Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel, beheld, a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed, —then, the dream, he wrote, the sum of the matters, he told.
[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 said, I was looking, in my vision [which came] with the night, —when, lo! the four winds of the heavens, bursting forth upon 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 four large wild beasts, coming up out of the sea, —diverse, one from another: —
Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
4 The foremost, like a lion, having, the wings of an eagle, —I looked until the wings thereof, were torn out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and, upon its feet, like a man, was it caused to stand, and, the heart of a man, was given to it.
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, lo! another wild beast, a second, resembling a bear, and, on one side, was it raised up, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth, —and, thus, were they saying to it, Rise! devour 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 that, I was looking, and lo! another like a leopard, and it, had four wings of a bird upon its back, —and four heads, had the wild beast, and dominion, was given to it,
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 that, I was looking in the visions of the night, when lo! a fourth wild beast, terrible and well-hipped and exceeding strong, and it had, large teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and, the residue—with its feet, it trampled down, —and, it, was diverse from all the wild beasts that were before it, and it had, ten horns.
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 I was considering the horns, when lo! another horn, a little one, came up among them, and, three of the former horns, were uprooted from before it, —and lo! eyes, like the eyes of a man, in this horn, and, a mouth, speaking great 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 continued looking, until that, thrones, were placed, and, the Ancient of days, took his seat, —whose, garment, like snow, was white, and, the hair of his head, like pure wool, his throne, was flames of fire, his wheels, a 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 stream of fire, was flowing on and issuing forth from before him, a thousand thousand, waited upon him and, ten thousand times ten thousand, before him, stood up, —Judgment, took its seat, and, books, were 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 I continued looking, then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking, I continued looking, until that the wild beast, was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning of the 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 rest of the beasts, their dominion, was taken away, —but, a lengthening of life, was given to them, until 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 I continued looking in the visions of the night, when lo! with the clouds of the heavens, one like a son of man, was coming, —and, unto the Ancient of days, he approached, and, before him, they brought him near;
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, unto him, were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races and tongues, unto him, should do service, —his dominion, was an age-abiding dominion, which should not pass away, and, his kingdom, that which should not 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 The spirit of, me, Daniel, was grieved in the midst of the sheath, —and, the visions of my head, terrified me.
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 I drew near unto one of them who stood by, and made exact enquiry of him, concerning all this, —so he told me, and, the interpretation of the things, made he known unto me.
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 wild beasts, which are four, —are four kings who shall arise out of the earth;
[He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
18 but the holy ones of the Highest, shall receive the kingdom, —and shall possess the kingdom for the age, yea for the age of ages.
But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
19 Then desired I to be sure, concerning the fourth wild beast, which was diverse from all of them, —exceeding terrible, whose, teeth, were iron, and, his claws, of bronze, he devoured, brake in pieces, and, the residue—with his feet, he trampled down;
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 concerning the ten horns, which were in his head, and the other, which came up, and there fell—from among them that were before it—three, —and this horn which had, eyes, and, a mouth, speaking great things, and, his look, was more proud than his fellows:
[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 continued looking, when, this horn, made war with the holy ones, —and prevailed against them:
While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
22 until that the Ancient of Days, came, and, justice, was granted to the holy ones of the Highest, —and, the time, arrived, that the holy ones should possess, the kingdom.
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 Thus, he said, The fourth wild beast, is a fourth kingdom which shall be in the earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, —and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down, and break 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 horns of that kingdom, are ten kings who will arise, —and, another, will arise after them, and, he, will be diverse from the former ones, and, three kings, will he cast down;
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, words against the Most High, will he speak, and, the holy ones of the Highest, will he afflict, —and will hope to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand, for a season and seasons and the dividing of a season,
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, Judgment, will take its seat, —and, his dominion, will they take away, to destroy and make disappear unto an end.
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 kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Highest, —his kingdom, is an age-abiding kingdom, and, all the dominions, unto him, will render service, and show themselves obedient.
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 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, greatly did my thoughts terrify me, and, my bright looks, were changed upon me, but, the matter—in mine own heart, I kept.
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].
