Daniel 8:15–27

Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man. ^f16I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel, ^gexplain the vision to this man.”

¹⁷So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown. ^h“Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.” ⁱ¹⁸While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep, ^jwith my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up, ^k19and 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. ^l20The two-horned ram ^mthat you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king. ⁿ²²The four horns that took the place of the shattered horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.

²³Near the end of their kingdoms,

when the rebels have reached

the full measure of their sin, ^o

an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, ^p

will come to the throne.

²⁴His power will be great,

but it will not be his own.

He will cause terrible destruction ^q

and succeed in whatever he does.

He will destroy the powerful

along with the holy people. ^r

²⁵He will cause deceit to prosper

through his cunning and by his influence,

and in his own mind he will make himself great.

He will destroy many in a time of peace;

he will even stand against the Prince of princes.

Yet he will be shattered—not by human hands. ^s

²⁶The vision of the evenings and the mornings

that has been told is true.

Now you must seal up the vision ^t

because it refers to many days in the future.”

²⁷I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days. ^uThen I got up and went about the king’s business. ^vI was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.