Old/New Testament
Daniel’s Vision
8 ·During [In] the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule [C perhaps 547 bc], I, Daniel, saw another vision, ·which was like the first one [L after the one that appeared to me in the beginning/previously; 7:1]. 2 In this vision I saw myself in the ·capital city [or fortress city] of Susa, in the ·area [province] of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate] 3 when I ·looked up and [L lifted my eyes I] saw a ·male sheep [ram] standing beside the ·canal [or gate]. It had two long horns, but one horn was longer and ·newer than the other [L came up second]. 4 I watched the ·sheep [ram] charge to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could ·save [protect] another animal from his ·power [L hand]. He did whatever he ·wanted [pleased] and became very ·powerful [great; strong].
5 While I was ·watching this [or reflecting; pondering], I saw a male goat come from the west. This goat had ·one large horn between his eyes that was easy to see [L a horn of vision; or a conspicuous horn between its eyes]. He crossed over the whole earth without touching the ground [C because of its speed].
6 ·In his anger [or With angry power] the goat ·charged [L came up to] the ·sheep [ram] with the two horns that I had seen standing by the ·canal [or gate]. 7 I watched the angry goat ·attack [approach] the ·sheep [ram] and break the ·sheep’s [ram’s] two horns. The ·sheep [ram] ·was not strong enough to stop him [L did not have the power/strength to stand before him]. The goat ·knocked [threw] the ·sheep [ram] to the ground and then ·walked all over him [trampled him]. No one was able to ·save [protect] the ·sheep [ram] from ·the goat [its power/L hand], 8 so the male goat became very ·great [powerful; strong]. But when he was strong, his ·big [or conspicuous] horn broke off and four horns grew in place of the one big horn. Those four horns ·pointed in four different directions [L were toward the four winds of heaven] and were ·easy to see [conspicuous].
9 Then ·a little horn grew from one of those four horns [L from one of them came out another horn, a little one; 7:8], and it became very ·big [great]. It grew to the south, the east, and toward the beautiful land [C Judah; Ezek. 20:6, 15]. 10 That ·little horn [L it] grew ·until it reached to the sky [L to the hosts of heaven; C the angels and the stars]. It even threw some of the ·army of heaven [L hosts and the stars] to the ground and ·walked on [trampled] them! 11 ·That little horn [L It] set itself up as equal to the prince of ·heaven’s armies [L the hosts; C God]. It ·stopped [abolished] the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [Ex. 29:38–41; Num. 28:3–8] that were offered to him, and the ·Temple, the place where people worshiped him, [L place of the sanctuary] was ·pulled down [overthrown]. 12 Because there was a ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression], the people stopped the ·daily [regular] sacrifices. Truth was thrown down to the ground, and ·the horn [L it] was successful in everything it did.
13 Then I heard ·a holy angel [L one of the holy ones] speaking. Another ·holy angel [L holy one] asked the first one, “How long will the things in this vision last—the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [8:12], the ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression] that brings ·destruction [desolation], the ·Temple [sanctuary] being pulled down, and the ·army of heaven [host] being ·walked on [trampled]?”
14 The angel said to me, “This will happen for twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings [C either 2,300 or 1,150 days]. Then the ·holy place [sanctuary] will be ·repaired [restored; made right again].”
15 I, Daniel, saw this vision and ·tried to understand what it meant [L sought understanding]. I saw someone who looked like a man standing near me. 16 And I heard a man’s voice calling from the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate]: “Gabriel [C an angel], explain the vision to this man.”
17 ·Gabriel [L He] came to where I was standing. When he came close to me, I was ·very afraid [terrified; or overwhelmed] and ·bowed facedown on the ground [L fell on my face]. But ·Gabriel [L he] said to me, “·Human being [L Son of man], understand that this vision is about the time of the end.”
18 While ·Gabriel [L he] was speaking, I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground. Then he touched me [C strengthening him] and ·lifted me to my feet [L made me stand in my place]. 19 He said, “Now, I will ·explain [make known; reveal] to you what will happen in the time of anger. Your vision was about the ·set [appointed] time of the end.
20 “You saw a ·male sheep [ram] with two horns, which are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of ·Greece [L Javan], and the big horn between its eyes is the first king [C Alexander the Great, who defeated Persia around 330 bc]. 22 The four horns that grew in the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms [C Alexander died in 323 bc and his four most powerful generals carved up his empire between them]. Those four kingdoms will come from ·the nation of the first king [L his nation], but ·they will not be as strong as the first king [L not with his power/strength].
