Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts

7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was on his bed. He wrote down a summary of the dream. ² Daniel said: “I was looking in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. ³ Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the others.

⁴ “The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted off the ground. It was made to stand upon two feet like a man, and the heart of a human was given to it.

⁵ “And behold there before me was another beast, a second one, like a bear. It raised itself up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

⁶ “After that I looked, and behold, there was another one like a leopard. On its back it had four wings like those of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

⁷ “After this in my vision at night, I looked and behold there was a fourth beast—terrifying, frightening, tremendously strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed—and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it; it had ten horns.^[a]

⁸ “While I was pondering the horns, behold, another horn, a small one, sprang up between them, and three of the first horns were uprooted from before it. And behold, this horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking boastfully.^[b]

Ancient of Days and Son of Man

¹¹ “I kept watching because of the boastful words that the horn was speaking. I continued watching until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ^{[f] 12} As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion had been taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Interpretation of the Beasts

¹⁵ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was disturbed within me, and the visions of my head alarmed me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘These large beasts, four in number, are four kings that will rise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the kedoshim of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—yes, forever and ever.’^[i]

¹⁹ “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast that was different from all the others, exceedingly terrifying with iron teeth and bronze claws, which broke in pieces and devoured and then stomped with its feet anything that remained. ²⁰ Of the ten horns on its head, the other horn that sprang up before which three others fell—that horn eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, and its appearance was more imposing than its companions. ²¹ As I was watching, that horn was waging war against the kedoshim and overpowering them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was rendered in favor of the kedoshim of the Most High—when the time came and the kedoshim possessed the kingdom.^[j]

²³ “Thus he explained: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will be different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, and trample it and crush it. ²⁴ As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise. Another will arise after them, but he will be different from the previous ones; he will subdue three kings. ^{[k] 25} He will speak words against the Most High, and will continually harass the kedoshim of the Most High,^[l] and will try to change the appointed times and law. The kedoshim will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. ^{[m] 26} But the court will sit and he will be stripped of his power to be destroyed and abolished for all time. ²⁷ Then the kingdom, power, and greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven will be given to the people of the kedoshim of the Most High.^[n] Their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’

²⁸ This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me and the color drained from my face. But I kept the matter in my heart.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and 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 earlier. ² In the vision I saw myself in the citadel^[o] of Shushan^[p], which is in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw that I was beside the Ulai Canal. ³ I lifted up my eyes and looked up, behold, a ram with two horns was standing in front of the canal. The two horns were long but one was longer than the other, but the longer one grew up last. ⁴ I saw the ram charging toward the west and north and south. No animal could stand against him—none could deliver from his hand. So he did as he pleased and magnified himself.

⁵ “While I was contemplating this, behold, a male goat came from the west crossing the face of the whole earth without touching the ground! Now the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. ⁶ He came up to the two-horn ram that I had seen standing beside the canal, and charged it with raging strength. ⁷ I saw him attacking the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. Now the ram was not strong enough to stand against him, so he knocked the ram to the ground and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from his power.

⁸ “The male goat became exceedingly great, but as soon as he became mighty, the large horn was broken, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.

⁹ “Out of one of them came forth a small horn, which grew extremely large to the south and the east, and toward the beautiful land. ¹⁰ It grew as high as the host of heaven and hurled some of the host and the stars down to the earth and trampled them. ¹¹ It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host. It took away from him the daily offering and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. ¹² The host was given over along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of its rebellion. It will hurl truth to the ground and prosper in what it does.

¹³ “Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, ‘How long will the vision last, the daily sacrifice be forsaken because of rebellion, the sanctuary be surrendered and the host be trampled?’ ¹⁴ Then he said to me: ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be vindicated.’

Interpretation of Vision: Persian Ram and Greek Goat

¹⁵ “Now it happened that while I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, behold, standing before me was one with the appearance of a man. ¹⁶ Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai, calling out saying, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’

¹⁷ “He came near to where I was standing, and as he approached I was terrified and fell on my face. But he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’

¹⁸ “While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me up, ¹⁹ and said: ‘Behold, I am going to inform you about what will happen later in the time of wrath, for the vision pertains to the appointed time of the end. ²⁰ The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The buck, the male goat, is the king of Greece; and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. ^{[q] 22} The four horns that replaced the one that was broken represent four kingdoms that will arise from this nation, though not with its power.

²³ “‘Now toward the end of their reign, when the measure of transgressions is completed, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ His power will be mighty, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause extraordinary devastation, and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy both the powerful and the holy people. ²⁵ By his cunning he will cause deceit to prosper under his hand and he will consider himself superior. He will destroy many, taking them unaware. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken, but not by human

hands.

²⁶ “‘Now the vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told to you is true, but seal up the vision for it concerns many days from now.’

²⁷ “Then I, Daniel, was stricken and languished for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business, but I was astounded at the vision and no one could explain it.

