Vision of the Ram and Goat

8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, ^[a]Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me ^[b]previously. ² I ^(A)looked in the vision, and while I was looking, I was in the citadel of ^(B)Susa, which is in the province of ^(C)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 ^(D)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were ^[c]long, but one was ^[d]longer than the other, with the ^[e]longer one coming up last. ⁴ I saw the ram ^(E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his ^[f]power, but ^(F)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 ^(G)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 ^[g]power. ⁸ Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once ^(H)he became powerful, the ^(I)large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the ^(J)four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

⁹ And out of one of them came a rather ^(K)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the ^[h](L)Beautiful Land. ¹⁰ It grew up to the heavenly ^[i]lights, and some of the ^[j]lights, ^[k]that is, some of the ^(M)stars it threw down to the earth, and it ^(N)trampled them. ¹¹ It even ^(O)exalted itself ^[l]to be equal with the ^[m]Commander of the army; and it removed the ^(P)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. ¹² And because of ^[n]an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will ^(Q)hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. ¹³ Then I heard a ^(R)holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “^(S)How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, ^[o]while the offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army ^[p]to be ^(T)trampled?” ¹⁴ And he said to me, “For ^(U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be ^[q]properly restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ When ^(V)I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought ^[r]to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one ^[s]who looked like a ^(W)man. ¹⁶ And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “^(X)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 ^(Y)fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the ^(Z)time of the end.”

¹⁸ Now while he was talking with me, I was ^(AA)dazed with my face to the ground; but he ^(AB)touched me and made me stand at my place. ¹⁹ And he said, “Behold, I am going to ^(AC)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 ^(AD)ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.

The Goat

²¹ The shaggy ^[t]goat represents the ^[u]kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ²² The ^(AE)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.

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, was ^[ai](AL)exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and ^(AM)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 ^(A)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 ^(B)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, ^(C)seventy years. ³ So I gave my ^[a]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 ^(D)great and awesome God, who ^(E)keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, ^5 (F)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and ^[b]acted wickedly and ^(G)rebelled, even ^(H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. ⁶ Moreover, we have not ^(I)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 “^(J)Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us ^[c](K)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 ^(L)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. ^8 [d]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 ^(M)compassion and forgiveness, ^[e]because we have ^(N)rebelled against Him; ¹⁰ and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His ^[f]teachings which He ^(O)set before us through His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Indeed, ^(P)all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the ^(Q)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 ^(R)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our ^[g](S)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has ^(T)not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the ^(U)Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have ^(V)not ^[h]sought the favor of the Lord our God by ^(W)turning from our wrongdoing and ^[i]giving attention to Your truth. ¹⁴ So the Lord has ^[j](X)kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is ^(Y)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 ^(Z)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and ^(AA)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. ¹⁶ Lord, in accordance with all Your ^[k]righteous acts, let now Your ^(AB)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your ^(AC)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an ^(AD)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 ^[l]Your sake, Lord, ^(AE)let Your face shine on Your ^(AF)desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ My God, ^(AG)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and ^(AH)see our desolations and the city which is ^(AI)called by Your name; for we are not ^[m](AJ)presenting our pleas before You based on ^[n]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, ^(AK)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

²⁰ While I was still ^(AL)speaking and praying, and ^(AM)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and ^[o]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 ^(AN)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision ^[p]previously, ^[q]came to me ^[r]in my extreme weariness about the time of the ^(AO)evening offering. ²² And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with ^(AP)understanding. ²³ At the ^(AQ)beginning of your pleas the ^[s]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are ^[t](AR)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain ^(AS)understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

²⁴ “Seventy ^[u](AT)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to ^[v]finish the wrongdoing, to ^[w]make an end of sin, to ^(AU)make atonement for guilt, to bring in ^(AV)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and ^[x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a ^[y](AW)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until ^[z](AX)Messiah the ^(AY)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with ^[aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress. ²⁶ Then after the sixty-two weeks, the ^[ab]Messiah will be ^(AZ)cut off and have ^[ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will ^(BA)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And ^[ad]its end will come with a ^(BB)flood; even to the end ^[ae]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 ^[af](BC)abominations will come the one who ^[ag]makes desolate, until a ^(BD)complete destruction, one that is ^[ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who ^[ai]makes desolate.”

Daniel Is Terrified by a Vision

10 In the third year of ^(A)Cyrus king of Persia, a ^[a]message was revealed to ^(B)Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the ^[b](C)message was true and it concerned great ^[c]conflict, but he understood the ^[d]message and had an ^(D)understanding of the vision.

² In those days, I, Daniel, had been ^(E)mourning for three ^[e]entire weeks. ³ I ^(F)did not eat any ^[f]tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. ⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great ^(G)river, that is, the ^[g]Tigris, ⁵ I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man ^(H)dressed in linen, whose waist ^(I)had a belt of pure ^(J)gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like topaz, his face ^[h]had the appearance of lightning, ^(K)his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. ⁷ Now I, Daniel, ^(L)alone saw the vision, while the ^(M)men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great ^(N)fear fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. ⁸ So I was ^(O)left alone and saw this great vision; yet ^(P)no strength was left in me, for my complexion turned to ^[i]a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. ⁹ But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I ^(Q)fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Daniel Comforted

¹⁰ Then behold, a hand ^(R)touched me and shook me on my ^[j]hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “^(S)Daniel, ^[k]you who are treasured, ^(T)understand the words that I am about to tell you and ^(U)stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up ^(V)trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “^(W)Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on ^(X)humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come ^(Y)in response to your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing ^[l]in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, ^(Z)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to ^(AA)explain to you what will happen to your people in the ^[m](AB)latter days, because the vision pertains to ^(AC)the days still future.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken to me according to these words, I ^[n]turned my face toward the ground and became ^(AD)speechless. ¹⁶ And behold, ^[o](AE)one who resembled a human was ^(AF)touching my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “My lord, due to the vision ^[p](AG)anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For ^(AH)how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now ^(AI)no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”

¹⁸ Then this one with human appearance touched me again and ^(AJ)strengthened me. ¹⁹ And he said, “^[q]You who are treasured, ^(AK)do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take ^(AL)courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened and said, “May my lord speak, for you have ^(AM)strengthened me.” ²⁰ Then he said, “Do you ^[r]understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the ^(AN)prince of ^[s]Greece is about to come. ²¹ However, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of ^(AO)truth. Yet there is no one who ^[t]stands firmly with me against these forces except ^(AP)Michael your prince.