Beginning
The Vision of the Four Beasts
7 In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel dreamed a dream, receiving visions in his mind while in bed, after which he recorded the dream, relating this summary of events.
2 Daniel said, “I observed the vision during the night. Look! The four winds of the skies were stirring up the Mediterranean[a] Sea. 3 Four magnificent animals were rising from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first resembled a lion, but it had eagles’ wings. I continued to watch until its wings were plucked off, it was lifted up off the ground, and it was forced to stand on two feet like a man. A human soul[b] was imparted to it.
5 “Then look!—a second animal resembling a bear followed it.[c] It was raised up on one side, with three ribs held between the teeth in its mouth. Therefore people kept telling it, ‘Get up and devour lots of meat!’
6 “After this, I continued to watch—and look!—there was another one, resembling a leopard with four birds’ wings on its back. The animal also had four heads, and authority was imparted to it.
7 “After this, I continued to observe the night visions. And look!—there was a fourth awe-inspiring, terrifying, and viciously strong animal! It had large, iron teeth. It devoured and crushed things,[d] and trampled under its feet whatever remained. Different from all of the other previous animals, it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns—look—another horn, this time[e] a little one, grew up among them. Three of the first horns were yanked up by their roots right in front of it. Look! It had eyes like those of a human being and a mouth that boasted with audacious claims.”
The Vision of the Ancient of Days
9 “I kept on watching until the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothes were white, like snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne burned with flaming fire, and its wheels burned with fire. 10 A river of fire flowed out from before him. Thousands upon thousands were serving him, with millions upon millions waiting before him. The court sat in judgment,[f] and record books were unsealed.
11 “I continued watching because of the audacious words that the horn was speaking. I kept observing until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and given over to burning fire. 12 Now as to the other animals, their authority was removed, but they were granted a reprieve from execution[g] for an appointed period of time.”
The Vision of the Son of Man
13 “I continued to observe the night vision—and look!—someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all people, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion—it will never pass away—and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
The Vision Interpreted
15 “Now as for me, Daniel, I was emotionally troubled, and what I had seen in the visions kept alarming me. 16 So I approached one of those who was standing nearby and began to ask the meaning of all of this. He spoke to me and caused me to understand the interpretation of these things. 17 He said, ‘These four great animals are four kings who will rise to power from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Highest will receive the kingdom forever, inheriting it[h] forever and ever.’
19 “I wanted to learn the precise significance of the fourth animal that was different from all the others, extremely awe-inspiring, with iron teeth and bronze claws, and that had devoured and crushed things,[i] trampling under its feet whatever remained. 20 Also, I wanted to learn the significance of[j] the ten horns on its head and the other horn that had arisen, before which three of them had fallen—that is, the horn with eyes and a mouth that uttered magnificent things and which was greater in appearance than its fellows.
21 “As I continued to watch, that same horn waged war against the saints, and was prevailing against them 22 until the Ancient of Days arrived to pass judgment in favor of the saints of the Highest One and the time came for the saints to take possession of the kingdom. 23 So he said:
‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 Now as to the ten horns, ten kings will rise to power from this kingdom, and another king[k] will rise to power after them. He will be different from the previous kings,[l] and will defeat three kings. 25 He’ll speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One. He’ll attempt to alter times and laws, and they’ll be given into his control for a time, times, and half a time. 26 Nevertheless, the court will convene, and his authority will be removed, annulled, and destroyed forever. 27 Then the kingdom, authority, and magnificence of all nations of the earth[m] will be given to the people who are the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will endure forever, and all authorities will serve him and obey him.’
28 “At this point the vision ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts continued to alarm me, and I lost my natural color, but I kept quiet about the matter.”[n]
The Vision of the Ram and Goat
8 [o]“During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw a vision after the earlier vision that had appeared to me. 2 As I observed the vision, I looked around the citadel of Susa in Elam Province. While I watched, I found myself beside the Ulai Canal. 3 “Then I turned my head[p] to look, and to my surprise, a two-horned ram was standing beside the canal. The two horns grew long,[q] the first one growing longer than[r] the second, with the longer one springing up last. 4 I watched the ram charging westward, northward, and southward. No animal could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could deliver from his control.[s] He did as he pleased and exalted himself.
5 “As I watched and wondered, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a distinctive horn between its eyes. 6 It approached the ram with the two horns that I had observed while standing beside the canal, and charged at him, out of control with rage.[t] 7 I saw it approach the ram, overflowing with fury at him, and run into him with the full force of its strength. The goat[u] shattered the ram’s[v] two horns, and the ram could not oppose it. So the goat[w] threw him to the ground and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from its control.[x] 8 Then the goat grew extremely great, but when it was strong, its great horn was shattered. In its place, four distinctive horns grew out in all directions.”[y]
The Insignificant Horn
9 “A somewhat insignificant horn emerged from one of them. It moved[z] rapidly[aa] against the south, against the east, and against the Glory.[ab] 10 Then it moved against the Heavenly Army. It persuaded some of the Heavenly Army to fall to the earth, along with some of the stars, and it trampled them. 11 Then it set itself in arrogant opposition to the Prince of the Heavenly Army, from whom the regular burnt offering was taken away, in order to overthrow his sanctuary. 12 Because of the transgression, the Heavenly Army will be given over, along with the regular burnt offering, and in that rebellion truth will be cast to the ground, while he continues to prosper and to act.”
