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“Then the king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his officers shall grow stronger than he and shall rule a realm greater than his own realm. After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to ratify the agreement. But she shall not retain her power, and his offspring shall not endure. She shall be given up, she and her attendants and her child and the one who supported her.

“In those times(A) a branch from her roots shall rise up in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall take action against them and prevail.(B) Even their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry off to Egypt as spoils of war. For some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north;(C) then the latter shall invade the realm of the king of the south but will return to his own land.

10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces that shall advance like a flood and pass through and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress.(D) 11 Moved with rage, the king of the south shall go out and do battle against the king of the north, who shall muster a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given over to his hand.(E) 12 When the multitude has been carried off, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall overthrow tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude larger than the former, and after some years[a] he shall advance with a great army and abundant supplies.(F)

14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south. The lawless among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, not even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to resist.(G) 16 But he who comes against him shall take the actions he pleases, and no one shall withstand him. He shall take a position in the beautiful land, and all of it shall be in his power.(H) 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom. He shall make peace with him and shall give him a woman in marriage, in order to destroy the kingdom,[b] but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage.(I) 18 Afterward he shall turn to the coastlands and shall capture many, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed,[c] he shall turn his insolence back upon him.(J) 19 Then he shall turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and shall not be found.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 11.13 Heb and at the end of the times years
  2. 11.17 Heb it
  3. 11.18 Meaning of Heb uncertain

South and north

“Then the southern king will gain power, but one of his princes will overpower him, ruling in his place. His empire will be vast. After some years, they will make an agreement together. The southern king’s daughter will go to the northern king to finalize the agreement, but she won’t retain her great power. Neither will his power remain in place. In those times she will be handed over, along with her escort, the one who fathered her, and the one who strengthened her.[a]

“A branch from her roots will rise up in his place. Attacking the army, he will enter the walled fortress of the northern king. He will fight with them, and he will conquer. He will even carry off their gods to Egypt, along with their statues and their silver and gold equipment. For years he will avoid the northern king. Then the northern king will attack the kingdom of the southern king, but will return to his own land. 10 His sons will get ready for war, gathering massive forces. Their attack will be like an overwhelming flood. And they will attack again, taking the battle as far as his walled fortress.

11 “The southern king, in a bitter rage, will come out to battle the northern king. He will muster a huge army, but the army will be handed over to his enemy. 12 When the army is carried off, he will become confident. He will kill tens of thousands, but he will not stand strong. 13 The northern king will then muster another army—this one bigger than the first. After some years have passed, he will attack with a large and well-equipped army. 14 In those times, many will oppose the southern king. Violent persons from among your people also will rise up to support the vision, but they will fail.

15 “When the northern king attacks, he will throw up a siege ramp and occupy a walled city. The southern forces will not be able to resist—not even its elite forces. No one will be strong enough to resist. 16 The one who comes to attack will do whatever he wants; no one will be able to oppose him. He will take his place in the beautiful country, and he will hand out destruction. 17 He will decide to occupy his entire kingdom by force. He will make an agreement with him and will give him a wife, intending to destroy him,[b] but it won’t succeed and it won’t happen.[c] 18 He will turn his face to the coastlands, capturing many people. A commander will put an end to his disgrace,[d] even though he won’t repay that disgrace. 19 Then he will turn his attention to the walled fortresses of his own country but will stumble, fall, and disappear.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 11:6 Heb uncertain
  2. Daniel 11:17 DSS; MT her or it (the kingdom)
  3. Daniel 11:17 Heb adds for him.
  4. Daniel 11:18 Heb adds for him.