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 Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and the visions of his head while on his couch: afterward he wrote down the dream, relating the principal things.
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.
Daniel commenced and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven blew fiercely on the great sea.
3 Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
And four great beasts came up from the sea, differing one from 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 like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I looked till its wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and was placed upon its feet as a man, and a human heart was given to it.
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 there was another, a second beast, like a bear, and on one side was it placed, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth: and thus they said unto it, Arise, eat 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 I looked, and lo there was another, like a leopard; and it had four wings of a bird on its back: the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given unto 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 I looked in the night visions, and behold there was a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and ground up, and what was left it stamped with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
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 looked carefully at the horns, and, behold, another little horn came up between them, and three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots before the same; and, behold, there were eyes like the eyes of man in this horn, with a mouth speaking presumptuous 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 was looking until chairs were set down, and an Ancient of days seated himself, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of whose head was like clean wool; his chair was like flames of fire, and his wheels like fire that burnt;
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 issued and came forth from before him; thousand times thousands ministered unto him, and myriad times myriads stood before him: they sat down to hold judgment, 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 looked then, because of the sound of the presumptuous words which the horn had spoken, —I looked till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and given over to the burning 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.
But concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet a longer duration of life was given unto them until the time and period.
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 looked in the nightly visions, and, behold, with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man, and he attained as far as the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before 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 there were given him dominion, and dignity, and government, and all people, nations, and languages had to serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom is one which shall never 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.
My spirit was deeply shaken within me, Daniel, in the midst of its tenement, 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.
I came near unto one of those that stood by, and asked him something certain concerning all this: and he spoke to me, and made known unto me the interpretation of the things.
17 [He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
These great beasts, of which there are four, are four kings, who are to arise on the earth.
18 But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
But the saints of the Most High will obtain the kingdom, and possess the kingdom to eternity, even to all eternity for 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 desired what is certain concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all these others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and whose nails of copper; which devoured, ground up, and stamped with its feet what was left;
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 the ten horns that were in its head, and concerning the other which came up, and before which three fell down, even concerning that horn which had eyes, and a mouth which spoke presumptuous things, and whose appearance was greater than that of its companions.
21 While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
I had seen how the same horn had made war with the saints, and had 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 procured justice unto the saints of the Most High; and the time came and the saints took possession of 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].
Thus said he, The fourth beast [signifieth that] a fourth kingdom will be upon earth, which is to be different from all kingdoms, and will devour all the earth, and will tread it down, and grind it up.
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 the ten horns out of this kingdom [signify] that ten kings will arise; and another will rise after them, and he will be different from the first, and three kings will he bring low.
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 will speak words against the Most High, and the saints of the Most High will he oppress, and think to change the festivals and the law: and they will be given up into his hand until 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.
But they will sit down to hold judgment, and they will take away his dominion, to destroy and to annihilate it unto the end.
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 dominion, and the power over the kingdoms under the whole heaven, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all governments are to worship 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].
Thus far is the end of the speech. As for me Daniel, my reflections troubled me greatly, and my color was changed on me; but I kept the speech in my heart.
