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11 however, I was already standing up to support and help Daryavesh the Mede in the first year of his reign. What I am going to tell you now is true.

“Three kings will arise in Persia, followed by a fourth, who will be far wealthier than all of them; and when he has grown strong by means of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

“Then a powerful king will appear who will rule a vast kingdom and do whatever he pleases. But once he appears, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven. It won’t be inherited by his descendants, and it won’t be ruled with the power he had, because his kingship will be uprooted and will pass to others than his own posterity.

“The king in the south will be strong, and one of his princes will gain power over him and have dominion; his domain will be a great dominion. After a number of years they will form an alliance. The daughter of the king of the south will approach the king of the north to make an agreement, but she won’t retain her power; and he and his power won’t last either. Rather, she will be surrendered, along with her attendants, her father and the one who supported her during those times. But another branch from the same roots as hers will appear in her father’s place. He will attack the army of the king of the north, enter his fortress and succeed in conquering them. He will also carry off as booty to Egypt their gods, their cast metal images and their valuable gold and silver vessels. Then for some years, he will refrain from attacking the king of the north.

“Afterwards, the king of the north will invade the kingdom of the king of the south, but he will retire to his own land. 10 His sons will rouse themselves to muster a large and powerful army, which will advance like a flood passing through. In another campaign, it will march on the enemy stronghold. 11 The king of the south, enraged, will set out to do battle with the king of the north, who, in turn, will muster a large army; but this army will be defeated by his enemy 12 and carried off. The conqueror will grow proud as he slaughters tens of thousands, yet he will not prevail. 13 Rather, the king of the north will again muster an army, larger than the first one, at the end of this period, after a number of years; it will be a large, well-supplied army. 14 Those will be times in which many will resist the king of the south; and the more violent ones among your own people will rebel in order to fulfill their vision; but they will fail.

15 “Then the king of the north will come, set up siege-works and capture a fortified city; the forces of the south will be insufficient defense, even his elite troops will not be strong enough to resist. 16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to withstand him. So he will establish himself in the Land of Glory, and he will have the power to destroy it. 17 He will determinedly advance with the full force of his kingdom, but he will make an agreement with the king of the south and give him a daughter in marriage. His object will be to destroy him, but the agreement will not last or work out in his favor. 18 Next, he will put his attention on the coastlands and islands and capture many, but an army commander will put a stop to his outrages and cause his outrages to come back upon him. 19 After this, he will put his attention on the strongholds in his own land; but he will stumble, fall and not be seen again.

20 “In his place will arise one who will send a tax collector through the Glorious Kingdom; but within a few days, he will be broken, though neither in anger nor in battle.

21 “There will arise in his place a despicable man not entitled to inherit the majesty of the kingdom, but he will come without warning and gain the kingdom by intrigue. 22 Large armies will be broken and swept away before him, as well as the prince of the covenant. 23 Alliances will be made with him, but he will undermine them by deceit. Then, although he will have but a small following, he will emerge and become strong. 24 Without warning, he will assail the most powerful men in each province and do things his predecessors never did, either recently or in the distant past; he will reward them with plunder, spoil and wealth while devising plots against their strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “He will summon his power and courage against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south will fight back with a very large and powerful army; but he will not succeed, because of plots devised against him. 26 Yes, those who shared his food will destroy him; his army will be swept away; and many will fall in the slaughter. 27 These two kings, bent on mischief, will sit at the same table, speaking lies to each other; but none of this will succeed; because the appointed end will not have come yet. 28 Then the king of the north will return to his own land with great wealth; with his heart set against the holy covenant, he will take action and then return home.

29 “At the time designated, he will come back to the south. But this time, things will turn out differently than before; 30 because ships from Kittim will come against him, so that his courage will fail him. Then, in retreat, he will take furious action against the holy covenant, again showing favor to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Armed forces will come at his order and profane the sanctuary and fortress. They will abolish the daily burnt offering and set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 Those who act wickedly against the covenant he will corrupt with his blandishments, but the people who know their God will stand firm and prevail. 33 Those among the people who have discernment will cause the rest of the people to understand what is happening; nevertheless, for a while they will fall victim to sword, fire, exile and pillage. 34 When they stumble, they will receive a little help, although many who join them will be insincere. 35 Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time.

