Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind(A) as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream,(B) and here is the summary[a] of his account. Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven(C) stirred up the great sea. Four huge beasts(D) came up from the sea,(E) each different from the other.

“The first was like a lion(F) but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.

“Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear.(G) It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’

“While I was watching, another beast appeared. It was like a leopard(H) with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads(I) and was given authority to rule.

“While I was watching in the night visions, a fourth beast(J) appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had 10 horns.(K)

“While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn,(L) a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. There were eyes in this horn like a man’s, and it had a mouth that spoke arrogantly.(M)

The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man

“As I kept watching,

thrones were set in place,(N)
and the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His clothing was white like snow,(O)
and the hair of His head like whitest wool.(P)
His throne was flaming fire;(Q)
its wheels were blazing fire.(R)
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from His presence.
Thousands upon thousands(S) served Him;
ten thousand times ten thousand(T) stood before Him.
The court was convened,(U)
and the books were opened.(V)

11 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire.(W) 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their authority to rule was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.(X) 13 I continued watching in the night visions,

and I saw One like a son of man(Y)
coming with the clouds of heaven.(Z)
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before Him.
14 He was given authority to rule,(AA)
and glory, and a kingdom;
so that those of every people,
nation, and language(AB)
should serve(AC) Him.
His dominion is an everlasting(AD) dominion
that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one
that will not be destroyed.

Interpretation of the Vision

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was deeply distressed within me,[b] and the visions in my mind terrified me.(AE) 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him(AF) the true meaning of all this. So he let me know the interpretation of these things:(AG) 17 ‘These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever, yes, forever and ever.’(AH)

19 “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast,(AI) the one different from all the others, extremely terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring, crushing, and trampling with its feet whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the 10 horns(AJ) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three fell—the horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly,(AK) and that was more visible than the others. 21 As I was watching, this horn waged war(AL) against the holy ones and was prevailing over them 22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and a judgment(AM) was given in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.

23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. 24 The 10 horns(AN) are 10 kings who will rise from this kingdom. Another, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High(AO) and oppress[c] the holy ones(AP) of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals[d] and laws,(AQ) and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.[e](AR) 26 But the court will convene,(AS) and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever.(AT) 27 The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom,(AU) and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’

28 “This is the end of the interpretation. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts terrified me greatly,(AV) and my face turned pale,[f] but I kept the matter to myself.”(AW)

The Vision of a Ram and a Goat

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s(AX) reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier.(AY) I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the fortress city of Susa,(AZ) in the province of Elam.(BA) I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up,[g] and there was a ram(BB) standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south.(BC) No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted(BD) and became great.

As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn[h] between his eyes.(BE) He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury. I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power. Then the male goat became very great,(BF) but when he became powerful, the large horn was shattered.(BG) Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.(BH)

The Little Horn

From one of them a little horn(BI) emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.[i](BJ) 10 It grew as high as the heavenly host, made some of the stars and some of the host fall to the earth,(BK) and trampled them.(BL) 11 It made itself great,(BM) even up to the Prince of the host;(BN) it removed His daily sacrifice(BO) and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. 12 Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful(BP) in whatever it does.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking,(BQ) and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will the events of this vision last(BR)—the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”(BS)

14 He said to me,[j] “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.(BT) 16 I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel,(BU) explain the vision to this man.”

17 So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown.(BV) “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.”(BW) 18 While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep,(BX) with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up,(BY) 19 and said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the conclusion of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.(BZ) 20 The two-horned ram(CA) that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.[k] 22 The four horns that took the place of the shattered horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.

23 Near the end of their kingdoms,
when the rebels have reached
the full measure of their sin,[l]
an insolent king, skilled in intrigue,[m]
will come to the throne.
24 His power will be great,
but it will not be his own.
He will cause terrible destruction(CB)
and succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy the powerful
along with the holy people.(CC)
25 He will cause deceit to prosper
through his cunning and by his influence,
and in his own mind he will make himself great.
He will destroy many in a time of peace;
he will even stand against the Prince of princes.
Yet he will be shattered—not by human hands.(CD)
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings
that has been told is true.
Now you must seal up the vision(CE)
because it refers to many days in the future.”

27 I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days.(CF) Then I got up and went about the king’s business.(CG) I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.

Daniel’s Prayer

In the first year of Darius,(CH) the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.(CI) So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.(CJ)

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God(CK) who keeps His gracious covenant(CL) with those who love Him(CM) and keep His commands(CN) we have sinned,(CO) done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled,(CP) and turned away from Your commands and ordinances.(CQ) We have not listened to Your servants the prophets,(CR) who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.

Lord, righteousness belongs to You,(CS) but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where You have dispersed them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward You. Lord, public shame(CT) belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.(CU) Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following His instructions that He set before us through His servants(CV) the prophets.

