Old/New Testament

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, even to me Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. ² I saw in the vision, and while I was looking, I was at Susa in the palace which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision that I was by the canal of Ulai. ³ Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there stood before the river a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high. But one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. ⁴ I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward, so that no animal might stand before him; nor was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

⁵ As I was considering this, suddenly a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ⁶ He came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran to him in the fury of his power. ⁷ I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with rage against him, and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped on him. And there was none who could deliver the ram out of his hand. ⁸ Therefore the male goat grew very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns came up in its place toward the four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

⁹ Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Pleasant Land. ¹⁰ It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them. ¹¹ Indeed, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and from Him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. ¹² Because of rebellion, an army was given to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifice; and it cast truth to the ground. It practiced this and prospered.

¹³ Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spoke, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”

¹⁴ And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be cleansed properly.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

¹⁵ When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought for the meaning. Then there before me stood one who had the appearance of a man. ¹⁶ I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

¹⁷ So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was afraid and fell upon my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision deals with the time of the end.”

¹⁸ Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face toward the ground. But he touched me and set me upright.

¹⁹ He said, “Listen, I will make you know what shall be in the final period of the indignation, for the end shall be at the appointed time. ²⁰ The ram which you saw having two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The rough goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ²² Now the broken horn and the four horns that stood up in its place are four kingdoms that shall stand up out of his nation, but not with his power.

²³ “In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king will arise, having a fierce countenance, skilled in intrigue. ²⁴ His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice his will and shall destroy the mighty men and the holy people. ²⁵ By his cunning, he shall cause deceit to succeed under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in a time of peace. He shall also rise up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken, not by human hands.

²⁶ “And the vision of the evenings and the mornings, which was told, is true. Therefore shut up the vision, for it deals with many days in the future.”

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for some days. Afterward I rose up again and did the king’s business. So I was astonished at the vision, but there was none to explain it.

The Prayer of Daniel

9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which were specified by the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishment of the desolations of Jerusalem, that is, seventy years. ³ I set my face toward the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said,

“Alas, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping His covenant and mercy to those who love Him, and to those who keep His commandments. ⁵ We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and from Your judgments. ⁶ We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our officials, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷ “O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day, to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all Israel, who are near and who are far off, through all the countries wherever You have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against You. ⁸ O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, to our officials, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against You. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. ¹⁰ We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Indeed, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even by departing that they might not obey Your voice.

“Therefore the curse has been poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. ¹² He has confirmed His words, which He had spoken against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done such as has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ As it is written in the Law of Moses, great calamity has come on us. Yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God so that we might turn from our iniquities and give attention to Your truth. ¹⁴ Therefore, the Lord has kept the disaster in store and brought it upon us. For the Lord our God is righteous in all His works which He does, but we have not obeyed His voice.

¹⁵ “Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, even to this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. ¹⁶ O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain, because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

¹⁷ “Now therefore, O God, hear the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name, for we do not present our supplications before You for our righteousness, but for Your great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not defer, for Your own sake, O my God. For Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

The Seventy Weeks

²⁰ While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, ²¹ indeed, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. ²² He informed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. ²³ At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision:

²⁴ “Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

²⁵ “Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Prince Messiah shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of trouble. ²⁶ After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, and the message was true and one of great conflict. And he understood the message and had understanding of the vision.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no tasty food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river which is Tigris, ⁵ I lifted up my eyes and looked and saw a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with the fine gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like beryl, and his face had the appearance of lightning, and his eyes were like lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet were like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

⁷ I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. ⁸ Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, and my countenance grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. ⁹ Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words, then I was in a deep sleep on my face with my face toward the ground.

Prophecies of Persia and Greece

¹⁰ But then a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. ¹¹ He said to me, “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you now.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹² Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. For from the first day that you set your heart to understand this and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is yet for many days.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken such words to me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became mute. ¹⁶ Then one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, because of the vision, sorrows have come upon me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ How can the servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? And as for me, there remains no strength in me now, nor is there any breath left in me.”

¹⁸ Then again, the one having the appearance of a man came and touched me, and he strengthened me. ¹⁹ He said, “O man, greatly beloved, do not fear. Peace be unto you. Be strong and courageous!”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰ Then he said, “Do you understand why I have come to you? But now I shall return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, then truly the prince of Greece will come. ²¹ But I will show you what is inscribed in the Scripture of Truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces, except Michael your prince.

Salutation

The elder,

To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth:

² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, even as your soul is well. ³ For I greatly rejoiced when brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Working Together

⁵ Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and for strangers, ⁶ who have testified of your love before the church. You will do well to send them along on their journey in a manner worthy of God. ⁷ For His name’s sake they went out, receiving no help from the Gentiles. ⁸ Therefore we ought to receive such men, that we might be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first among them, did not accept us. ¹⁰ Because of this, if I come, I will bring up what kinds of works he does: ranting against us with malicious words. Not content with that, he does not accept the brothers, and stops those who want to, and throws them out of the church.

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. Whoever does good is from God, but whoever does evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius receives good reports from everyone and from the truth itself. Yes, and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

Final Greetings

¹³ I had many things to write, but I would rather not write to you with pen and ink. ¹⁴ Instead, I hope to see you soon, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.