Daniel 8:1-14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at first.(A) 2 In the vision[a] I saw myself in Susa the capital, in the province of Elam,[b] and I was by the Ulai Gate.[c](B) 3 I looked up and saw a ram standing beside the gate.[d] It had two horns. Both horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up second.(C) 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. All beasts were powerless to withstand it, and no one could rescue from its power; it did as it pleased and became strong.(D)
5 As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a horn[e] between its eyes.(E) 6 It came toward the ram with the two horns that I had seen standing beside the gate,[f] and it ran at it with savage force.(F) 7 I saw it approaching the ram. It was enraged against it and struck the ram, breaking its two horns. The ram did not have power to withstand it; it threw the ram down to the ground and trampled upon it, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from its power.(G) 8 Then the male goat grew exceedingly great, but at the height of its power the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.(H)
9 Out of one of them came another[g] horn, a little one, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.(I) 10 It grew as high as the host of heaven. It threw down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.(J) 11 Even against the prince of the host it acted arrogantly; it took the regular burnt offering away from him and overthrew the place of his sanctuary.(K) 12 Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together with the regular burnt offering;[h] it cast truth to the ground and kept prospering in what it did. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?”[i](L) 14 And he answered him,[j] “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
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- 8.2 Syr Vg: Heb vision I was looking and
- 8.2 Gk Theodotion: Heb repeats in the vision I was looking
- 8.2 Gk Syr Vg: Heb River Ulai
- 8.3 Or river
- 8.5 Theodotion: Heb a horn of vision
- 8.6 Or river
- 8.9 Cn: Heb one
- 8.12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 8.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 8.14 Gk Theodotion Syr Vg: Heb me
Daniel 8:1-14
Common English Bible
Vision of a ram and a goat
8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule, a vision came to me, Daniel, some time after the earlier vision I had. 2 I saw this vision, and as I experienced it I was in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam,[a] by the Ulai canal. 3 When I lifted my eyes, I suddenly saw a ram with two horns standing in front of the canal. Both horns were high, but one was higher than the other. The higher one came up after the other one. 4 I saw the ram goring west, north, and south. No animal could resist the ram, and no one could stop it, rescuing others from its power. The ram did whatever it pleased. It became powerful.
5 I was trying to understand this when suddenly a he-goat came from the west, crossing the entire earth but not touching the ground. Between this goat’s eyes was a horn that was a sight to see. 6 The he-goat came to the ram that had two horns, the one I’d seen standing in front of the canal. The he-goat charged the ram in powerful anger. 7 I saw the he-goat approach the ram. It was enraged at the ram and attacked it, shattering the ram’s two horns. The ram couldn’t resist the he-goat. The he-goat threw the ram on the ground and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the he-goat’s power.
8 The he-goat became even greater, but at the height of its power, its large horn snapped. In its place, four horns, each a sight to see, came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 A single, very small horn came out of one of the four horns. It grew bigger and bigger, stretching toward the south, the east, and the beautiful country. 10 It grew as high as the heavenly forces, until it finally threw some of them and some of the stars down to the earth. Then it trampled on them. 11 It grew as high as the very leader of those forces, taking the daily sacrifice away from him[b] and overturning his holy place. 12 In an act of rebellion, another force will take control of the daily sacrifice. It will throw truth to the ground and will succeed in everything it does.[c]
How long?
13 I then heard a certain holy one speaking. A second holy one said to the first one: “How long will this vision last—the one concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating rebellion, and the handing over of the sanctuary and its forces to be trampled?”
14 He said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be restored.”
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- Daniel 8:2 Some LXX sources; MT repeats I had this vision before I was by the Ulai canal.
- Daniel 8:11 Or the daily sacrifice was taken away from him.
- Daniel 8:12 Heb uncertain
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