Daniel 7-9
New American Standard Bible
Vision of the Four Beasts
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a (A)dream and visions [a]in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he (B)wrote the dream down and told the [b]following summary of [c]it. 2 Daniel [d]said, “I was (C)looking in my vision by night, and behold, the (D)four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great (E)beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was (F)like a lion but had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and set up on two feet like a man; a human [e]mind also was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and they said this to it: ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, (G)like a leopard, which had on its [f]back four wings of a bird; the beast also had (H)four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a (I)fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had (J)ten horns. 8 While I was thinking about the horns, behold, (K)another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were plucked out before it; and behold, [g]this horn possessed eyes like human eyes, and (L)a mouth uttering great boasts.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 “I kept looking
Until (M)thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
His (N)garment was white as snow,
And the (O)hair of His head like pure wool.
His (P)throne was [h]ablaze with flames,
Its (Q)wheels were a burning fire.
10 A river of (R)fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
(S)Thousands upon thousands were serving Him,
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;
The (T)court [i]convened,
And (U)the books were opened.
11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the [j]boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the (V)burning [k]fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.
The Son of Man Presented
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14 And to Him was given (W)dominion,
Honor, and [l](X)a kingdom,
(Y)So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all [m]languages
Might serve Him.
(Z)His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
(AA)And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
The Vision Interpreted
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within [n]me, and the (AB)visions [o]in my mind kept (AC)alarming me. 16 I approached one of those who were (AD)standing by and began requesting of him the [p]exact meaning of all this. So he (AE)told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the [q](AF)saints of the Highest One will (AG)receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, [r]for all ages to come.’
19 “Then I desired to know the [s]exact meaning of the (AH)fourth beast, which was different from all [t]the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of the horns fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and [u]which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was (AI)waging war with the [v]saints and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and (AJ)judgment was [w]passed in favor of the [x]saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the [y]saints took possession of the kingdom.
23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth and trample it down and crush it. 24 As for the (AK)ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will [z]humble three kings. 25 And he will [aa](AL)speak against the (AM)Most High and (AN)wear down the [ab]saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make (AO)alterations in times and in law; and [ac]they will be handed over to him for a [ad](AP)time, [ae]times, and half a [af]time. 26 But the court will [ag]convene for judgment, and his dominion will be (AQ)taken away, [ah]annihilated and destroyed [ai]forever. 27 Then the [aj](AR)sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the [ak]saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an (AS)everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will (AT)serve and obey Him.’
28 “[al]At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were (AU)greatly alarming me and my [am]face became pale, but I (AV)kept the matter [an]to myself.”
Vision of the Ram and Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, [ao]Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me [ap]previously. 2 I (AW)looked in the vision, and while I was looking, I was in the citadel of (AX)Susa, which is in the province of (AY)Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a (AZ)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were [aq]long, but one was [ar]longer than the other, with the [as]longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram (BA)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his [at]power, but (BB)he did as he pleased and made himself great.
5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a (BC)prominent horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7 And I saw him come up beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and smashed his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his [au]power. 8 Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once (BD)he became powerful, the (BE)large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the (BF)four winds of heaven.
The Little Horn
9 And out of one of them came a rather (BG)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the [av](BH)Beautiful Land. 10 It grew up to the heavenly [aw]lights, and some of the [ax]lights, [ay]that is, some of the (BI)stars it threw down to the earth, and it (BJ)trampled them. 11 It even (BK)exalted itself [az]to be equal with the [ba]Commander of the army; and it removed the (BL)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And because of [bb]an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will (BM)hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. 13 Then I heard a (BN)holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “(BO)How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, [bc]while the offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army [bd]to be (BP)trampled?” 14 And he said to me, “For (BQ)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be [be]properly restored.”
Interpretation of the Vision
15 When (BR)I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought [bf]to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one [bg]who looked like a (BS)man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “(BT)Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and (BU)fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the (BV)time of the end.”
18 Now while he was talking with me, I was (BW)dazed with my face to the ground; but he (BX)touched me and made me stand at my place. 19 And he said, “Behold, I am going to (BY)inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end.
The Ram’s Identity
20 The (BZ)ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
The Goat
21 The shaggy [bh]goat represents the [bi]kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 The (CA)broken horn and the four horns that came up in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.
23 And in the latter period of their [bj]dominion,
When the wrongdoers have [bk]run their course,
A king will arise,
[bl]Insolent and skilled in [bm]intrigue.
