Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said:
In the first year of Baltasar king of the Chaldeans Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: and he wrote his dream.
2 I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.
I Daniel beheld, and, lo, the four winds of heaven blew violently upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.
And there came up four great beasts out of the sea, differing from one another.
4 The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
The first [was] as a lioness, and her wings as an eagle’s: I beheld until her wings were plucked, and she was lifted off from the earth, and she stood on human feet, and a man’s heart was given to her.
5 And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: “Arise, devour much flesh.”
And, behold, a second beast like a bear, and it supported itself on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth: and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it.
After this one I looked, and behold another wild beast as a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon it: and the wild beast had four heads, and power was given to it.
7 After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns.
After this one I looked, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong, and its teeth were of iron; devouring and crushing to atoms, and it trampled the remainder with its feet: and it was altogether different from all the beasts that were before it; and it [had] ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn rose out of the midst of them. And three of the first horns were rooted out by its presence. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking unnatural things.
I noticed his horns, and, behold, another little horn came up in the midst of them, and before it three of the former horns were rooted out: and, behold, [there were] eyes as the eyes of a man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I watched until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire.
I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, [and] his wheels burning fire.
10 A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened.
A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
11 I watched because of the voice of the great words which that horn was speaking, and I saw that the beast had been destroyed, and its body was ruined and had been handed over to be burnt with fire.
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, until the wild beast was slain and destroyed, and his body given to be burnt with fire.
12 Likewise, the power of the other beasts was taken away, and a limited time of life was appointed to them, until one time and another.
And the dominion of the rest of the wild beasts was taken away; but a prolonging of life was given them for certain times.
13 I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the Ancient of days, and they presented him before him.
I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, [one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
14 And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted.
And to him was given the dominion, and the honour, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
15 My spirit was terrified. I, Daniel, was fearful at these things, and the visions of my head disturbed me.
[As for] me Daniel, my spirit in my body trembled, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I approached one of the attendants and asked the truth from him about all these things. He told me the interpretation of the words, and he instructed me:
And I drew near to one of them that stood by, and I sought to learn of him the truth of all these things: and he told me the truth, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
17 “These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which will rise from the earth.
These four beasts are four kingdoms [that] shall rise up on the earth:
18 Yet it is the saints of the Most High God who will receive the kingdom, and they will hold the kingdom from this generation, and forever and ever.”
which shall be taken away; and the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess it for ever and ever.
19 After this, I wanted to learn diligently about the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceedingly terrible; his teeth and claws were of iron; he devoured and crushed, and the remainder he trampled with his feet;
Then I enquired carefully concerning the fourth beast; for it differed from every [other] beast, exceeding dreadful: its teeth were of iron, and its claws of brass, devouring, and utterly breaking to pieces, and it trampled the remainder with its feet:
20 and about the ten horns, which he had on his head, and about the other, which had sprung up, before which three horns fell, and about that horn which had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, and which was more powerful than the rest.
and concerning its ten horns that were in its head, and the other that came up, and rooted up [some] of the former, which had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and his look was bolder than the rest.
21 I watched, and behold, that horn made war against the holy ones and prevailed over them,
I beheld, and that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 until the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the time arrived, and the holy ones obtained the kingdom.
until the Ancient of days came, and he gave judgment to the saints of the Most High; and the time came on, and the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 And thus he said, “The fourth beast will be the fourth kingdom on earth, which will be greater than all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will trample and crush it.
And he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on the earth, which shall excel all [other] kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and trample and destroy it.
24 Moreover, the ten horns of the same kingdom will be ten kings, and another will rise up after them, and he will be mightier than the ones before him, and he will bring down three kings.
And his ten horns are ten kings [that] shall arise: and after them shall arise another, who shall exceed all the former ones in wickedness, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he will speak words against the Supreme One, and will exhaust the holy ones of the Most High, and he will think about what it would take to change the times and the laws, and they will be given into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time.
And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change times and law: and [power] shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
26 And a trial will begin, so that his power may be taken away, and be crushed, and be undone all the way to the end.
And the judgment has sat, and they shall remove [his] dominion to abolish it, and to destroy it utterly.
27 Yet the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of that kingdom, which is under all of heaven, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings will serve and obey him.”
And the kingdom and the power and the greatness of the kings that are under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High; and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all powers shall serve and obey him.
28 And here is the end of the message. I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed by my thoughts, and my mood was changed in me, but I preserved the message in my heart.
Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance was changed: but I kept the matter in my heart.