23 “When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a ·bold and cruel [fierce/stern-faced] king who ·tells lies will come [L understands riddles/enigmas; C Antiochus Epiphanes, who terrorized the Jews in the mid-second century bc]. This will happen when ·many people have turned against God [rebellions/transgressions will reach their height]. 24 ·This king will be very powerful [L His power will be strong], but ·his power will not come from himself [L not his own power]. He will cause ·terrible [fearful] destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and even ·God’s holy people [L the people of the holy ones]. 25 This king will succeed by using ·lies and force [L the deceit in his hand/power]. He will ·think that he is very important [L be great in his heart]. He will destroy many people ·without warning [or with ease]; he will ·try to fight [L stand against] even the Prince of princes! But ·that cruel king [L he] will be ·destroyed [L broken], and not by human ·power [L hand].
26 “The vision that has been shown to you about these evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because ·those things won’t happen for a long time [L it concerns many days from now].”
27 I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for ·several days after that vision [L some days]. Then I got up and went back to work for the king, but I was very ·upset [dismayed; perplexed] about the vision. I didn’t understand what it meant.
Daniel’s Prayer
9 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Ahasuerus was king over ·Babylon [L the Chaldeans; C 539 bc]. He was ·a descendant [L from the seed] of the Medes [C a people group within the Persian empire]. 2 During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was ·reading in [pondering/reflecting on] the Scriptures. I saw ·that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years [L the number of years which were according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the ruin of Jerusalem was seventy years; 2 Chr. 36:20–22; Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10].
3 Then I turned [L my face] to the Lord God and ·prayed [L sought in prayer] and ·asked him for help [supplication]. ·To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in [L …with fasting, and sackcloth, and] ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and ·told him about all of our sins [made confession]. I said, “Lord, you are a great ·God who causes fear and wonder [L and awesome God]. You ·keep [guard] ·your agreement of love [covenant and loyalty] with all who love you and ·obey [keep; guard] your commands.
5 “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and ·turned [rebelled] against you, your commands, and your ·laws [judgments]. 6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke ·for you [L in your name] to our kings, our ·leaders [princes], our ·ancestors [fathers], and all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, ·you are good and right [L to you is righteousness], but ·we are full of shame [L to us is shame of face] today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you ·scattered [drove away] among many nations because they were ·not loyal [treacherous] to you. 8 Lord, ·we are all ashamed [L to us is shame of face]. Our kings and ·leaders [princes] and our ·fathers [ancestors] are ·ashamed [shame-faced], because we have ·sinned against [or failed] you.
9 “But, Lord our God, you ·show us mercy [have compassion] and forgive us even though we have ·turned [rebelled] against you. 10 We have not ·obeyed [L listened to the voice of] the Lord our God or the ·teachings [instructions; laws] he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 11 All the people of Israel have ·disobeyed [transgressed] your ·teachings [instructions; laws] and have turned away, refusing to ·obey you [L listen to your voice]. So you ·brought [poured] on us the curses and ·promises of punishment [oaths] written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses [Deut. 28:64–68], the servant of God, because we ·sinned against [failed] you.
12 “·You said these things would happen to us and our ·leaders [judges], and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done ·on earth [L under all the heavens] like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses [Deut. 28:15–68]. But we have not ·pleaded [entreated] with the Lord our God. We have not ·stopped [turned from] ·sinning [iniquity]. We have not ·paid attention to [considered; pondered; reflected on] your ·truth [faithfulness]. 14 The Lord ·was ready to bring [L kept watch on and brought] the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is ·right [righteous] in everything he does. But we still did not ·obey him [L listen to his voice].
15 “Lord our God, ·you used your power and [L by your strong hand you] brought us out of Egypt [Ex. 12–15]. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and ·have done wrong [acted wickedly]. 16 Lord, ·you do what is right, but [L according to all your righteousness,] ·please do not be angry with [L turn aside your anger and your wrath from] Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill [C Zion, the location of the Temple]. Because of our sins and the ·evil things [iniquity] done by our ·ancestors [fathers], people all around ·insult and make fun of [scorn; reproach] Jerusalem and your people.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my ·prayer for help [supplication], and for ·your [L the Lord’s] sake ·do good things for [L make your face shine on] your ·holy place [sanctuary] that is in ruins. 18 My God, ·pay attention [L extend/incline your ear] and hear me. Open your eyes and see all ·the terrible things that have happened to us [L our desolation/destruction] and the city that is called by your name. We do not ·ask these things [present our supplication] because ·we are good [of our righteousness]; instead, we ask because of your ·mercy [compassion]. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, ·hear us [pay attention] and do something! For your sake, don’t ·wait [delay], because your city and your people are called by your name.”