Daniel Confesses Israel’s Sins

9 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, ² in the first year of his reign—I, Daniel, understood from the books that according to the word of Adonai to Jeremiah the prophet, the number of the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 years. ³ So I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ “I prayed to Adonai my God and confessed, saying: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot, ⁵ we have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have acted wickedly; we have rebelled; we have turned away from Your mitzvot and from Your rulings. ⁶ We have not listened to Your servants the prophets,^[r] who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷ “‘You Lord are righteousness, but shame covers our face to this day—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries where you have banished them—because they behaved unfaithfully toward you. ⁸ Adonai, shame covers our face—our kings, our leaders, our fathers—because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. ¹⁰ We have not obeyed the voice of Adonai Eloheinu by walking in His Torah that He set before us through His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your Torah and has turned away—not obeying Your voice.

“‘Therefore the curse and sworn judgment written in the Torah of Moses the servant of God has been poured out upon us, for we have sinned against Him. ¹² So He has confirmed His words that he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled over us by bringing on us a great calamity. Under the whole heaven nothing like this has ever been done to Jerusalem! ^{[s] 13} As it is written in the Torah of Moses, all this calamity came on us, yet we have not sought the favor of Adonai Eloheinu by turning away from our iniquities and paying attention to Your truth. ¹⁴ So Adonai was intent on bringing the calamity upon us, for Adonai Eloheinu is righteous in all His deeds that He has done—while we have not paid attention to His voice.

¹⁵ “‘So now, Adonai Eloheinu, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made for Yourself a Name to this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, let Your anger and Your fury turn away, please, from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn to all those around us.

¹⁷ ‘So now, our God, listen to the prayers and petitions of Your servant, and cause Your face to shine upon Your devastated Sanctuary, for the sake of my Lord. ¹⁸ Give ear, my God, and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolation and the city called by Your name. We do not present our supplications before You because of our own righteousness, but because of Your great compassions. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay! For Your city and Your people are called by Your name.’

The Mashiach and Seventy Weeks

²⁰ “While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Adonai my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God— ²¹ yes, while I was praying, Gabriel, the one I had seen in the earlier vision,^[t] came to me swiftly about the time of the evening offering.

²² “He instructed me and said to me: ‘Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding. ²³ At the beginning of your requests, a message went out, and I have come to declare it to you, for you are greatly esteemed. Therefore consider the message and understand the vision:

²⁵ So know and understand:

From the issuing of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time Mashiach,^[v] the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks.

It will be rebuilt, with plaza and moat, but it will be in times of distress.

²⁶ Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing.^[w]

Then the people of a prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.^[x] But his end will come like a flood. Until the end of the war that is decreed there will be destruction.

²⁷ Then he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on a wing of abominations will come one who destroys,^[y] until the decreed annihilation is poured out on the one who destroys.’”

Angelic Princes Battle for 21 Days

10 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The oracle was true and concerns a great war. He understood the message and gained insight through a vision.

² “In those days, I, Daniel was mourning for three whole weeks. ³ I ate no rich food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I anoint myself with oil, until the end of three weeks.

⁴ “Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was beside the bank of the great river, the Tigris, ⁵ I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a man dressed in linen with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ^{[z] 6} His body was like yellow jasper, his face like a flash of lightning, his eyes like fiery torches, his arms and his feet like the gleam of burnished bronze,^[aa] and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude.^[ab]

⁷ “Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men that were with me did not see the vision. Nevertheless, such a great terror fell upon them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone to see this great vision. My strength drained from me and my vigor was destroyed; I could not summon any strength. ⁹ Yet I heard the sound of his words. When I heard him speaking, I fell on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground.^[ac]

¹⁰ “Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said to me, ‘Daniel, highly valued man, carefully consider the words I am speaking to you. Stand up! For now I have been sent to you.’ When he spoke this word to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² “Then he said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, Daniel! For from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come because of your words. ¹³ However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for 21 days, but behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I had been detained there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future days. For the vision concerns days yet to come.’

¹⁵ “While he was speaking these words to me, I bowed my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then behold, one who resembled a human touched my lips. I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to him that stood before me, ‘O my Lord because of the vision, anguish has overcome me and I have no strength. ¹⁷ For how can this servant of my Lord speak with my Lord since no strength remains in me and no spirit is left in me?’

¹⁸ “Again the one who looked like a man touched me and strengthened me. ¹⁹ Then he said: ‘Highly valued man, do not fear! Shalom to you. Be strong, now! Chazak!’

“Even as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’

²⁰ “Then he said: ‘Do you understand why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia! When I go, behold, the prince of Greece will come. ²¹ But first, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of truth.’ (No one strengthened me against these, except Michael your prince.^[ad]

11 “And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)

Kings of the South and the North

² “Now I will declare the truth. Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will be far richer than all. When he becomes powerful through his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the realm of Greece. ³ Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. ⁴ But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and distributed to the four winds of heaven—though it will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others besides these.

