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The Vision of the Ram and Goat

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, [a]Daniel, after the one which appeared to me [b]previously. And I (A)looked in the vision. And it happened that 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. 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. I saw the ram (E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before it, nor was there anyone to deliver from its [h]power, but (F)it did as it pleased and magnified itself.

And while I was considering, 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 its eyes. Then it came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the [j]canal, and ran at it in his strong wrath. And I saw it reach the side of the ram, and it was enraged at it; and it struck the ram and broke its two horns in pieces, and the ram had no strength to stand in [k]opposition to it. So it threw it down to the ground and trampled on it, and there was none to deliver the ram from its [l]power. Then the male goat magnified itself exceedingly. But as soon as (H)it was mighty, the (I)large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the (J)four winds of [m]heaven.

The Small Horn

And out of one of them came forth a rather (K)small horn. And it grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the [n](L)Beautiful Land. 10 Then 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 And it even (O)magnified itself [o]to be equal with the [p]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)throw truth down to the ground and do its will and succeed. 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, [q]while the transgression causes desolation, so as to allow both the holy place and the host [r]to be (T)trampled?” 14 He said to me, “For (U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be [s]made righteous.”

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 8:1 Lit I, Daniel
  2. Daniel 8:1 Lit at the beginning
  3. Daniel 8:2 Or River
  4. Daniel 8:3 Or river
  5. Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
  6. Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
  7. Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
  8. Daniel 8:4 Lit hand
  9. Daniel 8:5 Lit buck
  10. Daniel 8:6 Or river
  11. Daniel 8:7 Lit before
  12. Daniel 8:7 Lit hand
  13. Daniel 8:8 Or the sky
  14. Daniel 8:9 Israel
  15. Daniel 8:11 Lit up to the
  16. Daniel 8:11 Or Prince
  17. Daniel 8:13 Or possibly and the transgression that horrifies
  18. Daniel 8:13 Lit as a trampling
  19. Daniel 8:14 Or properly restored

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s(A) reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,(B) after the one that had already appeared to me. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa(C) in the province of Elam;(D) in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up,(E) and there before me was a ram(F) with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.(G) It did as it pleased(H) and became great.

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,(I) and none could rescue the ram from its power.(J) The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,(K) and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.(L)

Out of one of them came another horn, which started small(M) but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.(N) 10 It grew until it reached(O) the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth(P) and trampled(Q) on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander(R) of the army of the Lord;(S) it took away the daily sacrifice(T) from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.(U) 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people[a] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.(V)

13 Then I heard a holy one(W) speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled(X)—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot(Y) of the Lord’s people?”

14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 8:12 Or rebellion, the armies