Daniel 8
1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision, appeared unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the beginning.
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 So then I saw, in the vision, and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was in Shusan the fortress, which is in Persia the province, —yea I saw it in a vision, when, 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 So then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and lo! a ram, standing before the river, and, it, had two horns, —and, the two horns, were high, but, the one, was higher than the other, and, the higher, had come 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 strongly westward and northward and southward, so that no wild beast could stand before him, and none could deliver out of his hand, —but he did according to his own pleasure, and shewed himself 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 Now, I, was observing, when lo! a he-goat, coming in out of the west, over the face of all the earth, but it meddled not with the earth, —and, the goat, had a conspicuous 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 So then he came up to the ram having the two horns, which I had seen, standing before the river, —and ran unto him, in the fury of his strength.
He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power.
7 Yea I saw him coming close upon the ram, and he was enraged at him, and smote the ram, and brake in pieces both his horns, and there was no strength in the ram to stand before him, —but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled him underfoot, and there was none could deliver the ram out of 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 But, the he-goat, shewed himself very great, —and, when he had become mighty, the great horn, was broken in pieces, and there came up afterwards four, in its stead, towards the four winds of the heavens;
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 and, out of the first of them, came forth a little horn, —which became exceedingly great, against the south and against the east, and against 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 yea it became great as far as the host of the heavens, —and caused to fall, to the earth, some of the host and some of the stars, and trampled them underfoot;
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 even as far as the ruler of the host, shewed he his greatness, —and, because of him, was taken away the continual [ascending-sacrifice], and the place of the sanctuary, was cast down;
It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.
12 and, a host, was set over the continual [ascending-sacrifice], by transgression, —and faithfulness, was cast down, to the ground, and so he acted with effect, and succeeded.
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 heard I a certain holy one, speaking, —and another holy one said to that certain holy one who was speaking—How long is the vision of the continual [ascending-sacrifice] as taken away, and the transgression which astoundeth, for both sanctuary and host to be given over to be trampled underfoot?
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 And he said unto him, Until two thousand and three hundred evening-mornings, —then shall the sanctuary, be vindicated.
He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be properly restored.”
15 And it came to pass, when, I Daniel, had seen the vision, —and had sought discernment, that lo! there was standing before me, as the appearance of 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 Then heard I a human voice, between [the banks of] the Ulai, —which cried out, and said, Gabriel! cause this man to understand the revelation.
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 terrified, and fell upon my face, —but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man, that, to the time of the end, belongeth the vision.
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 And, when he spake with me, I fell stunned upon my face, to the earth, —but he touched me, and caused me to stand up where I was.
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 Then said he, Behold me! causing thee to know, that which shall come to pass in the afterpart of the indignation, —for, at an appointed time, shall be an 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 thou sawest, having the two horns, representeth the kings of Media and Persia;
The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
21 and, the he-goat, is the king of Greece, —and, the great horn which was between his eyes, the same, is the first king.
The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.
22 Now, as for its being broken in pieces, whereupon there stood up four in its stead, four kingdoms, out of his nation, shall stand up, but not with his strength;
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 but, in the aftertime of their kingdom, when transgressions, have filled up their measure, —there will stand up a king of mighty presence, and skilful in dissimulation;
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 and his strength, will be mighty, but not through his own strength, and, wonderfully, will he destroy, and succeed and act with effect, —and will destroy mighty ones, and the people of holy ones;
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 and, by his cunning, will he both cause deceit to succeed in his hand, and, in his own heart, will he shew himself to be great, and, by their careless security, will he destroy many, —and, against the ruler of rulers, will he stand up, but, without hand, shall be broken in pieces.
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 Now, the revelation of the evening and the morning which hath been told, faithful, indeed it is, —but, thou, close up the vision, because it is for many days.
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 Now, as for me Daniel, then was I sick for days, but I arose and did the business of the king, —and, though I was confounded concerning the revelation, yet could no one discern 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.
