Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

7 In the first year of Belshazzar^(A) king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions^(B) passed through his mind^(C) as he was lying in bed.^(D) He wrote^(E) down the substance of his dream.

² Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven^(F) churning up the great sea. ³ Four great beasts,^(G) each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

⁴ “The first was like a lion,^(H) and it had the wings of an eagle.^(I) I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’^(J)

⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.^(K) And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

⁷ “After that, in my vision^(L) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron^(M) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled^(N) underfoot whatever was left.^(O) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.^(P)

⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little^(Q) one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being^(R) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.^(S)

⁹ “As I looked,

¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.^(AB) I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.^{(AC) 12} (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a](AD) coming^(AE) with the clouds of heaven.^(AF) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority,^(AG) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.^(AH) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom^(AI) is one that will never be destroyed.^(AJ)

The Interpretation of the Dream

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.^{(AK) 16} I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.

“So he told me and gave me the interpretation^(AL) of these things: ¹⁷ ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the holy people^(AM) of the Most High will receive the kingdom^(AN) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’^(AO)

¹⁹ “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. ²⁰ I also wanted to know about the ten horns^(AP) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.^{(AQ) 21} As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,^{(AR) 22} until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.^(AS)

²³ “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.^{(AT) 24} The ten horns^(AU) are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. ²⁵ He will speak against the Most High^(AV) and oppress his holy people^(AW) and try to change the set times^(AX) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.^[b](AY)

²⁶ “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed^(AZ) forever. ²⁷ Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms^(BA) under heaven will be handed over to the holy people^(BB) of the Most High.^(BC) His kingdom will be an everlasting^(BD) kingdom, and all rulers will worship^(BE) and obey him.’

²⁸ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled^(BF) by my thoughts,^(BG) and my face turned pale,^(BH) but I kept the matter to myself.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 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. ² 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. ³ 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. ⁴ 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.

⁵ 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. ⁶ It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. ⁷ 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) 8} 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)

⁹ 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)

The Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision^(AA) and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.^{(AB) 16} And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai^(AC) calling, “Gabriel,^(AD) tell this man the meaning of the vision.”^(AE)

¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.^(AF) “Son of man,”^[b] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”^(AG)

¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.^(AH) Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.^(AI)

¹⁹ He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,^(AJ) because the vision concerns the appointed time^(AK) of the end.^{[c](AL) 20} The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.^{(AM) 21} The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,^(AN) and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.^{(AO) 22} The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.^{(AP) 25} He will cause deceit^(AQ) to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.^(AR) Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.^(AS)

²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,^(AT) but seal^(AU) up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”^(AV)

²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted^(AW) for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.^(AX) I was appalled^(AY) by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(C) was governor of Judea, Herod^(D) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(E) the word of God came to John^(F) son of Zechariah^(G) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(H) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(J) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(K) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(L) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(M)

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(N) the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^(O)

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^(P) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”^(Q) he told them.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely^(R)—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(S) might possibly be the Messiah.^{(T) 16} John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[b] water.^(U) But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[c] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(V) 17} His winnowing fork^(W) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^{(X) 18} And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod^(Y) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.^(Z)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(AA)(AB)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(AC) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(AD) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(AE) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(AF)

²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.^(AG) He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,^(AH)