Daniel 7
1 In the first yeere of Belshazzar King of Babel, Daniel sawe a dreame, and there were visions in his head, vpon his bed: then he wrote the dreame, and declared the summe of the matter.
[Previously, ] during the first year that Belshazzar was the king of Babylonia, I had a dream and a vision one night as I lay on my bed. [The next morning] I wrote down what I had dreamed. This is what I wrote:
2 Daniel spake and saide, I sawe in my vision by night, and behold, the foure windes of the heauen stroue vpon the great sea:
I, Daniel, had a vision last night. In the vision I saw that strong winds were blowing from all four directions, stirring up [the water in] the ocean.
3 And foure great beastes came vp from the sea one diuers from another.
Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
4 The first was as a lyon, and had eagles wings: I beheld, til the wings thereof were pluckt of, and it was lifted vp from the earth, and set vpon his feete as a man, and a mans heart was giuen him.
The first one resembled a lion, but it had wings like an eagle has. But as I watched, something tore off its wings {its wings were pulled off}. The beast was left there, standing on its two hind/rear legs, like a human being stands. And it was given a mind like humans have.
5 And beholde, another beast which was the second, was like a beare and stood vpon the one side: and hee had three ribbes in his mouth betweene his teeth, and they saide thus vnto him, Arise and deuoure much flesh.
The second beast resembled a bear. It was crouching, and it held between its teeth three ribs [from another animal that it had killed and eaten]. Someone said to it {It was told}, “Stand up and eat as much meat [as you want]!”
6 After this I behelde, and loe, there was an other like a leopard, which had vpon his backe foure wings of a foule: the beast had also foure heads, and dominion was giuen him.
Then I saw in front of me the third of those beasts. It resembled a leopard, but it had four wings protruding from its back. The wings were like a bird’s wings. It had four heads. It was given the power/authority to rule [people].
7 After this I saw in the visions by night, and beholde, the fourth beast was fearefull and terrible and very strong. It had great yron teeth: it deuoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue vnder his feete: and it was vnlike to the beasts that were before it: for it had ten hornes.
In the vision I saw a fourth beast. It was stronger than the other beasts, and it was more terrifying. It crushed other creatures with its huge iron teeth and ate their flesh. The parts of animals that it did not grind with its teeth, it trampled [on the ground]. It was different from the other three beasts: It had ten horns [on its head].
8 As I considered the hornes, beholde, there came vp among them another litle horne, before whome there were three of the first hornes pluckt away: and behold, in this horne were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things.
While I was looking at those horns, I saw a little horn appear [on the head of that beast]. It tore out three of the other horns. This little horn had eyes like humans have, and it had a mouth [with which it spoke] very boastfully.
9 I behelde, till the thrones were set vp, and the Ancient of dayes did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the heare of his head like the pure wooll: his throne was like the fierie flame, and his wheeles as burning fire.
[Then] while I watched, thrones were put in the places [where they belonged], and [God], the one who had been living forever, sat on one of the thrones. His clothes were as white as snow, and his hair was as white as pure/clean wool. His throne had wheels that were blazing with fire, and his throne was [also] blazing.
10 A fierie streame yssued, and came foorth from before him: thousand thousandes ministred vnto him, and tenne thousand thousands stoode before him: the iudgement was set, and the bookes opened.
A fire was rushing out of in front of him like a stream. Many thousands [of people] (OR, [angels]) [were there] serving him, and millions [of other people] (OR, [angels]) were standing in front of him. They started (the court session/judging people), and they opened the books [in which they had written the record of all the good and bad things that people had done].
11 Then I behelde, because of the voyce of the presumptuous wordes, which the horne spake: I behelde, euen till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and giuen to the burning fire.
While I was watching, I could hear the little horn speaking very boastfully. As I [continued to] watch, the [fourth] beast was killed. Its corpse was thrown into a fire and completely burned.
12 As concerning the other beastes, they had taken away their dominion: yet their liues were prolonged for a certaine time and season.
The power/authority of the other [three] beasts was taken away from them, but they were allowed to continue to live for a while.
13 As I behelde in visions by night, behold, one like the sonne of man came in the cloudes of heauen, and approched vnto the Ancient of dayes, and they brought him before him.
