16 I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel,al explain the vision to this man.”

17 So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown.a “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.”b 18 While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep,c with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up,d 19 and said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the conclusion of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.e 20 The two-horned ramf that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.A 22 The four horns that took the place of the broken horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.

23 Near the end of their kingdoms,

when the rebels have reached

the full measure of their sin,B

a ruthlessC king, skilled in intrigue,D

will come to the throne.

24 His power will be great,

but it will not be his own.

He will cause outrageous destructiong

and succeed in whatever he does.

He will destroy the powerful

along with the holy people.h

25 He will cause deceit to prosper

through his cunning and by his influence,

and in his own mind he will exalt himself.

He will destroy many in a time of peace;

he will even stand against the Prince of princes.

Yet he will be broken—not by human hands.i

26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings

that has been told is true.

Now you are to seal up the visionj

because it refers to many days in the future.”