Daniel 8-10

Common English Bible

Vision of a ram and a goat

8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule, a vision came to me, Daniel, some time after the earlier vision I had. ² I saw this vision, and as I experienced it I was in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam,^[a] by the Ulai canal. ³ When I lifted my eyes, I suddenly saw a ram with two horns standing in front of the canal. Both horns were high, but one was higher than the other. The higher one came up after the other one. ⁴ I saw the ram goring west, north, and south. No animal could resist the ram, and no one could stop it, rescuing others from its power. The ram did whatever it pleased. It became powerful.

⁵ I was trying to understand this when suddenly a he-goat came from the west, crossing the entire earth but not touching the ground. Between this goat’s eyes was a horn that was a sight to see. ⁶ The he-goat came to the ram that had two horns, the one I’d seen standing in front of the canal. The he-goat charged the ram in powerful anger. ⁷ I saw the he-goat approach the ram. It was enraged at the ram and attacked it, shattering the ram’s two horns. The ram couldn’t resist the he-goat. The he-goat threw the ram on the ground and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the he-goat’s power.

⁸ The he-goat became even greater, but at the height of its power, its large horn snapped. In its place, four horns, each a sight to see, came up toward the four winds of heaven. ⁹ A single, very small horn came out of one of the four horns. It grew bigger and bigger, stretching toward the south, the east, and the beautiful country. ¹⁰ It grew as high as the heavenly forces, until it finally threw some of them and some of the stars down to the earth. Then it trampled on them. ¹¹ It grew as high as the very leader of those forces, taking the daily sacrifice away from him^[b] and overturning his holy place. ¹² In an act of rebellion, another force will take control of the daily sacrifice. It will throw truth to the ground and will succeed in everything it does.^[c]

How long?

¹³ I then heard a certain holy one speaking. A second holy one said to the first one: “How long will this vision last—the one concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating rebellion, and the handing over of the sanctuary and its forces to be trampled?”

¹⁴ He said to me, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be restored.”

Vision interpreted

¹⁵ Now I, Daniel, needed help understanding the vision I saw. Suddenly standing in front of me was someone who looked like a man. ¹⁶ I then heard a human voice coming out of the center of the Ulai canal. It called out: “Gabriel, help this person understand what he has seen.”

¹⁷ Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, “Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time.” ¹⁸ As soon as he said this to me, I fell into a trance. My face was still on the ground. Then Gabriel touched me and set me up on my feet.

¹⁹ He said, “Now, I am going to tell you what will happen during the time of doom that is coming, because at the appointed time there will be an end. ²⁰ The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The long-haired he-goat is the king of Greece, and the big horn between its eyes is the first king. ²² The horn that snapped so that four came up in its place means that four kingdoms will come from one nation, but these four won’t have the strength of the first one.

²⁶ Now this vision of evening and morning, which has been announced, is true. But you must seal it up, because it is for days far in the future.”

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and felt sick for days. When I finally got up and went about the king’s business, I remained troubled by the vision and couldn’t understand it.

Daniel’s prayer

9 In the first year of Darius’ rule—Darius, who was Ahasuerus’ son, a Median by birth and who ruled the Chaldean kingdom— ² I, Daniel, pondered the scrolls, specifically the number of years that it would take to complete Jerusalem’s desolation according to the Lord’s word to the prophet Jeremiah. It was seventy years. ³ I then turned my face to my Lord God, asking for an answer with prayer and pleading, and with fasting, mourning clothes, and ashes. ⁴ As I prayed to the Lord my God, I made this confession:

Seventy weeks

²⁰ While I was still speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sins of my people Israel—while I was still praying my prayer for help to the Lord my God about my God’s holy mountain— ²¹ while I was still speaking this prayer, the man Gabriel approached me at the time of the evening offering. This was the same Gabriel I had seen in my earlier vision. He was weary with exhaustion.^[f]

²² He explained as he spoke with me: “Daniel, here’s why I’ve come: to give you insight and understanding. ²³ When you began making your requests, a word went out, and I’ve come to tell it to you because you are greatly treasured. So now understand this word and grasp the meaning of this vision! ²⁴ Seventy weeks are appointed for your people and for your holy city to complete the rebellion, to end sins, to cover over wrongdoing, to bring eternal righteousness, to seal up prophetic vision, and to anoint the most holy place.

²⁵ “So you must know and gain wisdom about this: There will be seven weeks from the moment the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until a leader is anointed. And for sixty-two weeks the city will be rebuilt with a courtyard and a moat. But in difficult times, ²⁶ after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be eliminated. No one will support him.^[g] The army of a future leader will destroy the city and the sanctuary. His^[h] end will come in a flood, but devastations will be decreed until the end of the war.^{[i] 27} For one week, he will make a strong covenant with many people. For a half-week, he will stop both sacrifices and offerings. In their place^[j] will be the desolating monstrosities until the decreed destruction sweeps over the devastator.”

Vision of a man

10 In the third year of Persia’s King Cyrus, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true: there would be a great conflict. Daniel understood the message, having discerned the meaning of the vision.

² During that time, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three weeks. ³ I didn’t eat any rich foods. Neither meat nor wine passed my lips, and I didn’t clean up at all until the three weeks were up. ⁴ Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was on the bank of the great Tigris River, ⁵ I looked up and suddenly saw a man clothed in linen in front of me. He had a brilliant gold belt around his waist, ⁶ and his body was like topaz. His face was like a flash of lightning, and his eyes were like burning torches. His arms and feet looked like polished bronze. When he spoke, it sounded like the roar of a crowd. ⁷ Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The other people who were with me didn’t see it. Despite that, they were terrified and ran away to hide.

⁸ So I was left alone to see this great vision all by myself. All my strength left me. My energy was sapped, and I couldn’t stay strong. ⁹ Then I heard the sound of the man’s words. When I heard it, I fell into a trance with my face on the ground. ¹⁰ But then a hand touched me, lifting me up to my hands and knees.

¹¹ The man said to me, “Daniel, you are greatly treasured. Now grasp the meaning of what I’m saying to you. And stand up, because I’ve been sent to you.”

As he said this to me, I stood up, shaking.

¹² Then the man said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, because from the day you first set your mind to understand things and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I’ve come because of your words! ¹³ For twenty-one days the leader of the Persian kingdom blocked my way. But then Michael, one of the highest leaders, came to help me. I left Michael there with the leader of the Persian kingdom.^{[k] 14} But I’ve come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the future, because there is another vision concerning that time.”

¹⁵ While he said this to me, I turned my face to the ground and kept quiet. ¹⁶ But then someone who looked like a human being^[l] touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to the person standing in front of me: “My lord, the vision bothered me deeply, and I couldn’t stay strong during it. ¹⁷ So how can I, my lord’s servant, speak with you, my lord? Even now there’s no strength in me, and I can barely breathe.”

¹⁸ The one who looked like a human being touched me again and gave me strength. ¹⁹ He said, “Don’t be afraid. You are greatly treasured. All will be well with you. Be strong!”

As he spoke to me, I suddenly felt strong. Then I said: “My lord can go on, because you’ve made me strong.”

²⁰ Then he said: “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must go back to fight the leader of Persia. As I leave, the leader of Greece will come! ²¹ But I will tell you what is written in the Scroll of Truth. No one stands strong with me against these leaders except your leader Michael.