36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods. He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no respect for the gods his ancestors worshipped, or for the god women worship — he won’t show respect for any god, because he will consider himself greater than all of them. 38 But instead, he will honor the god of strongholds; with gold, silver, precious stones and other costly things he will honor a god unknown to his ancestors. 39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will confer honor on those he acknowledges, causing them to rule over many and distributing land as a reward.

40 “When the time for the end comes, the king of the south will push at him; while the king of the north will attack him like a whirlwind, with chariots, cavalry and a large navy. He will invade countries, overrun them and move on. 41 He will also enter the Land of Glory, and many [countries] will come to grief, but these will be saved from his power — Edom, Mo’av and the people of ‘Amon. 42 He will reach out his hand to seize other countries too. The land of Egypt will not escape — 43 he will control the treasures of gold and silver, as well as everything else in Egypt of value. Put and Ethiopia will be subject to him. 44 However, news from the east and north will frighten him, so that he moves out in great fury to ruin and completely do away with many. 45 Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end, with no one to help him.

Warring Kings of North and South

11 “Also (A)in the first year of (B)Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then (C)a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and (D)do according to his will. And when he has arisen, (E)his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity (F)nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Warring Kings of North and South

“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her [a]authority, and neither he nor his [b]authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their [c]princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come (G)and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return (H)to his fortress and stir up strife.

11 “And the king of the South shall be (I)moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the (J)multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be [d]lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, [e]violent men of your people shall exalt themselves [f]in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall (K)fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and (L)build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the [g]forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him (M)shall do according to his own will, and (N)no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his [h]power.

17 “He shall also (O)set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and [i]upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, (P)or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall (Q)stumble and fall, (R)and not be found.

20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place (S)shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the [j]force of a (T)flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, (U)and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him (V)he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, [k]spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “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 devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall [l]be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the (W)appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King’s Blasphemies

29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 (X)For ships from [m]Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And [n]forces shall be mustered by him, (Y)and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall [o]corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by [p]intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, (Z)to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall (AA)exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the [q]God of his fathers nor the desire of women, (AB)nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for [r]gain.

The Northern King’s Conquests

40 “At the (AC)time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him (AD)like a whirlwind, with chariots, (AE)horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: (AF)Edom, Moab, and the [s]prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of (AG)Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow (AH)at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and (AI)the glorious holy mountain; (AJ)yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
  2. Daniel 11:6 Lit. arm
  3. Daniel 11:8 Or molded images
  4. Daniel 11:12 Proud
  5. Daniel 11:14 Or robbers, lit. sons of breakage
  6. Daniel 11:14 Lit. to establish
  7. Daniel 11:15 Lit. arms
  8. Daniel 11:16 Lit. hand
  9. Daniel 11:17 Or bring equitable terms
  10. Daniel 11:22 Lit. arms
  11. Daniel 11:24 booty
  12. Daniel 11:26 Or overflow
  13. Daniel 11:30 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
  14. Daniel 11:31 Lit. arms
  15. Daniel 11:32 pollute
  16. Daniel 11:34 Or slipperiness, flattery
  17. Daniel 11:37 Or gods
  18. Daniel 11:39 profit
  19. Daniel 11:41 Lit. chief of the sons of Ammon

11 Och jag stod vid hans sida såsom hans stöd och värn i medern Darejaves' första regeringsår. Daniel, 11 Kapitlet Fortsättning av föregående uppenbarelse: Persiens, Javans (Greklands), Söderlandets (Egyptens) och Nordlandets (Syriens) konungavälden. Hemsökelser över »det härliga landet» (Palestina).

Och nu skall jag förkunna för dig vad visst är. Se, ännu tre konungar skola uppstå i Persien, och den fjärde skall förvärva sig större rikedomar än någon av de andra, och när han har blivit som starkast genom sina rikedomar, skall han uppbjuda all sin makt mot Javans rike.