Gabriel’s Explanation
20 While I was ·saying these things in my prayer [L speaking and praying] to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and ·praying [L laying down my supplication] for God’s holy hill [C Zion, the location of the Temple], 21 Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my ·last vision [L vision in the beginning; 8:1].) ·He came flying quickly to me [or…when I was tired and weary] about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying. 22 He ·taught me [L made me understand] and said to me, “Daniel, I have come [L out now] to give you wisdom and to help you understand. 23 ·When you first started praying [L At the beginning of your supplication], an ·answer [L word] ·was given [L went out], and I came to tell you, because ·God loves you very much [L you are favored/coveted/desired]. So ·think about [consider; reflect; ponder] the ·message [L word] and ·understand [consider; reflect; ponder] the vision.
24 “·God has ordered four hundred ninety years [L Seventy sevens/weeks are given] for your people and your holy city [C for the following reasons]: to ·stop [finish] ·people from turning against God [transgression]; to put an end to sin; to ·take away [atone for] ·evil [iniquity]; to bring in ·goodness that continues forever [everlasting righteousness]; to ·bring about [seal] the vision and prophecy; and to ·appoint [anoint] a most holy place.
25 “Learn and understand these things. A command will come to ·rebuild [L restore and build] Jerusalem. The time from this command until the ·appointed leader [anointed prince] comes will be ·forty-nine years [L seven sevens/weeks] and ·four hundred thirty-four years [L sixty-two sevens/weeks]. Jerusalem will be ·rebuilt [L restored and built] with ·streets [or public squares] and a ·trench filled with water around it [moat; or conduits], but it will be built in times of ·trouble [oppression]. 26 After the ·four hundred thirty-four years [L sixty-two sevens/weeks] the ·appointed leader [L anointed one] will be ·killed [L cut off]; he will have nothing. The ·people [or troops] of the ·leader [prince] who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of ·the city [L it/or him] will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. ·God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed [L Desolation/Destruction is decreed]. 27 ·That leader [L He] will make firm an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with many people for ·seven years [L one seven/week]. He will ·stop [make cease] the offerings and sacrifices after ·three and one-half years [L a half a seven/week]. ·A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city [L …and upon a wing will be the horrible abominations until the decreed end overwhelms the desolator].”
Daniel’s Vision of a Man
10 During Cyrus’ third year as king of Persia [C 536 bc], a ·message [L word] was revealed to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar [1:7]. The ·message [L word] was true and concerned a great ·war [conflict]. He understood the ·message [L word] and understood the vision.
2 ·At that time [L In those days] I, Daniel, had been ·very sad [mourning] for three ·weeks [sevens of days]. 3 I did not eat any ·fancy [rich] food or meat, or drink any wine, or ·use any perfumed oil [anoint myself] ·for three weeks [L until the completion of the three weeks/sevens of days].
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was standing beside the great Tigris River [C along with the Euphrates, one of the major rivers in Babylon, present-day Iraq]. 5 I ·looked up [L lifted up my eyes] and saw a man dressed in linen clothes with a belt of gold of Uphaz [C signifying high quality] wrapped around his waist. 6 His body was like ·shiny yellow quartz [beryl; or chrysolite]. His face was like lightning [C bright], and his eyes were like ·fire [L flaming torches]. His arms and legs were ·shiny [gleaming] like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a crowd [Ezek. 1:7, 13, 23, 24, 27; 9:2; Rev. 1:15].
7 I, Daniel, was the only person who saw the vision. The men with me did not see it, because ·they were so frightened [L great trembling fell on them] that they ·ran away [fled] and hid. 8 So I was left alone, watching this great vision. ·I lost my strength [L No strength was left in me], my ·face turned white like a dead person [L splendor was spoiled], and I ·was helpless [L retained no strength]. 9 Then I heard the ·man in the vision speaking [L sound of his words]. As I ·listened [L heard the sound of his words], I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground.
