Daniel 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at first.(A) 2 In the vision[a] I saw myself in Susa the capital, in the province of Elam,[b] and I was by the Ulai Gate.[c](B) 3 I looked up and saw a ram standing beside the gate.[d] It had two horns. Both horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up second.(C) 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. All beasts were powerless to withstand it, and no one could rescue from its power; it did as it pleased and became strong.(D)
5 As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a horn[e] between its eyes.(E) 6 It came toward the ram with the two horns that I had seen standing beside the gate,[f] and it ran at it with savage force.(F) 7 I saw it approaching the ram. It was enraged against it and struck the ram, breaking its two horns. The ram did not have power to withstand it; it threw the ram down to the ground and trampled upon it, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from its power.(G) 8 Then the male goat grew exceedingly great, but at the height of its power the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.(H)
9 Out of one of them came another[g] horn, a little one, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.(I) 10 It grew as high as the host of heaven. It threw down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.(J) 11 Even against the prince of the host it acted arrogantly; it took the regular burnt offering away from him and overthrew the place of his sanctuary.(K) 12 Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together with the regular burnt offering;[h] it cast truth to the ground and kept prospering in what it did. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?”[i](L) 14 And he answered him,[j] “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
Gabriel Interprets the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then someone appeared standing before me, having the appearance of a man,(M) 16 and I heard a human voice by the Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.”(N) 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I became frightened and fell prostrate. But he said to me, “Understand, O mortal,[k] that the vision is for the time of the end.”(O)
18 As he was speaking to me, I fell into a trance, face to the ground; then he touched me and set me on my feet.(P) 19 He said, “Listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.(Q) 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat[l] is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king.(R) 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[m] nation but not with his power.(S)
23 At the end of their rule,
when the transgressions have reached their full measure,
a king of bold countenance shall arise,
skilled in intrigue.
24 He shall grow strong in power,[n]
shall cause fearful destruction,
and shall succeed in what he does.
He shall destroy the powerful
and the people of the holy ones.(T)
25 By his cunning
he shall make deceit prosper under his hand,
and in his own mind he shall be great.
Without warning he shall destroy many
and shall even rise up against the Prince of princes.
But he shall be broken, and not by human hands.(U)
26 “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”(V)
27 So I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I arose and went about the king’s business. But I was dismayed by the vision and did not understand it.(W)
Footnotes
- 8.2 Syr Vg: Heb vision I was looking and
- 8.2 Gk Theodotion: Heb repeats in the vision I was looking
- 8.2 Gk Syr Vg: Heb River Ulai
- 8.3 Or river
- 8.5 Theodotion: Heb a horn of vision
- 8.6 Or river
- 8.9 Cn: Heb one
- 8.12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 8.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 8.14 Gk Theodotion Syr Vg: Heb me
- 8.17 Heb son of man
- 8.21 Or shaggy male goat
- 8.22 Gk Theodotion Vg: Heb the
- 8.24 Gk Theodotion: Heb power, but not with his power
Daniel 8
English Standard Version
Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of (A)King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, (B)after that which appeared to me (C)at the first. 2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in (D)Susa the citadel, which is in the province of (E)Elam. And (F)I saw in the vision, (G)and I was at the (H)Ulai canal. 3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, (I)a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw (J)the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No (K)beast (L)could stand before him, (M)and there was no one who could rescue from his power. (N)He did as he pleased and (O)became great.
5 As I was considering, behold, a (P)male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had (Q)a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to (R)the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, (S)and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, (T)and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. (U)And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he (V)cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then (W)the goat (X)became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four (Y)conspicuous horns toward (Z)the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came (AA)a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward (AB)the south, toward the east, and toward (AC)the glorious land. 10 (AD)It grew great, (AE)even to the host of heaven. And some of the host (AF)and some[a] of (AG)the stars it threw down to the ground and (AH)trampled on them. 11 (AI)It became great, even as great as (AJ)the Prince of the host. (AK)And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,[b] and it will throw truth to the ground, and (AL)it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard (AM)a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, (AN)“For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, (AO)the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me,[c] “For 2,300 (AP)evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I (AQ)sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having (AR)the appearance of a man. 16 (AS)And I heard a man's voice (AT)between the banks of the (AU)Ulai, and it called, (AV)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, (AW)I was frightened (AX)and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, (AY)O son of man, that the vision is for (AZ)the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, (BA)I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But (BB)he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of (BC)the indignation, for it refers to (BD)the appointed time of the end. 20 As for (BE)the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of (BF)Media and Persia. 21 And (BG)the goat[d] is the king of Greece. And (BH)the great horn between his eyes is (BI)the first king. 22 (BJ)As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[e] nation, (BK)but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—(BL)but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction (BM)and shall succeed in what he does, (BN)and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 (BO)By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind (BP)he shall become great. (BQ)Without warning he shall destroy many. And he (BR)shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but (BS)by no human hand. 26 The vision of (BT)the evenings and the mornings that has been told (BU)is true, but (BV)seal up the vision, (BW)for it refers to many days from now.”
27 And (BX)I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision (BY)and did not understand it.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:10 Or host, that is, some
- Daniel 8:12 Or in an act of rebellion
- Daniel 8:14 Hebrew; Septuagint, Theodotion, Vulgate to him
- Daniel 8:21 Or the shaggy goat
- Daniel 8:22 Theodotion, Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew a
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