24 And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will [bn](CB)destroy to an extraordinary degree
And be successful and do as he pleases;
He will [bo]destroy mighty men and [bp]the holy people.
25 And through his shrewdness
He will make deceit a success by his [bq]influence;
And he will make himself great in his [br]own mind,
And he will [bs]destroy many while they are [bt]at ease.
He will even [bu](CC)oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken (CD)without [bv]human agency.
26 And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is (CE)true;
But as for you, (CF)keep the vision secret,
Because it pertains to many (CG)days in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was [bw](CH)exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and (CI)carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.
Daniel’s Prayer for His People
9 In the first year of (CJ)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to (CK)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, (CL)seventy years. 3 So I gave my [bx]attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the (CM)great and awesome God, who (CN)keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 (CO)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and [by]acted wickedly and (CP)rebelled, even (CQ)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Moreover, we have not (CR)listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.
7 “(CS)Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us [bz](CT)open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in (CU)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8 [ca]Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong (CV)compassion and forgiveness, [cb]because we have (CW)rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His [cc]teachings which He (CX)set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed, (CY)all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the (CZ)curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12 So He has (DA)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our [cd](DB)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has (DC)not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the (DD)Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have (DE)not [ce]sought the favor of the Lord our God by (DF)turning from our wrongdoing and [cf]giving attention to Your truth. 14 So the Lord has [cg](DG)kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is (DH)righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, Lord, our God, You who (DI)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and (DJ)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 Lord, in accordance with all Your [ch]righteous acts, let now Your (DK)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your (DL)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an (DM)object of taunting to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for [ci]Your sake, Lord, (DN)let Your face shine on Your (DO)desolate sanctuary. 18 My God, (DP)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and (DQ)see our desolations and the city which is (DR)called by Your name; for we are not [cj](DS)presenting our pleas before You based on [ck]any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, (DT)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 While I was still (DU)speaking and praying, and (DV)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [cl]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man (DW)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [cm]previously, [cn]came to me [co]in my extreme weariness about the time of the (DX)evening offering. 22 And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with (DY)understanding. 23 At the (DZ)beginning of your pleas the [cp]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are [cq](EA)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain (EB)understanding of the vision.
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
24 “Seventy [cr](EC)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [cs]finish the wrongdoing, to [ct]make an end of sin, to (ED)make atonement for guilt, to bring in (EE)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [cu]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a [cv](EF)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until [cw](EG)Messiah the (EH)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [cx]streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [cy]Messiah will be (EI)cut off and have [cz]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will (EJ)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [da]its end will come with a (EK)flood; even to the end [db]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [dc](EL)abominations will come the one who [dd]makes desolate, until a (EM)complete destruction, one that is [de]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [df]makes desolate.”
Footnotes
- Daniel 7:1 Lit of his head
- Daniel 7:1 Or beginning
- Daniel 7:1 Lit words
- Daniel 7:2 Lit began speaking and said
- Daniel 7:4 Lit heart
- Daniel 7:6 Or sides
- Daniel 7:8 Lit in this horn were eyes
- Daniel 7:9 Lit flames of fire
- Daniel 7:10 Lit took its place
- Daniel 7:11 Lit great
- Daniel 7:11 Lit of the fire
- Daniel 7:14 Or sovereignty
- Daniel 7:14 Lit tongues
- Daniel 7:15 Lit its sheath
- Daniel 7:15 Lit of my head
- Daniel 7:16 Lit what was certain
- Daniel 7:18 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:18 Lit and unto the age of the ages
- Daniel 7:19 Lit truth concerning
- Daniel 7:19 Lit of them
- Daniel 7:20 Lit its appearance was larger
- Daniel 7:21 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:22 Lit given for
- Daniel 7:22 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:22 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:24 Or humiliate
- Daniel 7:25 Lit speak words
- Daniel 7:25 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:25 I.e., the saints
- Daniel 7:25 I.e., year(s)
- Daniel 7:25 I.e., year(s)
- Daniel 7:25 I.e., year(s)
- Daniel 7:26 Lit take its place
- Daniel 7:26 Lit to annihilate and to destroy
- Daniel 7:26 Lit to the end
- Daniel 7:27 Or kingdom
- Daniel 7:27 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Daniel 7:28 Lit To here the end of the word
