^8:3I looked up⁸ and saw⁹ a¹⁰ ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long,¹¹ but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one. ^8:4I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal¹² was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power.¹³ It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.¹⁴

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Footnotes

8 Heb “lifted my eyes.”
9 Heb “and behold.”
10 Heb “one.” The Hebrew numerical adjective occasionally functions like an English indefinite article. See §125.b.
11 Heb “high” (also “higher” later in this verse).
12 Or “beast” ().
13 Heb “hand.” So also in v. 7.
14 In the Hiphil the Hebrew verb גָּדַל (gadal, “to make great; to magnify”) can have either a positive or a negative sense. For the former, used especially of God, see Ps 126:2, 3; Joel 2:21. In this chapter (8:4, 8, 11, 25) the word has a pejorative sense, describing the self-glorification of this king. The sense seems to be that of vainly assuming one’s own superiority through deliberate hubris.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.

NLTNew Living Translation

As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And I lifted up my eyes and I saw, and look! A ram standing before the stream, and it had two horns, and the horns were long, but the one was longer than the second, and the longer one came up after the other one. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward, and none of the beasts stood before it, and there was no rescuing from its power, and it did what it wanted and it became strong.

KJV 1900King James Version

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

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