DANIEL’S VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS

7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mindd as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream,e and here is the summaryB of his account. 2 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heavenf stirred up the great sea. 3 Four huge beastsg came up from the sea,h each different from the other.

4 “The first was like a lioni but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.

5 “Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear.j It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.’

6 “After this, while I was watching, suddenly another beast appeared. It was like a leopardk with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads,l and it was given dominion.

7 “After this, while I was watching in the night visions, suddenly a fourth beastm appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.n

8 “While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn,o a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And suddenly in this horn there were eyes like the eyes of a human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly.p

THE ANCIENT OF DAYS AND THE SON OF MAN

9 “As I kept watching,

thrones were set in place,q

and the Ancient of Days took his seat.

His clothing was white like snow,r

and the hair of his head like whitest wool.s

His throne was flaming fire;t

its wheels were blazing fire.u

10 A river of fire was flowing,

coming out from his presence.

Thousands upon thousandsv served him;

ten thousand times ten thousandw stood before him.

The court was convened,x

and the books were opened.y

11 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire.z 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time.aa 13 I continued watching in the night visions,

and suddenly one like a son of manab

was coming with the clouds of heaven.ac

He approached the Ancient of Days

and was escorted before him.

14 He was given dominionad

and glory and a kingdom,

so that those of every people,

nation, and languageae

should serveaf him.

His dominion is an everlastingag dominion

that will not pass away,

and his kingdom is one

that will not be destroyed.

INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was deeply distressed within me,C and the visions in my mind terrified me.ah 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and asked himai to clarify all this. So he let me know the interpretation of these things:aj 17 ‘These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever, yes, forever and ever.’ak