Chronological
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
9 “While I was watching,
thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His garment was as white as snow,
and the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
its wheels a burning fire.[c]
10 A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him.
Thousands of thousands attended Him
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.[d]
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.[e]
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.
13 “I was watching in the night visions.
Behold, One like a Son of Man,[g]
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days,
and was brought into His presence.
14 Dominion, glory and sovereignty were given to Him
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.[h]
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:
24 “Seventy weeks[u] are decreed concerning your people and your holy city,
to put an end to transgression
to bring sin to an end,
to atone for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the Holy of Holies.
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.’”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.