Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NCV

Daniel 7
New Century Version

Daniel’s Dream About Four Animals

7 In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream. He saw visions as he was lying on his bed, and he wrote down what he had dreamed.

2 Daniel said: “I saw my vision at night. In the vision the wind was blowing from all four directions, which made the sea very rough. 3 I saw four huge animals come up from the sea, and each animal was different from the others.

4 “The first animal looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. I watched this animal until its wings were torn off. It was lifted from the ground so that it stood up on two feet like a human, and it was given the mind of a human.

5 “Then I saw a second animal before me that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat all the meat you want!’

6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another animal. This animal looked like a leopard with four wings on its back that looked like a bird’s wings. This animal had four heads and was given power to rule.

7 “After that, in my vision at night I saw in front of me a fourth animal that was cruel, terrible, and very strong. It had large iron teeth. It crushed and ate what it killed, and then it walked on whatever was left. This fourth animal was different from any animal I had seen before, and it had ten horns.

8 “While I was thinking about the horns, another horn grew up among them. It was a little horn with eyes like a human’s eyes. It also had a mouth, and the mouth was bragging. The little horn pulled out three of the other horns.

9 “As I looked,

thrones were put in their places,
    and God, the Eternal One, sat on his throne.
His clothes were white like snow,
    and the hair on his head was white like wool.
His throne was made from fire,
    and the wheels of his throne were blazing with fire.
10 A river of fire was flowing
    from in front of him.
Many thousands of angels were serving him,
    and millions of angels stood before him.
Court was ready to begin,
    and the books were opened.

11 “I kept on looking because the little horn was bragging. I kept watching until finally the fourth animal was killed. Its body was destroyed, and it was thrown into the burning fire. 12 (The power and rule of the other animals had been taken from them, but they were permitted to live for a certain period of time.)

13 “In my vision at night I saw in front of me someone who looked like a human being coming on the clouds in the sky. He came near God, who has been alive forever, and he was led to God. 14 He was given authority, glory, and the strength of a king. People of every tribe, nation, and language will serve him. His rule will last forever, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

The Meaning of the Dream

15 “I, Daniel, was worried. The visions that went through my mind frightened me. 16 I came near one of those standing there and asked what all this meant.

“So he told me and explained to me what these things meant: 17 ‘The four great animals are four kingdoms that will come from the earth. 18 But the holy people who belong to the Most High God will receive the power to rule and will have the power to rule forever, from now on.’

19 “Then I wanted to know what the fourth animal meant, because it was different from all the others. It was very terrible and had iron teeth and bronze claws. It was the animal that crushed and ate what it killed and then walked on whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the little horn that grew there. It had pulled out three of the other ten horns and looked greater than the others. It had eyes and a mouth that kept bragging. 21 As I watched, the little horn began making war against God’s holy people and was defeating them 22 until God, who has been alive forever, came. He judged in favor of the holy people who belong to the Most High God; then the time came for them to receive the power to rule.

23 “And he explained this to me: ‘The fourth animal is a fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will destroy people all over the world. It will walk on and crush the whole earth. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this fourth kingdom. After those ten kings are gone, another king will come. He will be different from the kings who ruled before him, and he will defeat three of the other kings. 25 This king will speak against the Most High God, and he will hurt and kill God’s holy people. He will try to change times and laws that have already been set. The holy people that belong to God will be in that king’s power for three and one-half years.

26 “‘But the court will decide what should happen. The power of the king will be taken away, and his kingdom will be completely destroyed. 27 Then the holy people who belong to the Most High God will have the power to rule. They will rule over all the kingdoms under heaven with power and greatness, and their power to rule will last forever. People from all the other kingdoms will respect and serve them.’

28 “That was the end of the dream. I, Daniel, was very afraid. My face became white from fear, but I kept everything to myself.”

Listen to Daniel 7
Close NIV

Daniel 7
New International Version

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,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days(T) took his seat.(U)
His clothing was as white as snow;(V)
    the hair of his head was white like wool.(W)
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels(X) were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire(Y) was flowing,
    coming out from before him.(Z)
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books(AA) were opened.

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.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.
  2. Daniel 7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year
Close LEB

Daniel 7
Lexham English Bible

Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man

7 In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions[a] of his head as he lay on his bed; then he wrote down the dream and the summary[b] of the words as follows:[c] 2 Daniel explained[d] and said, “I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, differing from one another.[e] 4 The first was like a lion and had[f] the wings of an eagle. I was watching until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and it was raised on its feet like a human, and a human heart was given to it. 5 And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks[g] were in its mouth between its teeth, and so it was told,[h] “Arise, eat much flesh!” 6 After this I was watching and look, another beast like a leopard; it had four wings[i] of a bird on its back, and the beast had[j] four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and it had[k] great iron teeth,[l] and it was devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder[m] with its feet; and it was different from all the other beasts that preceded it[n] and it had ten horns.[o] 8 I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up among[p] them, and three of the earlier horns were rooted out[q] from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of a human[r] in this horn and also a mouth that was speaking boastfully.

9 “I continued watching[s] until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing was like white snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool and his throne was a flame[t] of fire and its wheels[u] were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued forth and flowed from his presence;[v] thousands upon thousands served him and ten thousand upon ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and the books were opened.

