A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament^(A) concerning the princes^(B) of Israel ² and say:

¹⁷ ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the holy people^(A) of the Most High will receive the kingdom^(B) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’^(C)

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^(D) 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.^{(E) 21} As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,^{(F) 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.^(G)

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.^{(H) 24} The ten horns^(I) 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^(J) and oppress his holy people^(K) and try to change the set times^(L) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.^[a](M)

²⁶ “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed^(N) forever. ²⁷ Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms^(O) under heaven will be handed over to the holy people^(P) of the Most High.^(Q) His kingdom will be an everlasting^(R) kingdom, and all rulers will worship^(S) and obey him.’

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

⁴ “The first was like a lion,^(A) and it had the wings of an eagle.^(B) 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!’^(C)

⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.^(D) 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^(E) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron^(F) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled^(G) underfoot whatever was left.^(H) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.^(I)

⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little^(J) 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^(K) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.^(L)

¹² I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.^[a]” ¹³ Sheba^(A) and Dedan^(B) and the merchants of Tarshish^(C) and all her villages^[b] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?^(D)”’