The Duration of the Desolation
13 “Then I heard one holy person speaking, and another holy person addressed the one who was speaking: ‘In the vision about the regular burnt offering, how much time elapses while the desecration terrifies and both the Holy Place and the Heavenly Army are trampled?’
14 “He told me, ‘For 2,300 days.[ac] Then the Holy Place will be restored.’”
Gabriel Interprets the Vision
15 “After I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. All of a sudden, there was standing in front of me one who appeared to be valiant. 16 I heard the voice of a man calling out from the Ulai Canal,[ad] ‘Gabriel, interpret what that fellow has been seeing.’
17 “As he approached where I was standing, I became terrified and fell on my face. But he told me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’
18 “While he had been speaking with me, I had fainted[ae] on my face, but he touched me and enabled me to stand upright on my feet. 19 Then he said,
‘Pay attention! I’m going to brief you about what will happen at the end of the period of wrath, because its end is appointed. 20 The ram that you saw with a pair of horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The demonic[af] goat is the king of Greece,[ag] and the great horn between its eyes is its first king. 22 The shattered horn[ah] and the four that took its place are four kingdoms that will come from his nation, but they will not have his strength.
23 “Toward the end of their rule, as the desecrations proceed, an insolent king will arise, proficient at deception. 24 Mighty will be his skills, but not from his own abilities. He’ll be remarkably destructive, will succeed, and will do whatever he wants, destroying mighty men and the holy people. 25 Through his skill he’ll cause deceit to prosper under his leadership. He’ll promote himself and will destroy many while they are secure. He’ll take a stand against the Prince of Princes, yet he’ll be crushed without human help.[ai] 26 The vision about the twilights and dawnings that has been related is trustworthy, but keep its vision secret, because it pertains to the distant future.’
27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and ill for days, but afterward I got up and went about the king’s business. Nevertheless, I was astonished by the vision, and could not understand it.”
Daniel’s Prayer
9 “In the first year of the reign of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a descendant of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans[aj]— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, noted in the Scripture the total years that were assigned[ak] by the message from the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem: 70 years.
3 “So I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking him in prayer and supplication, accompanied with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God, confessing and saying:
‘Lord! Great and awesome God, who keeps his[al] covenant and gracious love for those who love him and obey his commandments, 5 we’ve sinned, we’ve practiced evil, we’ve acted wickedly, and we’ve rebelled, turning away from your commands and from your regulations. 6 Furthermore, we haven’t listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, to our officials, to our ancestors, and to all of the people of the land.
7 ‘To you, Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us, open humiliation—even to this day, to the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, both those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the lands to which you drove them because of their unfaithful acts that they committed against you.
8 ‘Open humiliation belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our officials, and our ancestors, because we’ve sinned against you. 9 But to the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we’ve rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws that he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 And all Israel flouted your Law, turning aside from it and not obeying your voice. Because we’ve sinned against him, the curse has been poured upon us, along with the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God.
12 ‘He has confirmed his accusation[am] that he spoke against us and against our rulers who governed us by bringing upon us great calamity, because nowhere in the universe[an] has anything been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 As it’s written in the Law of Moses,[ao] all this calamity has befallen us, but we still haven’t sought the Lord our God by turning from our lawlessness to pay attention to your truth. 14 So the Lord watched for the right time to bring the calamity upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous regarding everything he does, but we have not obeyed his voice.
15 ‘And now, Lord our God, who brought your people from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made a name for yourself that remains to this day—we’ve sinned. We’ve acted wickedly. 16 Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, please turn your anger and wrath away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an embarrassment to all of those around us.
17 ‘So now, O[ap] God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his requests, and look with favor on your desolate sanctuary, for the sake of the Lord. 18 Turn your ear and listen, O God. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and at the city that is called by your name. We’re not presenting our requests before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great compassion.
19 ‘Lord, listen!
‘Lord, forgive!
‘Lord, take note and take action!
‘For your own sake, don’t delay, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’”
Gabriel’s Answer: The Seventy Weeks
20 “While I was still speaking in prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and placing my request in the presence of the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of God— 21 while I was still speaking, Gabriel, the man of God whom I had seen in the previous vision, appeared to me about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave instructions, and this is what he spoke to me:
‘Daniel, I’ve now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 Because you’re highly regarded, the answer was issued when you began your prayer, and I’ve come to tell you. Pay attention to my message and you’ll understand the vision. 24 Seventy weeks[aq] have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city: to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for lawlessness, to establish everlasting righteousness, to conclude vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So be informed and discern that seven weeks and 62 weeks will elapse[ar] from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed Commander.[as] The plaza and moat will be rebuilt, though in troubled times. 26 Then after the 62 weeks, the anointed one[at] will be cut down (but not for himself).[au] Then the people of the Coming Commander[av] will destroy both the city and the Sanctuary. Its ending will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war, with desolations having been decreed. 27 He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will suspend both the sacrifice and grain offerings. Destructive people will cause desolation on the uttermost edge[aw] of the Sanctuary[ax] until it is complete and what has been decreed is poured out on the desolator.’”
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