- Daniel 7:28 Lit brightness was changing upon me
- Daniel 7:28 Lit in my heart
- Daniel 8:1 Lit I, Daniel
- Daniel 8:1 Lit at the beginning
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:4 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:7 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:9 I.e., Israel
- Daniel 8:10 Lit host
- Daniel 8:10 Lit host
- Daniel 8:10 Or and some of the stars
- Daniel 8:11 Lit up to the
- Daniel 8:11 Or Prince
- Daniel 8:12 Or a wrongdoing
- Daniel 8:13 Or possibly and the offense that horrifies
- Daniel 8:13 Lit as a trampling
- Daniel 8:14 Lit justified
- Daniel 8:15 Lit understanding
- Daniel 8:15 Lit like the appearance of a man
- Daniel 8:21 Lit buck
- Daniel 8:21 Lit king
- Daniel 8:23 Or kingdom
- Daniel 8:23 Lit finished
- Daniel 8:23 Lit Strong of face
- Daniel 8:23 Or ambiguous speech
- Daniel 8:24 Or ruin extraordinary things
- Daniel 8:24 Or ruin
- Daniel 8:24 Lit people of the saints
- Daniel 8:25 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:25 Lit heart
- Daniel 8:25 Or ruin
- Daniel 8:25 Or secure
- Daniel 8:25 Lit stand against
- Daniel 8:25 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:27 Or done in
- Daniel 9:3 Lit face
- Daniel 9:5 Or made ourselves guilty
- Daniel 9:7 Lit the shame of face
- Daniel 9:8 Lit The shame of face
- Daniel 9:9 Or though
- Daniel 9:10 Or laws
- Daniel 9:12 Lit judges who judged us
- Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
- Daniel 9:13 Or having insight into
- Daniel 9:14 Lit watched over the evil
- Daniel 9:16 Lit righteousnesses
- Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
- Daniel 9:18 Lit casting down
- Daniel 9:18 Lit our righteousnesses
- Daniel 9:20 Lit casting down
- Daniel 9:21 Lit at the beginning
- Daniel 9:21 Lit was reaching; or touching
- Daniel 9:21 Or in swift flight
- Daniel 9:23 Lit word went out
- Daniel 9:23 Lit desirable; or precious
- Daniel 9:24 Or units of seven, and so throughout the ch
- Daniel 9:24 Or bring to an end
- Daniel 9:24 Another reading is seal up sins
- Daniel 9:24 Lit prophet
- Daniel 9:25 Lit word
- Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one
- Daniel 9:25 Or city square
- Daniel 9:26 Or anointed one
- Daniel 9:26 Or no one
- Daniel 9:26 Or his
- Daniel 9:26 Or war will be decreed for desolations
- Daniel 9:27 Or detestable things
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
- Daniel 9:27 Or determined
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
Daniel 7-9
Amplified Bible
Vision of the Four Beasts
7 In the [a]first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions appeared in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related a summary of it. 2 Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea (the nations). 3 And four great beasts, each different from the other, were coming up out of the sea [in succession]. 4 The first (the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar) was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind was given to it.(A) 5 And behold, another beast, a second one (the Medo-Persian Empire), was like a bear, and it was raised up on one side (domain), and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much meat.’ 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one (the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great), like a leopard, which had on its back four wings like those of a bird; the beast also had four heads (Alexander’s generals, his successors), and power to rule was given to it.(B) 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, [I saw] a fourth beast (the Roman Empire), terrible and extremely strong; and it had huge iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns (ten kings).(C) 8 While I was considering the horns, behold, there came up among them [b]another horn, a little one, and three of the first horns were pulled up by the roots before it; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth boasting of great things.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9
“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days (God) took His seat;
His garment was white as snow
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was flames of fire;
Its wheels were a burning fire.(D)
10
“A river of fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
A thousand thousands were attending Him,
And ten thousand times ten thousand were standing before Him;
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.
11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the great and boastful words which the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their power was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged [for the length of their lives was fixed] for a predetermined time.
The Son of Man Presented
13
“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, [c]on the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14
“And to Him (the Messiah) was given dominion (supreme authority),
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations, and speakers of every language
Should serve and worship Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.(E)
The Vision Interpreted
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed and anxious within me, and the visions [that appeared] in my mind kept alarming (agitating) me. 16 I approached one of those who stood by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and explained to me the interpretation of the things: 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the [d]saints (believers) of the Most High [God] will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’(F)
19 “Then I wished to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, extremely dreadful, with teeth of iron and claws of bronze, which devoured, crushed and trampled down what was left with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns (kings) that were on its head and the other horn which came up later, and before which three of the horns fell, specifically, that horn which had eyes and a mouth that boasted great things and which looked larger than the others. 21 As I kept looking, that horn was making war with the saints (believers) and overpowering them(G) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Most High [God], and the time arrived when the saints (believers) took possession of the kingdom.
