Beginning
Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts
7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon,[a] Daniel had a dream. When he was on his bed, he saw visions in his head. Then he wrote down the dream by recording the main points.
2 Daniel said:
During my visions at night, I was watching and saw the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four large beasts were coming out of the sea, each one different from the others.
4 The first was like a lion. It had wings like an eagle. I kept watching until its wings were plucked off. Then it was lifted up from the earth so that it stood on its feet like a man, and a man’s mind was given to it.
5 Then another appeared, a second beast that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side. Three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. This is what was being said to it: “Arise, devour much flesh.”
6 After this, I kept watching and another beast appeared which was like a leopard. It had four bird wings on its back. The beast had four heads, and dominion[b] was given to it.
7 After this, I kept watching the night visions, and another beast appeared. The fourth beast was frightening and terrifying and very strong. It had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed. With its feet it trampled whatever was left. Now it was different from all the beasts that came before it. It had ten horns.
8 I was thinking about the horns when suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them. Three of the horns that had already been there were uprooted to make room for it. I noticed eyes like human eyes on that horn, and it had a mouth which was speaking boastfully.
The Coming of the Son of Man
9 I continued to watch until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne was flames of fire. Its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire flowed out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and books were opened.
11 I kept paying attention to the sound of the boastful words that the horn was speaking. I kept watching until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion had been taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a set period of time.
13 I kept watching the night visions, and there, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man[c] coming. He came to the Ancient of Days, and he was brought before him. 14 To him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will worship him. His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
An Angel Explains the Four Beasts
15 I, Daniel—my spirit was distressed within my body, and the visions in my head disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there, and I asked him for the truth about all this. So he spoke to me and made the meaning of these visions clear to me. 17 “These great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints[d] of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will possess the kingdom forever—yes, forever and ever.”
19 Then I wanted to be certain about that fourth beast that was different from all the others. It was very frightening. Its teeth were iron, and its claws were bronze. It devoured and crushed, and whatever was left it trampled with its feet. 20 I also wanted to be certain about the ten horns on its head, about the other horn that came up, and about the three horns that fell to make room for it. What is more, that horn had eyes and a mouth that was speaking boastful things. Its appearance was greater than that of the other horns that were with it. 21 I kept watching, and that horn made war against the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was rendered in favor of the saints of the Most High. Then the time came, and the saints took possession of the kingdom.
23 So this is what he said to me:
The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trample it, and smash it. 24 As for the ten horns—ten kings will arise from that kingdom, and another king will arise after them. He will be different from the previous ones, and he will humble three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High so that he will wear down the saints of the Most High. Moreover, he has plans to change times and the law. So the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
The Establishment of the Kingdom of God
26 Then the court will be seated, and the horn’s dominion will be taken away in order to destroy it and wipe it out forever. 27 But the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens will be given to the people, to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and all dominions will worship and obey him.
28 This was the end of the matter. I, Daniel—my thoughts troubled me greatly. My appearance changed and my face became pale, but I kept the matter to myself.
Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar,[e] a vision appeared to me—I, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me previously.
2 I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the citadel[f] of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up and right there in front of me I saw a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were large. One, however, was larger than the other, but the larger one had grown up later. 4 I saw the ram pushing toward the west, north, and south, and no beast was able to stand in his way. Nothing could rescue anyone from his power. So he did as he pleased and made himself great.
5 As I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat coming from the west, moving across the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram with the two horns that I saw standing beside the canal, and he ran at him with fierce anger. 7 I saw him coming up to the ram, and he was enraged against him. He struck the ram and broke his two horns. The ram had no power to stand up against him, so the goat threw the ram to the ground and trampled him. There was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8 The male goat made himself very great. But as he became strong, his large horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns grew up in its place toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Then from one of these horns a single horn came up. It began small, but it became very large toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It exalted itself against the army of heaven. It made some of that army and some of the stars fall to earth, and it trampled them. 11 It exalted itself against the Prince of the Army. It deprived him of the continual sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 The army and the continual sacrifice will be handed over to the horn during the rebellion, and it will throw truth to the ground. It will succeed in doing this.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one speaking, “How long is the vision about the continual sacrifice and the rebellion that causes desolation going to last—this handing over of both the Holy Place and the army to be trampled?”