10 Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. I was so afraid that I was ·shaking [trembling]. 11 ·The man in the vision [L He] said to me, “Daniel, ·God loves you very much [L you are favored/coveted/desired]. Think carefully about the words I will speak to you, and stand up, because I have been sent to you.” When he said this, I stood up, but I was still ·shaking [trembling].
12 Then the man said to me, “Daniel, do not be afraid. ·Some time ago [L From the first day] you ·decided [L gave your heart/mind] to get understanding and to humble yourself before your God. ·Since that time God has listened to you [L …your words have been heard], and I have come because of your ·prayers [L words]. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [C a spiritual being; nations have their presiding angels; Deut. 32:8–9] ·has been fighting [L stood] against me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the most important ·angels [L princes], came to help me, because I had been left there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to ·explain to you [help you understand] what will happen to your people, because the vision is about a time in the future.”
15 While he was speaking to me, I ·bowed facedown [L placed my face on the ground] and could not speak. 16 Then one ·who looked like a man [L according to the likeness of a son of man] touched my lips, so I opened my mouth and started to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “Master, ·I am upset and afraid [L pangs/anguish/pain came over me] because of what I saw in the vision. I ·feel helpless [L could not retain strength]. 17 Master, how can I, your servant, talk with ·you [L my master]? ·My strength is gone [L From now strength does not remain in me], and ·it is hard for me to breathe [L breath does not remain in me].”
18 The one ·who looked like a [like the appearance of a] man touched me again and gave me strength. 19 He said, “Daniel, don’t be afraid. ·God loves you very much [L You are favored/coveted/desired]. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous.”
When he spoke to me, I became stronger and said, “Master, speak, since you have given me strength.”
20 Then he said, “Daniel, do you know why I have come to you? Soon I must go back to fight against the prince of Persia [v. 13]. When I go, the prince of ·Greece [L Javan] will come, 21 but I must first tell you what is ·written [inscribed] in the ·Book of Truth [or dependable writings]. No one stands with me against these enemies except Michael, ·the angel ruling over your people [L your prince].
Help Christians Who Teach Truth
1 From the Elder [or old man; C Greek: presbyteros, referring to advanced age, a church office, or both; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1; see 2 John 1].
To ·my dear friend [L the beloved] Gaius [C an otherwise unknown Christian leader], whom I love in the truth [C the truth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ]:
2 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], I pray that you are ·doing well [prospering] in ·every way [all respects] and that your health is good, just as ·your soul is doing fine [it is well with your soul; your soul is prospering]. 3 [L For] I was very happy when some brothers and sisters came and ·told me [testified] about the truth in your life and how you are ·following [L walking in] the way of truth [2 John 4]. 4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children [C members of the church under his spiritual care] are ·following the way of truth [walking in the truth].
5 ·My dear friend [L Beloved], ·it is good that [you are living out your faith when] you help the brothers and sisters, even those ·you do not know [L who are strangers]. 6 They ·told [testified before] the church about your love. ·Please help them [You will do well] to continue their trip [C as missionaries] in a way worthy of God. 7 [L For] They ·started out in service to Christ [L departed for the sake of the name], and they have been accepting ·nothing [no support] from nonbelievers [L Gentiles; pagans]. 8 So we should ·help [show hospitality to; support] such people; when we do, we ·share in their work [become coworkers] for the truth.
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be ·their leader [first], will not ·listen to us [receive us; or accept our authority]. 10 So if I come, I will ·talk about [call to mind; bring attention to] what Diotrephes [C nothing further is known about this man] is doing, about how he ·lies and says evil things about us [slanders us with evil/malicious words]. But ·more than [not satisfied with] that, he refuses to ·accept [welcome; receive] the other brothers and sisters; he even ·stops [prevents] those who do want to ·accept [welcome; receive] them and ·puts them out of [expels them from] the church.
11 ·My dear friend [Beloved], do not ·follow [imitate] what is ·bad [evil]; ·follow [imitate] what is good [1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14; 2 Thess. 3:7; Heb. 6:12; 13:7]. The one who does good ·belongs to [is from] God. But the one who does evil has never ·known [L seen] God.
12 Everyone ·says [witnesses/testifies to] good things about Demetrius [C likely the bearer of the letter to Gaius; otherwise unknown], and the truth agrees with what they say. We also ·speak [witness; testify] well of him, and you know ·what we say [our witness/testimony] is true.
13 I have many things I want to write you, but I do not want to use pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon and talk face to face. 15 Peace to you. The friends here greet you. Please greet each friend there by name [2 John 12–13].
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