23 “Thus the angel said, ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down, and crush it. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the former ones, and he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High [God] and wear down the saints of the Most High, and he will intend to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, [two] times, and half a time [three and one-half years].(H) 26 But the court [of the Most High] will sit in judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, [first to be] consumed [gradually] and [then] to be destroyed forever. 27 Then the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints (believers) of the Most High; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’
28 “This is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my [waking] thoughts were extremely troubling and alarming and my face grew pale; but I kept the matter [of the vision and the angel’s explanation] to myself.”
Vision of the Ram and Goat
8 In the [e]third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a [second] vision appeared to me, Daniel, [this was two years] after the one that first appeared to me. 2 I looked in the vision and it seemed that I was at the citadel of [f]Susa, [the capital of Persia], which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I saw myself by the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there in front of the canal stood a [lone] ram (the Medo-Persian Empire) which had two horns. The two horns were high, but one (Persia) was higher than the other (Media), and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram (Medo-Persia) charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could rescue [anything] from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself.(I)
5 As I was observing [this], behold, a male goat (Greece) was coming from the west [rushing] across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous and remarkable horn (Alexander the Great) between his eyes.(J) 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and charged at him in [the fury of] his power and wrath. 7 [In my vision] I saw him come close to the ram (Medo-Persia), and he was filled with rage toward him; and the goat (Greece) struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to stand before him. So the goat threw him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was [young and] strong, the great horn (Alexander) was [suddenly] [g]broken; and in its place there came up four prominent horns [among whom the kingdom was divided, one] toward [each of] the four winds of heaven.
The Little Horn
9 Out of one of them (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) came forth a rather small horn [but one of irreverent presumption and profane pride] which grew exceedingly powerful toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land (Israel).(K) 10 And [in my vision] this [h]horn grew up to the host of heaven, and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled on them. 11 Indeed, it magnified itself to be equal with the [i]Commander of the host [of heaven]; and it took away from Him the daily sacrifice (burnt offering), and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down (profaned). 12 Because of the transgression [of God’s people—their irreverence and ungodliness] the host will be given over to the wicked horn, along with the regular sacrifice; and righteousness and truth will be flung to the ground, and the horn will do as it pleases [by divine permission] and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one (angel) speaking, and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “How much time will be required to complete the vision regarding the regular sacrifice, the transgression that brings horror, and the trampling underfoot of both the sanctuary and the host [of the people]?”(L) 14 He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; [j]then the sanctuary will be cleansed and properly restored.”
Interpretation of the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; then behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of the Ulai, which called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man (Daniel) an understanding of the vision.”(M) 17 So he came near where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell face downward; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the [fulfillment of the] vision pertains to [events that will occur in] the time of the end.”
18 Now as he (Gabriel) was speaking with me, I drifted into a deep sleep (unconsciousness) with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand [where I had stood before]. 19 He said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will happen during the final time of the indignation and wrath [of God upon the ungodly], for it concerns the appointed time of the end.
The Ram’s Identity
20 The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
The Goat
21 The shaggy (rough-coated) male goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the [k]first king. 22 Regarding the shattered horn and the [l]four others that arose in its place, four kingdoms will rise from his (Alexander’s) nation, although not with his power and heritage.
23
“At the latter period of their reign,
When the transgressors have finished,
A [m]king will arise
Insolent and skilled in intrigue and cunning.
24
“His power will be mighty, but not by his own power;
And he will corrupt and destroy in an astonishing manner
And [he will] prosper and do exactly as he wills;
He shall corrupt and destroy mighty men and the holy people.(N)
25
“And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his hand (influence);
He will magnify himself in his mind,
He will corrupt and destroy many who enjoy a false sense of security.
He will also stand up and oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken, and that by no human hand [but by the hand of God].(O)
26
“The vision of the evenings and the mornings
Which has been told [to you] is true.
But keep the vision a secret,
For it has to do with many days in the now distant future.”
27 And I, Daniel, was exhausted and was sick for [several] days. Afterward I got up and continued with the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one who could explain it.
