Daniel 11

1 “And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him.

“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

2 Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

“Now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings will stand up in Persia. The fourth will be far richer than all of them. When he has grown strong through his riches, he will stir up all against the realm of Greece.

3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.

A mighty king will stand up, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these.

5 The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.

“The king of the south will be strong. One of his princes will become stronger than him, and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion.

6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.

At the end of years they will join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain the strength of her arm. He will also not stand, nor will his arm; but she will be given up, with those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

7 But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing.

“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them and will prevail.

8 He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,

He will also carry their gods with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, captive into Egypt. He will refrain some years from the king of the north.

9 who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

He will come into the realm of the king of the south, but he will return into his own land.

10 But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress.

His sons will wage war, and will assemble a multitude of great forces which will come on, and overflow, and pass through. They will return and wage war, even to his fortress.

11 In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy.

“The king of the south will be moved with anger and will come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. He will send out a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand.

12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph.

The multitude will be carried off, and his heart will be exalted. He will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.

13 For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

The king of the north will return, and will send out a multitude greater than the former. He will come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with abundant supplies.

14 In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.

“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision, but they will fall.

15 Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist.

So the king of the north will come and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not stand, neither will his select troops, neither will there be any strength to stand.

16 The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

But he who comes against him will do according to his own will, and no one will stand before him. He will stand in the glorious land, and destruction will be in his hand.

17 He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.

He will set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to destroy the kingdom, but she will not stand, and will not be for him.

18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him.

After this he will turn his face to the islands, and will take many, but a prince will cause the reproach offered by him to cease. Yes, moreover, he will cause his reproach to turn on him.

19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.

Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and will not be found.

20 In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.

“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle.

21 In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.

The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant.

23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people.

After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up and will become strong with few people.

24 In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.

In time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and wealth. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him.

“He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he will not stand; for they will devise plans against him.

26 Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.

Yes, those who eat of his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain.

27 And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.

As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it will not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

28 The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.

Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land.

29 At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first.

“He will return at the appointed time and come into the south; but it will not be in the latter time as it was in the former.

30 Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.

“Forces from him will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate.

32 With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.

33 Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.

“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.

34 Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely.

Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries.

35 Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Some of those who are wise will fall—to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed.

36 Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.

“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for that which is determined will be done.

37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.

He will not regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all.

38 And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.

But in their place, he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers did not know with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things.

39 He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.

He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price.

40 At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood.

“At the time of the end the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through.

41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.

He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape.

He will also stretch out his hand on the countries. The land of Egypt will not escape.

43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.

But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow his steps.

44 But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction.

But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.