Daniel 8

1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me previously.

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one that had appeared to me earlier.

2 And I saw in the vision, and when I looked, I was in the citadel of Shushan, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.

And in the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.

3 Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and look, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns. And the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last.

Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later.

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

5 As I was considering, look, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a prominent horn between his eyes.

As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground.

6 He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and rushed at him in the fury of his power.

He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power.

7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he threw him down to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could deliver the ram from his power.

I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power.

8 The male goat became very strong. But when he was strong, the large horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Thus the goat became very great, but at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.

From one of these horns a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the Beautiful Land.

10 It grew so great that it reached to the host of heaven, and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them.

It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth, and trampled them.

11 And it magnified itself, even against the Prince of the host; and it took away from him the daily sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.

12 The host was given over to it together with the daily sacrifice because of transgression. And it cast down truth to the ground, and kept prospering.

And in the rebellion, the host and the daily sacrifice were given over to the horn, and it flung truth to the ground and prospered in whatever it did.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”

14 He said to me, "To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state."

He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be properly restored.”

15 It came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it. And look, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

16 I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and called out and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”

17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was frightened, and fell prostrate. But he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision belongs to the time of the end."

As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

18 Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, helped me to my feet,

19 He said, "Look, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of wrath, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.

and said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.

20 The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.

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

The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

22 As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation, but not with his power.

The four horns that replaced the broken one represent four kingdoms that will rise from that nation, but will not have the same power.

23 In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressions have reached their full measure, a rash and deceitful king shall arise.

In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.

24 His power shall be great, but not by his own strength; and he shall cause terrible destruction, and shall succeed in whatever he does. And he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people.

25 Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper by his influence, and he shall be great in his own mind, and without warning he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be shattered, but not by human hands.

Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.

26 The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision because it refers to many days from now."

The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

27 I, Daniel, was overcome, and was ill for days. Then I rose up, and carried out the king's business. And I was astonished by the vision, but there was no one to explain it.

I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.