11 All Israel has broken Your law and turned away,(CW) refusing to obey You. The promised curse[n] written in the law of Moses,(CX) the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. 12 He has carried out His words(CY) that He spoke against us and against our rulers[o](CZ) by bringing on us so great a disaster that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done(DA) under all of heaven. 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses,(DB) all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not appeased(DC) the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to Your truth.(DD) 14 So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all He has done. But we have not obeyed Him.

15 Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand(DE) and made Your name renowned(DF) as it is this day, we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, may Your anger and wrath(DG) turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain;(DH) for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.

17 Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of Your servant. Show Your favor(DI) to Your desolate sanctuary(DJ) for the Lord’s sake. 18 Listen,[p] my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for Your own sake, do not delay,(DK) because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

The 70 Weeks of Years

20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,(DL) and presenting my petition before Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God— 21 while I was praying, Gabriel,(DM) the man I had seen in the first vision,(DN) came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering.(DO) 22 He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding.(DP) 23 At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God.(DQ) So consider the message and understand the vision:(DR)

24 Seventy weeks[q] are decreed(DS)
about your people and your holy city—
to bring the rebellion to an end,
to put a stop to sin,
to wipe away iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,(DT)
to seal up vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most holy place.
25 Know and understand this:
From the issuing of the decree
to restore and rebuild Jerusalem(DU)
until Messiah(DV) the Prince[r]
will be seven weeks and 62 weeks.[s]
It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a moat,
but in difficult times.
26 After those 62 weeks[t]
the Messiah will be cut off(DW)
and will have nothing.
The people of the coming prince
will destroy the city(DX) and the sanctuary.
The[u] end will come with a flood,(DY)
and until the end there will be[v] war;
desolations are decreed.
27 He will make a firm covenant[w]
with many for one week,[x]
but in the middle of the week
he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering.
And the abomination of desolation(DZ)
will be on a wing(EA) of the temple[y][z]
until the decreed destruction(EB)
is poured out on the desolator.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:1 Lit beginning
  2. Daniel 7:15 Lit was distressed in the middle of its sheath
  3. Daniel 7:25 Lit wear out
  4. Daniel 7:25 Lit change times
  5. Daniel 7:25 Or for three and a half years
  6. Daniel 7:28 Lit my brightness changed on me
  7. Daniel 8:3 Lit I lifted my eyes and looked
  8. Daniel 8:5 Lit a horn of a vision
  9. Daniel 8:9 = Israel
  10. Daniel 8:14 LXX, Theod, Syr, Vg read him
  11. Daniel 8:21 = Alexander the Great
  12. Daniel 8:23 Lit have become complete
  13. Daniel 8:23 Lit king, and understanding riddles
  14. Daniel 9:11 Lit The curse and the oath
  15. Daniel 9:12 Lit against rulers who ruled us
  16. Daniel 9:18 Lit Stretch out Your ear
  17. Daniel 9:24 = 490 years
  18. Daniel 9:25 Or until an anointed one, a prince
  19. Daniel 9:25 = 49 years and 434 years
  20. Daniel 9:26 = 434 years
  21. Daniel 9:26 Lit Its, or His
  22. Daniel 9:26 Or end of a
  23. Daniel 9:27 Or will enforce a covenant
  24. Daniel 9:27 = 7 years
  25. Daniel 9:27 LXX; MT reads of abominations
  26. Daniel 9:27 Or And the desolator will be on the wing of abominations, or And the desolator will come on the wings of monsters (or of horror); Hb obscure

Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar(A) king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions(B) passed through his mind(C) as he was lying in bed.(D) He wrote(E) down the substance of his dream.

Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven(F) churning up the great sea. Four great beasts,(G) each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

“The first was like a lion,(H) and it had the wings of an eagle.(I) I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’(J)

“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.(K) And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

“After that, in my vision(L) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron(M) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled(N) underfoot whatever was left.(O) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.(P)

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little(Q) one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being(R) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(S)

“As I looked,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days(T) took his seat.(U)
His clothing was as white as snow;(V)
    the hair of his head was white like wool.(W)
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels(X) were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire(Y) was flowing,
    coming out from before him.(Z)
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books(AA) were opened.

11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.(AB) I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.(AC) 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a](AD) coming(AE) with the clouds of heaven.(AF) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority,(AG) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.(AH) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom(AI) is one that will never be destroyed.(AJ)

The Interpretation of the Dream

15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.(AK) 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.

