21 “In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and aseize the kingdom by intrigue.

22 “The overflowing aforces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant.

23 “After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.

24 “1In a time of tranquility he will enter the arichest parts of the 2realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his 3ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “He will stir up his strength and 1courage against the aking of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him.

26 “Those who eat his choice food will 1destroy him, and his army will 2aoverflow, but many will fall down slain.

27 “As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on aevil, and they will bspeak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the cend is still to come at the appointed time.

28 “Then he will return to his land with much 1plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but 1this last time it will not turn out the way it did before.

30 “For ships of 1aKittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 “Forces from him will arise, adesecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the babomination 1of desolation.

32 “By asmooth words he will 1turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display bstrength and take action.

33 “1aThose who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will bfall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.

34 “Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will ajoin with them in bhypocrisy.

35 “Some of 1those who have insight will fall, in order to arefine, bpurge and make them 2cpure until the dend time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.