⁵ “Then the king of the south will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he, and he will rule a greater kingdom than his. ⁶ After some years they will form an alliance. The daughter of the king of the south will approach the king of the north to make an agreement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. Instead she will be given up, together with her escort, her father and the one who supported her in those times. ⁷ But another shoot from her roots will arise in his place. He will come against the army of the king of the north and enter his fortress. He will fight against them and prevail. ⁸ He will also carry off their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold. For a few years he will stay away from the king of the north.

⁹ “Then the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south, but he will retreat to his own land. ¹⁰ His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will advance and overflow and sweep through like a flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

¹¹ “Then the king of the south, enraged, will march out and fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a massive army. But the army will be defeated. ¹² But when the army is carried off, the heart of the king of the south will become arrogant, and will slaughter thousands and thousands, yet he will not prevail. ¹³ The king of the north will raise up another army, one greater than the first. After an interval of some years, he will advance with a great army and with abundant supplies.

¹⁴ “In those times many will rise up against the king of the south. The lawless sons among your own people will raise themselves up in order to confirm the vision, but they will stumble. ¹⁵ Then the king of the north will come, build a siege-ramp and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not prevail—not even their select troops will have strength to prevail. ¹⁶ But the invader will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand against him. He will take his stand in the beautiful land and its devastation in his hand. ¹⁷ His intention will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, but he will reach an agreement with him. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him. ¹⁸ Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his insolence and pay him back for his insolence. ¹⁹ He will then turn his face toward the strongholds of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again.

²⁰ “In his place will arise one who will dispatch a tax collector to extract tribute for royal glory, but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or battle.

²¹ “Then in his place will arise a despicable person, on whom royal honor has not been conferred. He will come in a time of tranquility, and seize the kingdom through intrigue. ²² Armies will be utterly swept away from before him and will be broken, as well as the leader of the covenant. ²³ After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; he will rise to power with a small force. ²⁴ Without warning, he will invade the richest province and accomplish what his fathers or predecessors were unable to do. He will lavish on them plunder, loot and spoils. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, though only for a while.

²⁵ “He will summon his strength and courage against the king of the south with a great army. The king of the south will wage war with a very large and mighty army, but he will not succeed because of plots devised against him. ²⁶ Those who eat his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away; many will be slain in battle. ²⁷ These two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and speak lies, but to no avail, for the end will still come at the appointed time. ²⁸ The king of the north will return to his own land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action and then return to his own land.

²⁹ “At the appointed time he will invade the south again, only this time the outcome will not be as before. ³⁰ The ships of Kittim^[ae] will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his rage against the holy covenant. When he returns, he will favor those who forsake the holy covenant.

³¹ “His forces will rise up and profane the fortified Temple; they will stop the daily offering and set up the abomination of desolation. ^{[af] 32} With smooth words he will seduce those who act wickedly against the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand strong and prevail. ³³ Those who are wise among the people will instruct many, though for many days they will fall by the sword, or be burned, captured or pillaged. ³⁴ When they stumble, they will receive a little help, but many will join them deceitfully. ³⁵ Even some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end—for it will still come at the appointed time.

An Ungodly King Exalts Himself

³⁶ “So the king will do as he pleases, exalting and magnifying himself above every god. He will even speak outrageous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decided will be done. ³⁷ He will show no regard for the gods^[ag] of his fathers or the one desired by women, nor will he show regard for any god, but will exalt himself above all. ³⁸ Instead of these, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, precious stones and costly things. ³⁹ He will attack strong fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will give them authority over many and will parcel out land for a price.

⁴⁰ “Now at the time of the end the king of the south will attack him, and the king of the north will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen and many ships. He will invade lands and pass through them like an overflowing river. ⁴¹ He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many will be overthrown, but these will escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the sons of Ammon. ⁴² He will extend his hand against other countries; the land of Egypt will not escape. ⁴³ He will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, as well as all of the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and the Cushites will also be under his feet. ⁴⁴ But reports from the east and north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. ⁴⁵ He will pitch his royal tents between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will meet his doom with no one to help him.’

Resurrection and Judgment

12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise.^[ah] There will be a time of distress such as has never occurred since the beginning of the nation until then.^[ai] But at that time your people—everyone who is found written in the book—will be delivered. ^{[aj] 2} Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake—some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting contempt. ^{[ak] 3} Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those who turn many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.^[al] Many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.’

The Final Outcome

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others stood there, one on this bank of the river and the one on the other bank of the river. ⁶ One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the end of the wondrous things?”

⁷ Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised both his right and left hands toward heaven and swore an oath by Him who lives forever, saying, “It is for a time, times, and a half. Then when the breaking of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things will be finished.”

⁸ Now I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, ‘My Lord, what will be the outcome of these things?’

⁹ Then he said: “Go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

¹¹ “From the time that the daily burnt offering is taken away, and abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Happy is the one who keeps waiting, and reaches the 1,335 days. ^{[am] 13} But you, go your way till the end. You will rest and then at the end of days you will arise to receive your portion.”