Daniel 7–8

Visions of the Four Beasts

⁷In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream:^{b* 2}I,^c Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.^{* 4}The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.^{* 5}Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks^d in its mouth among its teeth, and was told, “Arise, devour many bodies!” ⁶After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads, and dominion was given to it.^{* 7}After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns.^{* 8}I was considering the horns when another horn appeared, a little one that came up among them. Three of the original horns were plucked up from before it. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn and a mouth speaking arrogantly.^*

Judgment before the Ancient One

⁹As I watched,

thrones were set in place,

and an Ancient One^e took his throne;

his clothing was white as snow

and the hair of his head like pure wool;

his throne was fiery flames,

and its wheels were burning fire.^*

¹⁰A stream of fire issued

and flowed out from his presence.

A thousand thousands served him,

and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.

The court sat in judgment,

and the books were opened.^*

¹¹I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.^{* 12}As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. ¹³As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being^f

coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One^g

and was presented before him.^*

¹⁴To him was given dominion

and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one

that shall never be destroyed.^*

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me,^h and the visions of my head terrified me.^{* 16}I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter:^{* 17}“As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.”^*

¹⁹Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet; ²⁰and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn that came up and before which three others had fallen—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly and that seemed greater than the others. ²¹As I looked, that horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them,^{* 22}until the Ancient Oneⁱ came; then judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.^*

²³This is what he said: “As for the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth

that shall be different from all the other kingdoms;

it shall devour the whole earth

and trample it down and break it to pieces.^*

²⁴As for the ten horns,

out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,

and another shall arise after them.

This one shall be different from the former ones

and shall put down three kings.^*

²⁵He shall speak words against the Most High,

shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High,

and shall attempt to change the ritual calendar and the law,

and they shall be given into his power

for a time, two times,^j and half a time.^*

²⁶Then the court shall sit in judgment,

and his dominion shall be taken away,

to be consumed and totally destroyed.^*

²⁷The kingship and dominion

and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven

shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High;

their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

and all dominions shall serve and obey them.”^*

²⁸Here the account ends. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly terrified me, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter in my mind.^*

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

⁸In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at first.^{* 2}In the vision^k I saw myself in Susa the capital, in the province of Elam,^l and I was by the Ulai Gate.^{m* 3}I looked up and saw a ram standing beside the gate.ⁿ It had two horns. Both horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up second.^{* 4}I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. All beasts were powerless to withstand it, and no one could rescue from its power; it did as it pleased and became strong.^*

⁵As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a horn^o between its eyes.^{* 6}It came toward the ram with the two horns that I had seen standing beside the gate,^p and it ran at it with savage force.^{* 7}I saw it approaching the ram. It was enraged against it and struck the ram, breaking its two horns. The ram did not have power to withstand it; it threw the ram down to the ground and trampled upon it, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from its power.^{* 8}Then the male goat grew exceedingly great, but at the height of its power the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.^*

⁹Out of one of them came another^q horn, a little one, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.^{* 10}It grew as high as the host of heaven. It threw down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.^{* 11}Even against the prince of the host it acted arrogantly; it took the regular burnt offering away from him and overthrew the place of his sanctuary.^{* 12}Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together with the regular burnt offering;^r it cast truth to the ground and kept prospering in what it did. ¹³Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is this vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled?”^{s* 14}And he answered him,^t “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

¹⁵When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then someone appeared standing before me, having the appearance of a man,^{* 16}and I heard a human voice by the Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.”^{* 17}So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I became frightened and fell prostrate. But he said to me, “Understand, O mortal,^u that the vision is for the time of the end.”^*

¹⁸As he was speaking to me, I fell into a trance, face to the ground; then he touched me and set me on my feet.^{* 19}He said, “Listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.^{* 20}As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹The male goat^v is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king.^{* 22}As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his^w nation but not with his power.^*

²³At the end of their rule,

when the transgressions have reached their full measure,

a king of bold countenance shall arise,

skilled in intrigue.

²⁴He shall grow strong in power,^x

shall cause fearful destruction,

and shall succeed in what he does.

He shall destroy the powerful

and the people of the holy ones.^*

²⁵By his cunning

he shall make deceit prosper under his hand,

and in his own mind he shall be great.

Without warning he shall destroy many

and shall even rise up against the Prince of princes.

But he shall be broken, and not by human hands.^*

²⁶“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”^*

²⁷So I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I arose and went about the king’s business. But I was dismayed by the vision and did not understand it.^*