11 “I continued watching[w] then[x] because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn who was speaking; I continued watching[y] until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given over to burning with fire. 12 And as for the remainder of the beasts, their dominion was taken away,[z] but a prolongation of their life[aa] was given to them for a season and a time.

13 “I continued watching[ab] in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man[ac] was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented[ad] before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that[ae] all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion without end[af] that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

Daniel Explains and Interprets the Vision

15 “As for me, Daniel,[ag] my spirit was troubled within me,[ah] and the visions of my head terrified me. 16 So I approached one of the attendants and I asked him[ai] about the truth concerning all this; and he told me[aj] that he would make known to me the explanation of the matter. 17 ‘These great beasts which are four in number are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the holy ones[ak] of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’[al]

19 “Then I desired to make certain concerning the fourth beast that was different from all the others[am]—exceedingly terrifying, with its iron teeth and its claws of bronze; it devoured and crushed and stamped the remainder with its feet— 20 and concerning the horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn that came up and before which three horns fell,[an] and this horn had eyes[ao] and a mouth speaking boastfully,[ap] and its appearance was larger than its companions. 21 I continued watching,[aq] and this horn made war with the holy ones[ar] and it prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to the holy ones[as] of the Most High; and the time arrived and the holy ones[at] took possession of the kingdom.

23 “And he said, ‘The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will be on the earth that will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and it will trample it and it will crush it. 24 And as for the ten horns coming from it, from this kingdom[au] ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them. And he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings. 25 And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out the holy ones[av] of the Most High, and he will attempt to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time and two times and half a time. 26 Then the court will sit, and his dominion will be removed,[aw] to be eradicated and to be destroyed totally.[ax] 27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the nation of the holy ones[ay] of the Most High; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,[az] and all the dominions will serve and obey him.’

28 This is the end of the account.[ba] As for me, Daniel[bb]—my thoughts terrified me greatly and my face changed over me, but I kept the matter in my heart.”[bc]

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:1 Or “the visions”
  2. Daniel 7:1 Literally “head”
  3. Daniel 7:1 Literally “saying”
  4. Daniel 7:2 Literally “answered”
  5. Daniel 7:3 Literally “this from this”
  6. Daniel 7:4 Literally “for him/it”
  7. Daniel 7:5 Or “ribs”
  8. Daniel 7:5 Literally “they were saying”
  9. Daniel 7:6 Literally “and there were to it four wings”
  10. Daniel 7:6 Literally “to the beast”
  11. Daniel 7:7 Literally “were to it”
  12. Daniel 7:7 Literally “teeth of iron for it great”
  13. Daniel 7:7 Or “residue”
  14. Daniel 7:7 Literally “that preceding her/it”
  15. Daniel 7:7 Literally “and ten horns for her/it”
  16. Daniel 7:8 Literally “between”
  17. Daniel 7:8 Literally “dehorned”
  18. Daniel 7:8 Or “humankind”
  19. Daniel 7:9 Literally “I was watching”
  20. Daniel 7:9 Or “ablaze with”
  21. Daniel 7:9 Aramaic “wheel”
  22. Daniel 7:10 Literally “from before him”
  23. Daniel 7:11 Literally “I was watching”
  24. Daniel 7:11 Aramaic “in then”
  25. Daniel 7:11 Literally “I was watching”
  26. Daniel 7:12 Literally “they took away their dominion”
  27. Daniel 7:12 Literally “in life”
  28. Daniel 7:13 Literally “I was watching”
  29. Daniel 7:13 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  30. Daniel 7:13 Literally “they presented him”
  31. Daniel 7:14 Aramaic “and”
  32. Daniel 7:14 Literally “of eternity”
  33. Daniel 7:15 Literally “I Daniel”
  34. Daniel 7:15 Literally “in the midst of sheath”
  35. Daniel 7:16 Aramaic “from him”
  36. Daniel 7:16 Aramaic “to me”
  37. Daniel 7:18 Or “saints”
  38. Daniel 7:18 Literally “forever and to forever”
  39. Daniel 7:19 Literally “all of them”
  40. Daniel 7:20 Literally “and fell from before it three”
  41. Daniel 7:20 Literally “and eyes to it”
  42. Daniel 7:20 Literally “abundantly”
  43. Daniel 7:21 Literally “I was watching”
  44. Daniel 7:21 Or “saints”
  45. Daniel 7:22 Or “saints”
  46. Daniel 7:22 Or “saints”
  47. Daniel 7:24 Or “the kingdom”
  48. Daniel 7:25 Or “saints”
  49. Daniel 7:26 Or “taken away”
  50. Daniel 7:26 Literally “until the end”
  51. Daniel 7:27 Or “saints”
  52. Daniel 7:27 Literally “is a kingdom of eternity”
  53. Daniel 7:28 Literally “Up to here is the end of the account”
  54. Daniel 7:28 Literally “I Daniel”
  55. Daniel 7:28 Or “to myself”
Next
Daniel 6
Daniel 8
Next
dropdown
New Century Version (NCV)

The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Learn the Bible in 30 days
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software