14 He said to him, “Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, and then the Holy Place will be consecrated.”
Gabriel Explains the Vision of the Ram and the Goat
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then suddenly there was someone standing in front of me who had the appearance of a man. 16 I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17 So he came beside the spot where I stood, and when he came, I was terrified and fell facedown. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 When he had spoken with me, I fell into a deep sleep, facedown on the ground. He touched me and made me stand up.
19 He said, “Listen, I am about to make known to you what will happen during the last part of the furious anger, because this concerns the appointed time of the end.
20 “The ram that you saw had two horns, the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.[g] 22 He is the one who was broken, and four others arose in his place. Four kingdoms will arise from his nation, but not with the same power he had.
23 “In the latter part of their kingdom, when the rebels have reached their full measure, a merciless king who understands intrigue will arise.[h] 24 His power will be very great, but not from his own power. He will destroy wonderful things, and he will succeed in doing this. He will destroy mighty men[i] and the people of the saints. 25 Through his cunning, he will deceive in order to succeed by his power and will also exalt himself in his heart. He will destroy many who are at ease,[j] and he will rise up against the Prince of Princes. However, he will be broken, but not by human power. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that was spoken is true. But you—seal the vision, because it concerns a time many days in the future.”
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and carried out the king’s business. I was stunned by the vision, but I did not understand it.
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes,[k] who was a Mede by descent and who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign,[l] I, Daniel, understood from the scrolls that, according to the word of the Lord given to the prophet Jeremiah, the number of years it would take to complete the devastation of Jerusalem was seventy years.
3 With fasting, sackcloth, and ashes I turned my face to the Lord God to seek him in prayer and to plead for grace. 4 I prayed to the Lord, my God, and I made confession.
Please, Lord, you are the great God, who is to be feared,[m] who keeps the covenant, and who shows mercy to those who love him and keep his commands. 5 We have sinned. We have been guilty. We have acted wickedly. We have rebelled and turned aside from your commands and standards. 6 We did not listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, officials, and fathers and to all the people of the land.
7 Righteousness is yours, Lord, but we are filled with shame this day—we the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the lands where you have banished them because of the treachery with which they betrayed you. 8 Lord, we are filled with shame—our kings, our officials, and our fathers, who sinned against you. 9 Acts of compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God by walking according to his laws that he set before us through the hand of his servants, the prophets. 11 All Israel violated your law and turned away by not listening to your voice. So you poured out the curse on us and fulfilled the oath that is written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against him.
12 God has fulfilled the words that he spoke against us and against our judges by bringing such a great disaster upon us. What was done in Jerusalem has never been done under all of heaven. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster came upon us, but we did not seek the favor of the Lord our God to turn from our guilt and to gain insight into your truth. 14 Therefore, the Lord watched over the disaster and brought it upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does, but we did not listen to his voice.
15 And now, Lord our God, you who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made a name for yourself to this very day, we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain, although, because of our sins and the guilt of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are viewed with contempt by everyone around us.
17 Now listen, our God, to the prayer of your servant and to his plea for grace, and let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary for your sake, my Lord. 18 My God, turn your ear toward us and listen. Open your eyes and see the desolation that is upon us and the city that is called by your name. No, it is not because of our righteous acts that we are casting our plea for grace before you, but because of your great acts of compassion. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention! Act, and do not delay—for your sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.
Gabriel Explains Jerusalem’s Future
20 While I was still speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, I was casting my prayer for grace, concerning the holy mountain of my God, before the Lord my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the first vision, touched me. I was completely exhausted.[n] It was about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me, “Daniel, now I have come to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your plea for grace, a word went out, and I came to declare it to you, because you are very treasured. So pay attention to the word and understand the vision.”
The Vision of Seventy Sevens
24 Seventy sevens[o] are determined concerning your people and your holy city:
to end rebellion,
to finish sin,
and to atone for guilt,
to bring everlasting righteousness,
to seal up prophetic vision,
and to anoint a most holy one.[p]
25 You should know and have insight. From the going out of a word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one,[q] a ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens.[r] Jerusalem will be rebuilt with public squares and a moat, but during troubled times.
26 Then after the sixty-two sevens, the anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. Both the city and the holy place will be destroyed by the people of a ruler who is coming,[s] and its end will be with a flood. There will be war until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
27 He[t] will confirm a covenant for the many during one seven. In the middle of the seven, he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease.
On the wing of abominations is one who causes desolation, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who causes desolation.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.