Sedan skall en väldig konung uppstå, och han skall härska med stor makt och göra vad han vill.

Men knappt har han uppstått, så skall hans rike brista sönder och bliva delat efter himmelens förra väderstreck; och det skall icke tillfalla hans avkomlingar eller förbliva lika mäktigt som när han hade makten; ty hans rike skall omstörtas och tillfalla andra än dem.

Och konungen i Söderlandet skall bliva mäktig, så ock en av hans furstar; ja, denne skall bliva en ännu mäktigare härskare än han själv, och hans herradöme skall bliva stort.

Och efter några år skola de förbinda sig med varandra, och Söderlandskonungens dotter skall draga till konungen i Nordlandet för att komma åstad förlikning. Men hon skall icke kunna behålla den makt hon vinner, ej heller skall han och hans makt bliva beståndande; utan hon skall bliva given till pris, hon jämte dem som läto henne draga dit, både hennes fader och den man som i sin tid tog henne till sig.

Men av telningarna från hennes rot skall en stiga upp på hans plats; denne skall draga mot Nordlandskonungens här och tränga in i hans fäste och göra med folket vad han vill och behålla övermakten.

Deras gudar och beläten och deras dyrbara håvor, både silver och guld, skall han ock föra såsom byte till Egypten. Sedan skall han i några år lämna Nordlandskonungen i ro.

Däremot skall denne tränga in i Söderlandskonungens rike, men han skall få vända tillbaka till sitt land igen.

10 Och hans söner skola rusta sig till strid och samla en väldig krigs här; och den skall rycka fram och svämma över och utbreda sig; och den skall komma igen, och striden skall föras ända fram till hans fäste.

11 Då skall konungen i Söderlandet resa sig i förbittring och draga ut och strida mot konungen i Nordlandet; och denne skall ställa upp en stor härskara, men den härskaran skall varda given i den andres hand.

12 När då härskaran är sin kos, växer hans övermod; men om han än han slagit ned tiotusenden, får han dock icke makten.

13 Konungen i Nordlandet skall ställa upp en ny härskara, större än den förra; och efter en tid av några år skall han komma med en stor krigshär och stora förråd.

14 Vid samma tid skola många andra resa sig mot konungen i Söderlandet; våldsmän av ditt eget folk skola ock upphäva sig, för att synen skall fullbordas; men dessa skola falla.

15 Och konungen i Nordlandet skall rycka an och kasta upp vallar och intaga en välbefäst stad; och Söderlandets makt skall icke kunna hålla stånd, dess utvalda krigsfolk skall icke hava någon kraft till motstånd.

16 Och han som rycker emot honom skall göra vad han vill, och ingen skall kunna stå emot honom; han skall sätta sig fast i »det härliga landet», och förstöring skall komma genom hans hand.

17 Han skall rycka an med hela sitt rikes makt; dock är han hågad för förlikning, och en sådan skall han komma åstad. En av sina döttrar skall han giva åt honom till hustru, henne till fördärv. Men detta skall icke hava något bestånd och icke vara honom till gagn.

18 Därefter skall han vända sig mot öländerna och intaga många; men en härförare skall göra slut på hans smädelser, ja, låta hans smädelser vända tillbaka över honom själv.

19 Då skall han vända sig till sitt eget lands fästen; men han skall vackla och falla och sedan icke mer finnas till.

20 Och på hans plats skall uppstå en annan, en som låter en fogde draga igenom det land som är hans rikes prydnad; men efter några dagar skall han störtas, dock icke genom vrede, ej heller i krig.

21 Och på hans plats skall uppstå en föraktlig man, åt vilken konungavärdighet icke var ämnad; oförtänkt skall han komma och bemäktiga sig riket genom ränker.

22 Och översvämmande härar skola svämmas bort för honom och krossas, så ock förbundets furste.

23 Från den stund då man förbinder sig med honom skall han bedriva svek. Han skall draga åstad och få övermakten, med allenast litet folk.

