< 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 Baltasar, a vision appeared to me. I Daniel, after what I had seen in the beginning,
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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?"
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 said to me, "To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state."
And he said to him: Unto evening and morning two thousand three hundred days: and the sanctuary shall be cleansed.
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.
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 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 between Ulai: and he called, and said: Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
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."
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 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.
And when he spoke to me I fell flat on the ground: and he touched me, and set me upright,
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 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 which you saw, that had the two horns, they are 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 king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the 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 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.
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 In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressions have reached their full measure, a rash and deceitful king shall arise.
And after their reign, when iniquities shall be grown up, there shall arise a king of a shameless face, and understanding dark sentences.
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.
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 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.
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 of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision because it refers to many days from now."
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 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.
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.

< Daniel 8 >