Daniel 8

1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign I, Daniel, saw another vision after the one I had seen previously.

In the third year of the reign of king Baltasar, a vision appeared to me. I Daniel, after what I had seen in the beginning,

2 In my vision I looked around and saw I was in the castle at Susa in the province of Elam. In the vision I was beside the River Ulai.

Saw in my vision when I was in the castle of Susa, which is in the province of Elam: and I saw in the vision that I was over the gate of Ulai.

3 I looked around and saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two long horns, one longer than the other, even though the longer one had grown last.

And I lifted up my eyes, and saw: and behold a ram stood before the water, having two high horns, and one higher than the other, and growing up. Afterward

4 I watched the ram charging west, north, and south. No animal could stand up to it—nor was there any chance of rescue from its power. It did whatever it wanted and grew powerful.

I saw the ram pushing with his horns against the west, and against the north, and against the south: and no beasts could withstand him, nor be delivered out of his hand: and he did according to his own will, and became great.

5 As I was thinking about what I'd seen, a male goat came in from the west, racing in across the surface of the earth so fast it didn't touch the ground. It had a large, prominent horn between its eyes.

And I understood: and behold a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and he touched not the ground, and the he goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6 It approached the ram with the two horns which I had seen standing beside the river, rushing in to attack in a furious rage.

And he went up to the ram that had the horns, which I had seen standing before the gate, and he ran towards him in the force of his strength.

7 I watched as the goat charged furiously at the ram, hitting it and breaking off its two horns. The ram did not have the strength to resist the goat's attack. The goat threw the ram to the ground, trampling on it, and there was no possibility of rescuing it from the goat's power.

And when he was come near the ram, he was enraged against him, and struck the ram: and broke his two horns, and the ram could not withstand him: and when he had cast him down on the ground, he stamped upon him, and none could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 The goat grew very powerful, but at the height of its power its large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns came up, pointing to the four winds of heaven.

And the he goat became exceeding great: and when he was grown, the great horn was broken, and there came up four horns under it towards the four winds of heaven.

9 A little horn came up from one of them, and grew extremely powerful to the south and to the east and to the Beautiful Land.

And out of one of them came forth a little horn: and it became great against the south, and against the east, and against the strength.

10 It grew in power until it reached the heavenly army, throwing some of them and some of the stars down to the earth and trampled on them.

And it was magnified even unto the strength of heaven: and it threw down of the strength, and of the stars, and trod upon them.

11 It even tried to make itself as great as the Prince of the heavenly army—it removed the continual service, and the place of his sanctuary was destroyed.

And it was magnified even to the prince of the strength: and it took away from him the continual sacrifice, and cast down the place of his sanctuary.

12 An army of people and the continual service were handed over to it because of rebellion, and it overthrew truth, and it was successful in everything it did.

And strength was given him against the continual sacrifice, because of sins: and truth shall be cast down on the ground, and he shall do and shall prosper.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one asked the one who was speaking, “How long is this vision for—the removal of the continual service, the rebellion that causes devastation, the handing over of the sanctuary and the army of people to be trampled down?”

And I heard one of the saints speaking, and one saint said to another, I know not to whom that was speaking: How long shall be the vision, concerning the continual sacrifice, and the sin of the desolation that is made: and the sanctuary, and the strength be trodden under foot?

14 He replied, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”

And he said to him: Unto evening and morning two thousand three hundred days: and the sanctuary shall be cleansed.

15 As I, Daniel, tried to work out what this vision meant suddenly I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.

And it came to pass when I Daniel saw the vision, and sought the meaning, that behold there stood before me as it were the appearance of a man.

16 I also heard a human voice calling from the River Ulai, “Gabriel, explain to this man the meaning of the vision.”

And I heard the voice of a man between Ulai: and he called, and said: Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

17 As he approached me, I was terrified and fell face down before him. “Son of man,” he told me, “You need to understand that this vision refers to the time of the end.”

And he came and stood near where I stood: and when he was come, I fell on my face trembling, and he said to me: Understand, O son of man, for in the time of the end the vision shall be fulfilled.

18 As he spoke to me I lost consciousness as I laid face down on the ground. But he took hold of me and helped me to my feet.

And when he spoke to me I fell flat on the ground: and he touched me, and set me upright,

19 He told me, “Pay attention! I'm going to explain to you what's going to happen during the time of anger, which refers to the appointed time of the end.

And he said to me: I will shew thee what things are to come to pass in the end of the malediction: for the time hath its end.

20 The ram with two horns that you saw symbolizes the kings of Media and Persia.

The ram, which thou sawest with horns, is the king of the Medes and Persians.

21 The male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.

And the he goat, is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn that was between his eyes, the same is the first king.

22 The four horns that came up in place of the large horn that was broken represent the four kingdoms that arose from that nation, but not as powerful as the first.

But whereas when that was broken, there arose up four for it: four kings shall rise up of his nation, but not with his strength.

23 When those kingdoms come to an end, when their sins have reached their fullest extent, a ferocious and treacherous kingdom will rise to power.

And after their reign, when iniquities shall be grown up, there shall arise a king of a shameless face, and understanding dark sentences.

24 It will become very powerful but not by its own power. It will be terribly destructive, and will succeed in everything it does. It will destroy great leaders and God's dedicated people.

And his power shall be strengthened, but not by his own force: and he shall lay all things waste, and shall prosper, and do more than can be believed. And he shall destroy the mighty, and the people of the saints,

25 Through its deviousness, its lies will be convincing and successful. It shows its arrogance both in thought and action, destroying those who thought they were perfectly safe. It even fights in opposition against the Prince of princes, but it will be defeated, though not by any human power.

According to his will, and craft shall be successful in his hand: and his heart shall be puffed up, and in the abundance of all things he shall kill many: and he shall rise up against the prince of princes, and shall be broken without hand.

26 The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been explained to you is true, but for now seal up this vision because it refers to the distant future.”

And the vision of the evening and the morning, which was told, is true: thou therefore seal up the vision, because it shall come to pass after many days.

27 After this, I, Daniel, became exhausted, and I was sick for days. Then I got up and went back to working for the king, but I was devastated at what I'd seen in vision and I couldn't understand it.

And I Daniel languished, and was sick for some days: and when I was risen up, I did the king’s business, and I was astonished at the vision, and there was none that could interpret it.