⁶ The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,^[a] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

⁴ I looked, and I saw a windstorm^(A) coming out of the north^(B)—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,^(C)

Jerusalem Under Siege

¹⁴ The Lord said to me, “From the north^(A) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. ¹⁵ I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

⁴⁰ “At the time of the end the king of the South^(A) will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm^(B) out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.^(C)

³ Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.^{(A) 4} After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.^(B) It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted^(C) and given to others.

⁵ “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. ⁶ After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power^[a] will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father^[b] and the one who supported her.

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!’^(A)

⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.^(B) 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.