²⁰ “·The next king of the North will send out a tax collector so he will have plenty of money [^LThen one will arise in his place who will send out a tax collector/despot/oppressor for/or to enhance the splendor of the kingdom]. In ·a few years [^Llater/after days] that ruler will be ·killed [^Lbroken], ·although he will not die in [^Lnot by] anger or in a battle [^CSeleucus IV died in mysterious circumstances, perhaps killed by his brother Antiochus IV also known as Epiphanes].

²¹ “·That ruler will be followed by [^LThen one will arise in his place who is] ·a very cruel and hated man [^Ldespised], who had not yet been given the honor of royalty [^CAntiochus Epiphanes, who will be the focus of much of the rest of the chapter]. He will attack ·the kingdom when the people feel safe [without warning], and he will take power by ·lying to the people [intrigue]. ²² He will sweep away in defeat ·large and powerful [^Lfloodlike] ·armies [forces] and even a prince who made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. ²³ Many nations will make ·agreements [alliances] with ·that cruel and hated ruler [^Lhim], but he will lie to them. He will gain much power, but only a few people will support him. ²⁴ The richest ·areas [or people of a province] will feel safe, but ·that cruel and hated ruler [^Lhe] will attack them. He will succeed where his ·ancestors [^Lfathers and father’s fathers] did not. He will ·rob the countries he defeats and will give those things to his followers [^Lscatter spoil, plunder, and goods to them]. He will plan ·to defeat and destroy strong cities [^Lagainst strongholds], ·but he will be successful for only a short time [^Luntil a time].

²⁵ “·That very cruel and hated ruler [^LHe] will have a large army that he will use to stir up his strength and ·courage [^Lheart]. He will attack the king of the South [^Cthe Seleucid king Ptolemy VI]. The king of the South will gather a large and very powerful army and prepare for war. But ·the people who are against him will make secret plans, and the king of the South will be defeated [^Lhe will not stand/endure because of the plans they planned against him]. ²⁶ People who ·were supposed to be his good friends [^Leat his royal rations; ^CPtolemy VI’s advisors Eulaeus and Lenaeus] will try to ·destroy [^Lbreak] him. His army will be swept away in defeat; many ·of his soldiers will be killed in battle [^Lcorpses will fall]. ²⁷ Those two kings will ·want to hurt each other [^Lhave their hearts/minds toward evil/harm]. They will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will not ·do either one any good [succeed], because ·God has set a time for their end to come [the appointed time of the end has been set]. ²⁸ ·The king of the North [^LHe; ^CAntiochus] will go back to his own country with much wealth. Then he will decide to go against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; ^Cas Antiochus returned to Syria from Egypt, he took aggressive action against the Jews in Jerusalem]. He will take action and then return to his own country.

²⁹ “At the ·right [appointed] time ·the king of the North [^Lhe] will attack the king of the South again, but this time ·he will not be successful as he was before [^Lit will not be as before]. ³⁰ Ships from ·the west [^LKittim; ^CRome, which made Antiochus stand down from his attack on the South] will come and fight against ·the king of the North [^Lhim], so he will be ·afraid [startled; or dismayed]. Then he will return and show his anger against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. He will be good to those who have ·stopped obeying [^Labandoned; forsaken] the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; ^Cthe pro-Antiochus party among the Jewish people].

³¹ “·The king of the North will send his army [^LForces from him will arise] to ·make the Temple in Jerusalem unclean [^Lprofane the Holy Place and fortress]. They will ·stop the people from offering [^Lturn aside] the ·daily [regular] sacrifice [8:12], and then they will set up a ·blasphemous object that brings destruction [^Labomination of desolation; ^Ca pagan object, perhaps a meteorite dedicated to Zeus, would be placed in the holy place; Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; also 1 Maccabees 1:44–47, 54 in the Apocrypha]. ³² ·The king of the North [^LHe] will tell lies and cause those who have ·not obeyed God [^Ltransgressed the agreement/covenant/treaty] to ·be ruined [^Lbecome godless]. But those who know God and obey him will be strong and fight back.

³³ “Those who are ·wise [^Linsightful among the people] will help ·the others [^Lmany] understand what is happening. But they will ·be killed [^Lstumble] with swords, or ·burned [^Lwith flame], or ·taken captive [^Lby exile], or ·robbed of their homes and possessions [^Lby spoil]. These things will continue for many days. ³⁴ When ·the wise ones are suffering [^Lthey stumble], they will get a little help, but many who join ·the wise ones [^Lthem] will ·not help them in their time of need [^Lbe insincere]. ³⁵ Some of the ·wise [^Linsightful] ones will ·be killed [^Lstumble]. ·But the hard times must come so they can be made stronger and purer and without faults [^L…in order to refine, to purify, and to cleanse them] until the time of the end comes. Then, at the right time, the end will come.

The King Who Praises Himself

³⁶ “·The king of the North [^LThe king] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases; desires]. He will ·brag about [exalt] himself and praise himself and think he is even better than a god. He will say ·things [fantastic/horrendous things] against the God of gods that no one has ever heard. And he will be successful until ·all the bad things have happened [^Lrage is completed]. Then what ·God has planned to happen [^Lis determined] will happen. ³⁷ ·The king of the North [^LHe] will ·not care about [pay no attention to] the gods ·his ancestors worshiped [^Lof his ancestors/fathers; ^Che replaced the worship of Apollos with that of Zeus] or the god ·that women worship [^Ldesired/coveted/favored by women; ^Cperhaps Adonis or Dionysius]. He won’t ·care about [pay attention to] any god. Instead, he will ·make himself more important than any god [^Lexalt himself above all]. ³⁸ ·The king of the North [^LHe] will ·worship [glorify] ·power and strength [^La god of fortresses in his place], ·which his ancestors did not worship [^La god his ancestors/fathers did not know]. He will ·honor [glorify] the god of power with gold and silver, ·expensive jewels [precious stones] and ·gifts [^Ldesired/coveted/favored things]. ³⁹ That king will attack ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] with the help of a foreign god. He will give much ·honor [glory; or wealth] to the people who ·join [acknowledge; recognize] him, making them rulers in charge of many other people. And he will ·make them pay him for the land they rule [^Ldistribute the land for a price].