Daniel 8

1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, I, Daniel, had a vision appear to me (after the one that appeared to me at first).

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, to me Daniel, after that which had appeared unto me at the first.

2 I saw in the vision, as I was looking, that I was in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.

And I saw in the vision—and it came to pass, in my seeing, that I was at Shushan the capital, which is in the province of 'Elam; —and I saw in the vision, as though I was by the river Ulai.

3 I looked up and saw before me a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal. One horn was longer than the other, but the longer one grew more slowly than the shorter and was passed up in length by it.

And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, there was a ram standing before the river, and he had two horns; and the horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

4 I saw the ram charging west, then north, and then south; no other animal could stand before him. None of them was able to rescue anyone out of his hand. He did whatever he wanted, and he became great.

I saw the ram butting westward, and northward, and southward; so that all the beasts could not stand before him, and no one was there to deliver out of his hand: and he did according to his will, and became great.

5 As I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat come from the west, who went across the surface of the whole earth, running fast, not seeming to touch the ground. The goat had a large horn between his eyes.

And as I was looking attentively, behold, there came a shaggy, he-goat from the west over the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a sightly large horn between his eyes.

6 He came to the ram who had two horns—I had seen the ram standing on the bank of the canal—and the goat ran toward the ram in a powerful rage.

And he came as far as the ram that had two horns, that I had seen standing before the river, and ran at him with his furious power.

7 I saw the goat come close to the ram. He was very angry at the ram, and he hit the ram and broke off its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand before him. The goat knocked him down to the ground and trampled on him. There was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.

And I saw him coming close unto the ram, and he became bitterly enraged against him, and he struck the ram, and broke his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand forward before him: and he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him; and there was no one to deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 Then the goat became very large. But when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in its place four other large horns grew up that pointed toward the four winds of the heavens.

And the shaggy he-goat became very great: but when he was grown strong, the great horn was broken; and there came up four slightly large ones in its place toward the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of them grew another horn, little at first, but which became very large in the south, in the east, and in the land of beauty.

And out of them came forth a little horn, which became exceedingly great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

10 It became so large as to engage in war with the army of heaven. Some of that army and some of the stars were thrown down to the earth, and it trampled on them.

And it became great, even up to the host of the heavens; and it cast down to the ground some of the host and of the stars, and trod them under foot.

11 It made itself to be as great as the commander of the army. It took away from him the regular burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was polluted.

Yea, it magnified itself even up to the prince of the host, and by it the continual sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12 Because of rebellion, the army will be given over to the goat's horn, and the burnt offering will be stopped. The horn will throw truth down to the ground, and it will succeed in what it does.

And the host is given up together with the continual sacrifice, by reason of transgression: and it casteth down the truth to the ground, and it doth [this], and is prosperous.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one answering him, “How long will these things last, this vision about the burnt offering, the sin that brings destruction, the handing over of the sanctuary, and heaven's army being trampled on?”

Then did I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a holy one said unto the unknown one who was speaking, For how long is the vision concerning the continual sacrifice, and the wasting transgression, to give up both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

14 He said to me, “It will last for 2,300 evenings and mornings. After that the sanctuary will be put right.”

And he said unto me, Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings, when the sanctuary shall be justified.

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then there stood before me one who looked like a man.

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, saw the vision, and sought for understanding, that, behold, there was standing opposite to me something like the appearance of a man.

16 I heard a man's voice calling between the banks of the Ulai Canal. He said, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.”

And I heard the voice of a man between [the banks of] the Ulai, and it called, and said, Gabriel, cause this one to understand this appearance.

17 So he came near where I stood. When he came, I was frightened and prostrated myself on the ground. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

So he came close to where I stood: and when he came, I was terrified, and I fell upon my face; but he said unto me, Mark it well, O son of man; because for the time of the end is the vision.

18 When he spoke to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and made me stand up.

Now as he was speaking with me, I fell down in amazement on my face to the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright where I had been standing.

19 He said, “See, I will show you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time for the end.

And he said, Behold, I will make known unto thee what is to be at the last end of the indignation; for it is for the appointed time of the end.

20 As for the ram you saw, the one that had two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

The ram that thou hast seen, him with the two horns, [signifieth] the kings of Media and Persia.

21 The male goat is the king of Greece. The large horn between his eyes is the first king.

And the shaggy he-goat is the king of Javan; and the great horn which is between his eyes is the first king.

22 As for the horn that was broken, in the place of which four others arose—four kingdoms will arise from his nation, but not with his great power.

But that it was broken, and that four sprung up in its stead, [signifieth that] four kingdoms will spring up out of the nation, but not with his power.

23 At the latter time of those kingdoms, when the transgressors shall have reached their limit, a grim-faced king, one who is very intelligent, will arise.

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have filled their measure of guilt, there will arise a king of an impudent face, and understanding deep schemes.

24 His power will be great—but not by his own power. He will be amazing in what he destroys; he will act and succeed. He will destroy powerful people, people among the holy ones.

And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power; and he will destroy wonderfully, and will prosper while he doth [this]; and he will destroy very many and the people of the saints.

25 By his craftiness he will make deceit prosper under his hand. He will become great in his own mind. He will unexpectedly destroy many people. He will even rise up against the King of kings, and he will be broken, but not by any human hand.

And through his intelligence, and because he prospereth, is craftiness in his hand; and in his heart will he magnify himself, and in peace will he destroy many: he will also stand up against the Prince of princes; but without a human hand will he be broken.

26 The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been told is true. But seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”

And the appearance of the evening and the morning which was spoken of is true: but do thou keep the vision closed up;

27 Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay weak for several days. Then I got up, and went about the king's business. But I was appalled by the vision, and there was no one who understood it.

And I Daniel grieved, and was sick several days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was depressed because of the appearance; but no one observed it.