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.
During the third year that Belshazzar was the King [of Babylonia], I had another vision.
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.
In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was [standing] alongside 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.
I looked up and saw a ram that was standing alongside the canal. It had two [long] horns, but the newest one was longer than the other one.
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.
The ram butted/knocked away [with its horns] everything that was west and everything that was north and everything that was south of it. There were no [other] animals that were able to oppose it, and none that could rescue/save [other animals] from its power. The ram did whatever it wanted to do and became very powerful.
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.
While I was thinking [about what I had seen, in the vision] I saw a goat come from the west. It ran across the land so quickly, that [it seemed like] its feet did not touch the ground. This goat had one very large horn between its eyes.
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.
It was very angry, and it ran [straight] toward the ram that I had seen [previously, the ram] that was standing alongside the canal.
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.
The goat struck the ram furiously and broke off its two horns, with the result that the ram was unable [to defend itself]. [So] the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s 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;
The goat became very powerful. But when its power was very great, its horn was broken off. But four [other] large horns took its place. They each pointed in a different direction.
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];
[Then] from one of those [large horns] appeared a little horn, which became very big, [and pointed] toward the south and [then] toward the east and [then] toward the beautiful land [of Israel].
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;
[The man who was represented by] that horn became very strong, with the result that he attacked some of the [soldiers of the] army of heaven, and (OR, meaning) the stars in the sky [which represented God’s people]. He threw some of them to the ground and trampled on 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;
He (defied/considered himself to be greater than) the leader of the army [of heaven], and prevented [priests from] offering sacrifices to him. He also (defiled the temple/caused the temple to become unholy).
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.
Then God’s people allowed the [man who was represented by] that horn to control/rule them, with the result that they sinned by offering sacrifices to him. And he threw to the ground the [laws that contained the] true religion. Everything that he did was successful.
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 two angels who were talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the things/events that were in this vision continue? How long will the man who rebels against God and causes [the temple] to be defiled be able to prevent [priests from] offering sacrifices? How long will he trample on the temple and on the armies of heaven?”
14 And he said unto him, Until two thousand and three hundred evening-mornings, —then shall the sanctuary, be vindicated.
The other angel replied, “[It will continue] for 1,150 days. During all of that time, [people will not be permitted to offer sacrifices] in the morning or in the evening. After that, the temple will be purified.”
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 trying to understand what the vision meant, suddenly [an angel] who resembled a man stood/appeared in front of me.
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 a man call out from [the other side of] the Ulai Canal, saying, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision [that he saw]!”
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.
So Gabriel came and stood beside me. I was very terrified, with the result that I fell onto the ground. But he said to me, “You human, it is necessary for you to understand that [the events that you saw in] the vision will occur [near] the time that [the world] will 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, I fainted. I lay there, unconscious, with my face still on the ground. But Gabriel put his hand on me and lifted me up in order that I could stand again.
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.
Then he said, “I [have come here to] tell you what will happen because of [God] being angry. These things will happen near the time when [the world] will end.
20 The ram which thou sawest, having the two horns, representeth the kings of Media and Persia;
As for the ram with two horns that you saw, those horns [represent] the kingdoms 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 goat [that you saw represents] the kingdom of Greece, and the horn that appeared between its eyes [represents] its 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;
As for the four horns that grew after the first horn was broken off, they [represent] four kingdoms into which that first kingdom will be divided [after the first king dies]. Those four kingdoms will not be as strong/powerful as the first kingdom was.
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;
The people [in those kingdoms] will become very wicked, with the result that it will be necessary for them to be punished. But near the time when those kingdoms will end, one of those kingdoms will have a king who will be very proud/defiant [IDM]. He will [also] be very fierce and very deceitful.
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;
He will become very powerful, but it will not be because of what he himself does. He will terribly destroy things in many places, and he will succeed in doing everything that he wants to. He will get rid of [many] powerful men, and [also] some of God’s 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.
Because he is very cunning/clever, he will succeed by doing things that deceive many people. He will be proud of himself. He will destroy many people when they think that they are safe. He will also rebel against [God] [EUP], who is the greatest king. But [God] will destroy him, without the help [MTY] of any human being.
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.
What you saw in the vision about [priests being prevented from making] sacrifices in the morning and in the evening, which [I] explained [to you], will surely happen. But [for the present time], do not reveal the vision [to others], because it will be many years before those things happen.”
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.
Then I, Daniel, became weak, and I was sick for several days. Then I arose and [returned to] doing the work that the king [had given to me], but I was perplexed/confused about the vision, and I could not understand it.
