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Vision of the Ram and Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, [a]Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me [b]previously. 2 I (A)looked in the vision, and while I was looking, I was in the citadel of (B)Susa, which is in the province of (C)Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a (D)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were [c]long, but one was [d]longer than the other, with the [e]longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram (E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his [f]power, but (F)he did as he pleased and made himself great.
5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a (G)prominent horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7 And I saw him come up beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and smashed his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his [g]power. 8 Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once (H)he became powerful, the (I)large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the (J)four winds of heaven.
The Little Horn
9 And out of one of them came a rather (K)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the [h](L)Beautiful Land. 10 It grew up to the heavenly [i]lights, and some of the [j]lights, [k]that is, some of the (M)stars it threw down to the earth, and it (N)trampled them. 11 It even (O)exalted itself [l]to be equal with the [m]Commander of the army; and it removed the (P)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And because of [n]an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will (Q)hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. 13 Then I heard a (R)holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “(S)How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, [o]while the offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army [p]to be (T)trampled?” 14 And he said to me, “For (U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be [q]properly restored.”
Interpretation of the Vision
15 When (V)I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought [r]to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one [s]who looked like a (W)man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “(X)Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and (Y)fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the (Z)time of the end.”
18 Now while he was talking with me, I was (AA)dazed with my face to the ground; but he (AB)touched me and made me stand at my place. 19 And he said, “Behold, I am going to (AC)inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end.
The Ram’s Identity
20 The (AD)ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
The Goat
21 The shaggy [t]goat represents the [u]kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 The (AE)broken horn and the four horns that came up in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.
23 And in the latter period of their [v]dominion,
When the wrongdoers have [w]run their course,
A king will arise,
[x]Insolent and skilled in [y]intrigue.
24 And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will [z](AF)destroy to an extraordinary degree
And be successful and do as he pleases;
He will [aa]destroy mighty men and [ab]the holy people.
25 And through his shrewdness
He will make deceit a success by his [ac]influence;
And he will make himself great in his [ad]own mind,
And he will [ae]destroy many while they are [af]at ease.
He will even [ag](AG)oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken (AH)without [ah]human agency.
26 And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is (AI)true;
But as for you, (AJ)keep the vision secret,
Because it pertains to many (AK)days in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was [ai](AL)exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and (AM)carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.
Christ Is Our Advocate
2 (A)My little children, I am (B)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, (C)we have an [a](D)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is (E)the [b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also (F)for the sins of the whole world.
3 (G)By this we know that we have come to (H)know Him, if we (I)keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “(J)I have come to (K)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a (L)liar, and (M)the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever (N)follows His word, in him the (O)love of God has truly been perfected. (P)By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says that he (Q)remains in Him (R)ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.
7 (S)Beloved, I am (T)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had (U)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 [c]On the other hand, I am writing (V)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because (W)the darkness is passing away and (X)the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who says that he is in the Light and yet (Y)hates his (Z)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 (AA)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. 11 But the one who (AB)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and (AC)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has (AD)blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, (AE)little children, because (AF)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him (AG)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (AH)you have overcome (AI)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because (AJ)you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him (AK)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (AL)strong, and the (AM)word of God remains in you, and (AN)you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love (AO)the world nor the things in the world. (AP)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (AQ)the lust of the flesh and (AR)the lust of the eyes and (AS)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (AT)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who (AU)does the will of God continues to live forever.
Prayer for Rescue from the Treacherous.
A Song of [a]Ascents.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.