Vision of the Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, (A)Daniel [a]had a dream and (B)visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling [b]the main facts.

Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts (C)came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was (D)like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a (E)man’s heart was given to it.

(F)“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had (G)four heads, and dominion was given to it.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, (H)a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, (I)and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and (J)there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes (K)of a man, (L)and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.

Vision of the Ancient of Days

“I(M) watched till thrones were [d]put in place,
And (N)the Ancient of Days was seated;
(O)His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
(P)Its wheels a burning fire;
10 (Q)A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
(R)A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
(S)The [e]court was seated,
And the books were opened.

11 “I watched then because of the sound of the [f]pompous words which the horn was speaking; (T)I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, (U)One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 (V)Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all (W)peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is (X)an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit [g]within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four [h]kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But (Y)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [i]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

21 “I was watching; (Z)and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, (AA)and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be
(AB)A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 (AC)The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 (AD)He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall (AE)persecute[j] the saints of the Most High,
And shall (AF)intend to change times and law.
Then (AG)the saints shall be given into his hand
(AH)For a time and times and half a time.

26 ‘But(AI) the court shall be seated,
And they shall (AJ)take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the (AK)kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
(AL)His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
(AM)And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

28 “This is the end of the [k]account. As for me, Daniel, (AN)my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I (AO)kept the matter in my heart.”

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

In[l] the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me (AP)the first time. I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in (AQ)Shushan,[m] the [n]citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was (AR)higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could [o]withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, (AS)but he did according to his will and became great.

And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable (AT)horn between his eyes. Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, [p]attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it (AU)four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. (AV)And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, (AW)toward the east, and toward the (AX)Glorious Land. 10 (AY)And it grew up to (AZ)the host of heaven; and (BA)it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 (BB)He even exalted himself as high as (BC)the Prince of the host; (BD)and by him (BE)the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of [q]His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, (BF)an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast (BG)truth down to the ground. He (BH)did all this and prospered.

13 Then I heard (BI)a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression [r]of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred [s]days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and (BJ)was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me (BK)one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice (BL)between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, (BM)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and (BN)fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

18 (BO)Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; (BP)but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; (BQ)for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the [t]male goat is the [u]kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes (BR)is the first king. 22 (BS)As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
(BT)Having fierce [v]features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, (BU)but not by his own power;
He shall destroy [w]fearfully,
(BV)And shall prosper and thrive;
(BW)He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

25 “Through(BX) his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his [x]rule;
(BY)And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
(BZ)He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be (CA)broken without human [y]means.

26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
(CB)Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.

27 (CC)And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was [z]astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:1 Lit. saw
  2. Daniel 7:1 Lit. the head or chief of the words
  3. Daniel 7:8 Lit. great things
  4. Daniel 7:9 Or set up
  5. Daniel 7:10 Or judgment
  6. Daniel 7:11 Lit. great
  7. Daniel 7:15 Lit. in the midst of its sheath
  8. Daniel 7:17 Representing their kingdoms, v. 23
  9. Daniel 7:20 Lit. great things
  10. Daniel 7:25 Lit. wear out
  11. Daniel 7:28 Lit. word
  12. Daniel 8:1 The Hebrew language resumes in Dan. 8:1.
  13. Daniel 8:2 Or Susa
  14. Daniel 8:2 Or fortified palace
  15. Daniel 8:4 Lit. stand before him
  16. Daniel 8:7 Lit. struck
  17. Daniel 8:11 The temple
  18. Daniel 8:13 Or making desolate
  19. Daniel 8:14 Lit. evening-mornings
  20. Daniel 8:21 shaggy male
  21. Daniel 8:21 Lit. king, representing his kingdom, Dan. 7:17, 23
  22. Daniel 8:23 Lit. countenance
  23. Daniel 8:24 Or extraordinarily
  24. Daniel 8:25 Lit. hand
  25. Daniel 8:25 Lit. hand
  26. Daniel 8:27 amazed

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