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 Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream, and related the sum of the matters.
2 I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.
Daniel spake and said: —I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven burst forth upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.
And four great beasts came up out of the sea, diverse one from 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 like a lion, and had the wings of an eagle; I beheld till its wings were plucked from it, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon its feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
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, another beast, the second, like to a bear; and it stood up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and they spake thus 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 I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion 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 I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful, and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured, and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet, and it differed 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 gave heed to the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, 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, till thrones were placed, and an aged one seated himself, his garment white like snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne like a fiery flame, and its wheels like 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 fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the tribunal 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; and because of the great words which the horn spake, I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
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.
As to the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, for the duration of their lives had been appointed for a season and a time.
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 saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man, and came to the aged one, and they brought him near before 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 there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should 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.
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit within me, 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:
I came near to one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, 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 great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of 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.”
Then shall the saints of the Most High receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even 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 desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which differed from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and his nails of brass, which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his 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 the ten horns which were in his head, and the other which came up, and before which three fell, —even that horn which had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, and whose appearance was larger than that of his fellows.
21 I watched, and behold, that horn made war against the holy ones and prevailed over them,
I beheld, and the same 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 aged one came, and judgment was rendered to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints should possess 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.
He spake thus: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom upon the earth, which shall differ from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
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 the ten horns are ten kings, which shall arise out of this kingdom; and another shall arise after them; and he shall differ from the former, and 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 will speak great words against the Most High, and will harass the saints of the Most High, and will resolve to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand 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.
But the tribunal shall sit, and his dominion shall be taken away, and consumed and destroyed forever.
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 sovereignty and dominion and power over all kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions 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.
Here ended his words. As for me Daniel, my thoughts terrified me much, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.
