< Daniel 7 >
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel has seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then he has written the dream, the chief of the things he has said.
2 Daniel has answered and said, “I was seeing in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the Great Sea;
3 and four great beasts are coming up from the sea, diverse from one another.
4 The first [is] like a lion, and it has an eagle’s wings. I was seeing until its wings have been plucked, and it has been lifted up from the earth, and on feet as a man it has been caused to stand, and a heart of man is given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and to the same authority it has been raised, and three ribs [are] in its mouth, between its teeth, and thus they are saying to it, Rise, consume much flesh.
6 After this I was seeing, and behold, another like a leopard, and it has four wings of a bird on its back, and the beast has four heads, and dominion is given to it.
7 After this I was seeing in the visions of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and fearful, and exceedingly strong; and it has very great iron teeth, it has consumed, indeed, it breaks small, and it has trampled the remnant with its feet; and it [is] diverse from all the beasts that [are] before it; and it has ten horns.
8 I was considering about the horns, and behold, another horn, a little one, has come up between them, and three of the first horns have been eradicated from before it, and behold, eyes as the eyes of man [are] in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I was seeing until thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment [is] white as snow, and the hair of His head [is] as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire.
10 A flood of fire is proceeding and coming forth from before Him, one million serve Him and one hundred million rise up before Him, judgment has been set, and the scrolls have been opened.
11 I was seeing, then, because of the voice of the great words that the horn is speaking, I was seeing until the beast is slain, and his body has been destroyed, and given to the burning fire;
12 and the rest of the beasts have caused their dominion to pass away, and a prolongation in life is given to them, until a season and a time.
13 I was seeing in the visions of the night, and behold, [One] like a Son of Man was coming with the clouds of the heavens, and to the Ancient of Days He has come, and before Him they have brought Him near.
14 And to Him is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages serve Him, His dominion [is] a continuous dominion, that does not pass away, and His kingdom that which is not destroyed.
15 My spirit has been pierced—I, Daniel—in the midst of the sheath, and the visions of my head trouble me;
16 I have drawn near to one of those standing, and the certainty I seek from him of all this; and he has spoken to me, indeed, the interpretation of the things he has caused me to know:
17 These great beasts, that [are] four, [are] four kings, they rise up from the earth;
18 and the saints of the Most High receive the kingdom, and they strengthen the kingdom for all time, even for all time and all ages.
19 Then I wished for certainty concerning the fourth beast, that was diverse from them all, exceedingly fearful; its teeth of iron, and its nails of bronze, it has devoured, it breaks small, and it has trampled the remnant with its feet;
20 and concerning the ten horns that [are] in its heads, and of the other that came up, and before which three have fallen, even of that horn that has eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and whose appearance [is] great above its companions.
21 I was seeing, and this horn is making war with the saints, and has prevailed over them,
22 until the Ancient of Days has come, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and the time has come, and the saints have strengthened the kingdom.
23 Thus he said: The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom in the earth, that is diverse from all kingdoms, and it consumes all the earth, and treads it down, and breaks it small.
24 And the ten horns out of the kingdom [are] ten kings, they rise, and another rises after them, and it is diverse from the former, and it humbles three kings;
25 and it speaks words as an adversary of the Most High, and it wears out the saints of the Most High, and it hopes to change seasons and law; and they are given into its hand, until a time, and times, and a division of a time.
26 And judgment is set, and they cause his dominion to pass away, to perish, and to be destroyed—to the end;
27 and the kingdom, and the dominion, even the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens, is given to the people—the saints of the Most High, His kingdom [is] a continuous kingdom, and all dominions serve and obey Him.
28 Here [is] the end of the matter. I, Daniel, [am] greatly troubled [by] my thoughts, and my countenance is changed on me, and I have kept the matter in my heart.”