< Daniel 7 >
1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream, and related the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said: —I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven burst forth upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had the wings of an eagle; I beheld till its wings were plucked from it, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon its feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, the second, like to a bear; and it stood up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and they spake thus to it: Arise, devour much flesh!
6 After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful, and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured, and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet, and it differed from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I gave heed to the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld, till thrones were placed, and an aged one seated himself, his garment white like snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne like a fiery flame, and its wheels like burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the tribunal sat, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld; and because of the great words which the horn spake, I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
12 As to the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, for the duration of their lives had been appointed for a season and a time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man, and came to the aged one, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit within me, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near to one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 Then shall the saints of the Most High receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which differed from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and his nails of brass, which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 and concerning the ten horns which were in his head, and the other which came up, and before which three fell, —even that horn which had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, and whose appearance was larger than that of his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them,
22 until the aged one came, and judgment was rendered to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints should possess the kingdom.
23 He spake thus: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom upon the earth, which shall differ from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns are ten kings, which shall arise out of this kingdom; and another shall arise after them; and he shall differ from the former, and shall subdue three kings.
25 And he will speak great words against the Most High, and will harass the saints of the Most High, and will resolve to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand a time, and times, and half a time.
26 But the tribunal shall sit, and his dominion shall be taken away, and consumed and destroyed forever.
27 And the sovereignty and dominion and power over all kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Here ended his words. As for me Daniel, my thoughts terrified me much, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.