While I [continued to] see the vision that night, I saw someone who resembled a human being. He was coming [closer to me], surrounded by clouds. Then he was taken to [God], the one who had been living forever.
14 And he gaue him dominion, and honour, and a kingdome, that all people, nations and languages should serue him: his dominion is an euerlasting dominion, which shall neuer bee taken away: and his kingdome shall neuer be destroyed.
He was honored and given great authority to rule over all the nations in the world, in order that people from every people-group and every nation, people from all language groups, would worship/serve him. He will rule forever; he will never stop ruling. The kingdom that he rules will never be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was troubled in my spirit, in the middes of my body, and the visions of mine head made me afraide.
As for me, Daniel, I was very terrified by what I had seen in that vision, and I did not know what to think about it.
16 Therefore I came vnto one of them that stoode by, and asked him the trueth of all this: so he tolde me, and shewed me the interpretation of these things.
I went to one of those who were standing in front of the throne of God, and I asked him to tell me what it meant. So he told me the meaning of it.
17 These great beastes which are foure, are foure Kings, which shall arise out of the earth,
[He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
18 And they shall take the kingdome of the Saintes of the most High, and possesse the kingdome for euer, euen for euer and euer.
But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
19 After this, I woulde knowe the trueth of the fourth beast, which was so vnlike to all the others, very fearefull, whose teeth were of yron, and his nailes of brasse: which deuoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue vnder his feete.
Then I wanted to know what the fourth beast signified—[the beast] that was different from the other three, the beast that crushed [those that it attacked] with its bronze claws, and [then] ate [their flesh] with its iron teeth, and trampled on the parts of their bodies [that it did not eat].
20 Also to know of the tenne hornes that were in his head, and of the other which came vp, before whome three fell, and of the horne that had eyes, and of the mouth that spake presumptuous thinges, whose looke was more stoute then his fellowes.
[I also wanted to know about] the ten horns on its head, and about the horn that appeared later, which got rid of three of the other horns. [I wanted to know what it meant that] it had eyes and a mouth with which it spoke very boastfully. [The beast that was represented by] that horn was more terrifying than the other beasts.
21 I beheld, and the same horne made battel against the Saintes, yea, and preuailed against them,
While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
22 Vntill the Ancient of dayes came, and iudgement was giuen to the Saintes of the most High: and the time approched, that the Saintes possessed the kingdome.
But then the Supreme God, the one who had been living forever, came and judged in favor of the people who belonged to him. And [I knew that] it was time for God’s people to receive authority [to rule].
23 Then he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome in the earth, which shall be vnlike to all the kingdomes, and shall deuoure the whole earth, and shall treade it downe and breake it in pieces.
[Then] the man who was standing there said [to me], “The fourth beast represents an empire that will exist on the earth; that [empire] will be different from all [other] empires. [The army of] that empire will crush/kill [people all over] the world and trample [on their bodies].
24 And the ten hornes out of this kingdome are tenne Kings that shall rise: and an other shall rise after them, and he shall be vnlike to the first, and he shall subdue three Kings,
As for its ten horns, they represent ten kings who will rule that empire, [one after the other]. Then another [king] will appear. He will be different from the previous kings. He will defeat the three kings [that were represented by the three horns that were pulled out].
25 And shall speake wordes against the most High, and shall consume the Saintes of the most High, and thinke that he may change times and lawes, and they shalbe giuen into his hand, vntill a time, and times and the deuiding of time.
He will revile the Supreme God, and he will oppress God’s people. He will try to change the [sacred] festivals and their [religious] laws/regulations. He will control them for three and a half years.
26 But the iudgement shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it vnto the ende.
But there will be a session/meeting of the court/judges in heaven, and that king’s authority/power will be taken away, and he will be completely destroyed.
27 And the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen shalbe giue to the holy people of the most High, whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and all powers shall serue and obey him.
Then all the power and the greatness of all the kingdoms on the earth will be given to the people who belong to the Supreme God. The kingdom that he rules (OR, they rule) will endure forever. And the rulers of all the nations on the earth will serve and obey him (OR, them).”
28 Euen this is the ende of the matter, I Daniel had many cogitations which troubled mee, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in mine heart.
That is [what I saw in] my vision/dream. I, Daniel, was terrified, with the result that my face became pale. But I did not tell anyone about the vision [that I had seen].
