Daniel 7
1 [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:
In the first year of Baltasar, king of the Chaldeans Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: and he wrote his dream.
2 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.
I Daniel saw, and, behold, the four winds of heaven blew violently upon the great sea.
3 Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
And there came up four great beasts out of the sea, differing from one another.
4 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.
The first [was] as a lioness, and her wings as an eagle's; I saw until her wings were plucked, ands she was lifted off from the earth, and she stood on human feet, and a man's heart was given to her.
5 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]!”
And, behold, a second beast like a bear, and it supported itself on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth: and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 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].
After this one I looked, and behold another wild beast as a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon it: and the wild beast had four heads, and power was given to it.
7 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].
After this one I looked, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong, and its teeth were of iron; devouring and crushing to atoms, and it trampled the remainder with its feet: and it was altogether different from the beasts that were before it; and it [had] ten hours.
8 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.
I noticed his horns, and behold, another little horn came up in the midst of them, and before it three of the former horns were rooted out: and, behold, [there were] eyes as the eyes of a man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 [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.
I saw until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head, as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, [and] his wheels burning fire.
10 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].
A stream of fire rushed forth before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousands of myriads, attended upon him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
11 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.
I saw then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, until the wild beast was slain and destroyed, and his body given to be burnt with fire.
12 The power/authority of the other [three] beasts was taken away from them, but they were allowed to continue to live for a while.
And the dominion of the rest of the wild beasts was taken away; but a prolonging of life was given them for certain times.
13 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.
I saw in the night vision, and, behold, [one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him.
14 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.
And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
15 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.
[As for] me Daniel, my spirit in my body trembled, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 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.
And I drew near to one of them that stood by, and I sought to learn of him the truth of all these things: and he told me the truth, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
17 [He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
These four beasts are four kingdoms [that] shall rise up on the earth:
18 But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
which shall be taken away; and the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess it for ever and ever.
19 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].
Then I enquired carefully concerning the fourth beast; for it differed from every [other] beast, exceeding dreadful: its teeth were of iron, and its claws of brass, devouring, and utterly breaking to pieces, and it trampled the remainder with its feet:
20 [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.
and concerning it ten horns that were in its head, and the other that came up, and rooted up [some] of the former, which had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and his look was bolder than the rest.
21 While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
I saw, and that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 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].
until the Ancient of days came, and he gave judgment to the saints of the Most High; and the time came on, and the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 [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].
And he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on the earth, which shall excel all [other] kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and trample and destroy it.
24 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].
And his ten horns are ten kings [that] shall arise: and after them shall arise another, who shall exceed all the former ones in wickedness and he shall subdue three kings.
25 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.
And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change times and law: and [power] shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
26 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.
And the judgment has sat, and they shall remove [his] dominion to abolish it, and to destroy it utterly.
27 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).”
And the kingdom and the power and the greatness of the kings that are under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High; and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all powers shall serve and obey him.
28 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].
Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance was changed: but I kept the matter in my heart.