24 Oförtänkt skall han falla in i landets bördigaste trakter, och skall göra ting som hans fäder och hans fäders fäder icke hade gjort; byte och rov och gods skall han strö ut åt sitt folk; och mot fästena skall han förehava anslag, intill en viss tid.

25 Och han skall uppbjuda sin kraft; och sitt mod emot konungen i Söderlandet och komma med en stor här, men konungen i Söderlandet skall ock rusta sig till strid, med en mycket stor och talrik här; dock skall han icke kunna hålla stånd, för de anslags skull som göras mot honom.

26 De som äta hans bröd skola störta honom. Och hans här skall svämma över, och många skola bliva slagna och falla.

27 Båda konungarna skola hava ont i sinnet, där de sitta tillhopa vid samma bord, skola de tala lögn, men det skall icke hava någon framgång; ty ännu dröjer änden, intill den bestämda tiden.

28 Han skall vända tillbaka till sitt land med stora förråd, och han skall lägga planer mot det heliga förbundet; och när han har fullbordat dem, skall han vända tillbaka till sitt land.

29 På bestämd tid skall han sedan åter draga åstad mot Söderlandet, men denna senare gång skall det ej gå såsom den förra.

30 Ty skepp från Kittim skola komma emot honom, och han skall förlora modet. Då skall han vända om och rikta sin vrede mot det heliga förbundet och giva den fritt lopp. Och när han har kommit hem, skall han lyssna till dem som hava övergivit det heliga förbundet.

31 Och härar, utsända av honom, skola komma och oskära helgedomens fäste och avskaffa det dagliga offret och ställa upp förödelsens styggelse.

32 Och dem som hava kränkt förbundet skall han med hala ord locka till helt avfall; men de av folket, som känna sin Gud, skola stå fasta och hålla ut.

33 Och de förståndiga bland folket skola lära många insikt; men de skola bliva hemsökta med svärd och eld, med fångenskap och plundring, till en tid;

34 dock skall under hemsökelsen en liten seger beskäras dem, och många skola då av skrymteri sluta sig till dem.

35 Hemsökelsen skall träffa somliga av de förståndiga, för att en luttring skall ske bland dem, så att de varda renade och tvagna till ändens tid; ty ännu dröjer denna, intill den bestämda tiden.

36 Och konungen skall göra vad han vill och skall förhäva sig och uppträda stormodigt mot allt vad gud heter; ja, mot gudars Gud skall han tala sådant att man måste förundra sig. Och allt skall lyckas honom väl, till dess att vredens tid är ute, då när det har skett, som är oryggligt beslutet.

37 På sina fäders gudar skall han icke akta, ej heller skall han akta på den som är kvinnors lust eller på någon annan Gud, utan han skall uppträda stormodigt mot dem alla.

38 Men fästenas gud skall han i stället ära; en gud som hans fäder icke hava känt skall han ära med guld och silver och ädla stenar och andra dyrbara ting.

39 Och mot starka fästen skall han med en främmande guds hjälp göra vad honom lyster; dem som erkänna denne skall han bevisa stor ära, han skall sätta dem att råda över många, och han skall utskifta jord åt dem till belöning.

40 Men på ändens tid skall konungen i Söderlandet drabba samman med honom; och konungen i Nordlandet skall storma fram mot denne med vagnar och ryttare och många skepp, och skall falla in i främmande länder och svämma över och utbreda sig.

41 Han skall ock falla in i »det härliga landet», och många andra länder skola bliva hemsökta; men dessa skola komma undan hans hand: Edom och Moab och huvuddelen av Ammons barn.

42 Ja, han skall uträcka sin hand mot främmande länder, och Egyptens land skall icke slippa undan;

43 han skall bemäktiga sig skatter av guld och silver och allahanda dyrbara ting i Egypten; och libyer och etiopier skola följa honom åt.

44 Då skall han från öster och norr få höra rykten som förskräcka honom; och kan skall draga ut i stor vrede för att förgöra många och giva dem till spillo.

45 Och sina palatstält skall han slå upp mellan havet och helgedomens härliga berg. Men han går till sin undergång, och ingen skall finnas, som hjälper honom.»