said: “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth and shall tread it down and break it in pieces. ²⁴ The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them, and he shall be different from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. ²⁵ He shall speak words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and plan to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.^[a]

²⁶ “But the court shall sit for judgment, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it forever. ²⁷ Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

²⁸ At this point the matter ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me much, and my countenance changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.