Daniel’s Prayer for His People
9 In the first year of Darius the son of [n]Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the [o]Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem would end; and it was seventy years.(P) 3 So I directed my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and extends lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Further, we have not listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us confusion and open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away, in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the [treacherous] acts of unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 O Lord, to us belong confusion and open shame—to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers—because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and lovingkindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us and the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.(Q) 12 And He has carried out completely His [threatening] words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers [the kings, princes, and judges] who ruled us, to bring on us a great tragedy; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything [so dreadful] like that which [He commanded and] was done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this tragedy has come on us. Yet we have not wholeheartedly begged for forgiveness and sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wickedness and paying attention to and placing value in Your truth.(R) 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the tragedy ready and has brought it on us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and openly just in all His works which He does—He keeps His word; and we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for Yourself a name, as it is today—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous and just acts, please let Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the wickedness of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn and a contemptuous byword to all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, listen to (heed) the prayer of Your servant [p](Daniel) and his supplications, and for Your own sake let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You because of our own merits and righteousness, but because of Your great mercy and compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 While I was still speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer and [q]extremely exhausted, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me about the time of the evening sacrifice.(S) 22 He instructed me and he talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and wisdom and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications, the command [to give you an answer] was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly regarded and greatly beloved. Therefore consider the message and begin to understand the [meaning of the] vision.
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
24 “Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] [r]have been decreed for your people and for your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make atonement (reconciliation) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness (right-standing with God), to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Messiah (the Anointed One), the Prince, there will be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it will be built again, with [a city] plaza and moat, even in times of trouble. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks [of years] the Anointed One will be cut off [and denied His Messianic kingdom] and have nothing [and no one to defend Him], and the people of the [other] prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.(T) 27 And he will enter into a binding and irrevocable covenant with the many for one week (seven years), but in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and grain offering [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who causes the horror.”
Footnotes
- Daniel 7:1 The events recorded in ch 7 precede the feast recorded in ch 5.
- Daniel 7:8 I.e. the Antichrist.
- Daniel 7:13 As a matter of discussion, one of the ancient rabbis noted an apparent contradiction between the Messiah’s majestic return with clouds in this verse and His humble return on a donkey in Zech 9:9. The solution given was that if Israel is worthy of Him, the Messiah will return with the clouds; if not, He will return on a donkey.
- Daniel 7:18 Some scholars believe the word “saints” in this chapter refers only to Jewish believers; others view “saints” as inclusive.
- Daniel 8:1 The events recorded in ch 8 precede the feast recorded in ch 5.
- Daniel 8:2 Heb Shushan. This once great city, located about 250 miles east of Babylon, was the winter home of the Persian kings, and is the ancient site where the Code of Hammurabi was discovered in 1901.
- Daniel 8:8 Alexander the Great died unexpectedly at the height of his power, and his empire was divided into four parts—east, west, north, and south—ruled over by his four generals.
- Daniel 8:10 This horn of vv 9-12 is not to be confused with the “little horn” of 7:8. The near fulfillment of the prophecy most likely pertains to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who came out of one of the four dynasties (the Seleucid Empire) into which Alexander’s empire was divided, and became a great conqueror, ruling from 175-164 b.c. Hating God, he profaned the temple, persecuted God’s people, the Jews (represented in this passage by “host” and “stars”) and attempted to destroy the Jewish faith (see note 11:21). The far fulfillment of the prophecy in vv 23-25 most likely pertains to the Antichrist and the period of tribulation (Rev 13:4-9).
- Daniel 8:11 Or Prince, i.e. God.
- Daniel 8:14 The Jewish celebration of the Feast of Lights (Hanukkah) in December commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem by the army of Judas Maccabeus and the purification of the sanctuary.
- Daniel 8:21 I.e. Alexander the Great, who consolidated the empire.
- Daniel 8:22 The four generals who divided the empire established by Alexander were: Seleucus (the north—Syria, Israel, Mesopotamia); Ptolemy (the south—Egypt, parts of Asia Minor); Lysimachus (the east—Thrace, parts of Asia Minor); and Cassander (the west—Greece, Macedonia).
- Daniel 8:23 Antiochus IV Epiphanes acquired the throne of Seleucia by murdering his brother, the rightful heir.
- Daniel 9:1 Not the Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of the book of Esther.
- Daniel 9:1 See note 1:4.
- Daniel 9:17 Compare this verse with Ezek 14:12-20.
- Daniel 9:21 Lit wearied with weariness.
- Daniel 9:24 I.e. cut off, decided, determined. This phrase occurs only here and indicates a period of time set aside for a certain purpose. The prophecy that follows pertains only to the Jews and Jerusalem. It records six objectives to be achieved by the Messiah. The first three are resolved by the death and resurrection of Jesus; the final three are resolved at His second coming.
Daniel 7-9
King James Version
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
8 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
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