“So he told me and gave me the interpretation(AL) of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people(AM) of the Most High will receive the kingdom(AN) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’(AO)

19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(AP) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(AQ) 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,(AR) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.(AS)

23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.(AT) 24 The ten horns(AU) are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High(AV) and oppress his holy people(AW) and try to change the set times(AX) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.[b](AY)

26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed(AZ) forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms(BA) under heaven will be handed over to the holy people(BB) of the Most High.(BC) His kingdom will be an everlasting(BD) kingdom, and all rulers will worship(BE) and obey him.’

28 “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled(BF) by my thoughts,(BG) and my face turned pale,(BH) but I kept the matter to myself.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s(BI) reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,(BJ) after the one that had already appeared to me. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa(BK) in the province of Elam;(BL) in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up,(BM) and there before me was a ram(BN) with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.(BO) It did as it pleased(BP) and became great.

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,(BQ) and none could rescue the ram from its power.(BR) The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,(BS) and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.(BT)

Out of one of them came another horn, which started small(BU) but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.(BV) 10 It grew until it reached(BW) the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth(BX) and trampled(BY) on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander(BZ) of the army of the Lord;(CA) it took away the daily sacrifice(CB) from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.(CC) 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people[c] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.(CD)

13 Then I heard a holy one(CE) speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled(CF)—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot(CG) of the Lord’s people?”

14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”(CH)

The Interpretation of the Vision

15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision(CI) and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.(CJ) 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai(CK) calling, “Gabriel,(CL) tell this man the meaning of the vision.”(CM)

17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.(CN) “Son of man,”[d] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”(CO)

18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.(CP) Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.(CQ)

19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,(CR) because the vision concerns the appointed time(CS) of the end.[e](CT) 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.(CU) 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece,(CV) and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.(CW) 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.(CX) 25 He will cause deceit(CY) to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes.(CZ) Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.(DA)

26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true,(DB) but seal(DC) up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”(DD)

27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted(DE) for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business.(DF) I was appalled(DG) by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Daniel’s Prayer

In the first year of Darius(DH) son of Xerxes[f](DI) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[g] kingdom— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy(DJ) years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(DK) and in sackcloth and ashes.(DL)

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:(DM)

“Lord, the great and awesome God,(DN) who keeps his covenant of love(DO) with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned(DP) and done wrong.(DQ) We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away(DR) from your commands and laws.(DS) We have not listened(DT) to your servants the prophets,(DU) who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,(DV) and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are righteous,(DW) but this day we are covered with shame(DX)—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered(DY) us because of our unfaithfulness(DZ) to you.(EA) We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.(EB) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,(EC) even though we have rebelled against him;(ED) 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.(EE) 11 All Israel has transgressed(EF) your law(EG) and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses(EH) and sworn judgments(EI) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned(EJ) against you. 12 You have fulfilled(EK) the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.(EL) Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like(EM) what has been done to Jerusalem.(EN) 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord(EO) our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.(EP) 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster(EQ) on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;(ER) yet we have not obeyed him.(ES)

15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand(ET) and who made for yourself a name(EU) that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,(EV) turn away(EW) your anger and your wrath(EX) from Jerusalem,(EY) your city, your holy hill.(EZ) Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn(FA) to all those around us.

17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor(FB) on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear,(FC) our God, and hear;(FD) open your eyes and see(FE) the desolation of the city that bears your Name.(FF) We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(FG) 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!(FH) Lord, hear and act! For your sake,(FI) my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

The Seventy “Sevens”

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing(FJ) my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill(FK) 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,(FL) the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.(FM) 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.(FN) 23 As soon as you began to pray,(FO) a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.(FP) Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:(FQ)

24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[h] are decreed for your people and your holy city(FR) to finish[i] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone(FS) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,(FT) to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[j]

25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild(FU) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[k](FV) the ruler,(FW) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.(FX) 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death(FY) and will have nothing.[l] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:(FZ) War will continue until the end, and desolations(GA) have been decreed.(GB) 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[m] In the middle of the ‘seven’[n] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple[o] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed(GC) is poured out on him.[p][q]

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.
  2. Daniel 7:25 Or for a year, two years and half a year
  3. Daniel 8:12 Or rebellion, the armies
  4. Daniel 8:17 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.
  5. Daniel 8:19 Or because the end will be at the appointed time
  6. Daniel 9:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus
  7. Daniel 9:1 Or Chaldean
  8. Daniel 9:24 Or ‘weeks’; also in verses 25 and 26
  9. Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
  10. Daniel 9:24 Or the most holy One
  11. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one; also in verse 26
  12. Daniel 9:26 Or death and will have no one; or death, but not for himself
  13. Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
  14. Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
  15. Daniel 9:27 Septuagint and Theodotion; Hebrew wing
  16. Daniel 9:27 Or it
  17. Daniel 9:27 Or And one who causes desolation will come upon the wing of the abominable temple, until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolated city