Daniel - Chapter 8

1. In the third year of Balshazzar's kingdom, a vision appeared to me-I, Daniel-after what had appeared to me in the beginning.

2. And I saw in the vision, and it came to pass when I saw-and I was in Shushan the capital, which is in the province of Elam-and I saw in the vision that I was beside the river Ulai.

3. And I lifted my eyes, and I saw, and behold a ram was standing before the river, and it had horns, and the horns were high, and one was higher than the other, and the higher one sprouted last.

4. I saw the ram goring westward, northward, and southward, and no beasts could stand before it, and no one could save [anyone] from its hand, and it did according to its will, and it grew.

5. And I was pondering, and behold a he-goat came from the west over the surface of the entire earth, and it did not touch the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes.

6. And it came to the horned ram that I saw standing before the river, and it ran toward it with the fury of its power.

7. And I saw it coming up to the ram, and it fought with it, and it struck the ram and broke both of its horns, and the ram had no strength to stand before it; so it cast it to the ground and trampled it, and there was no one to save the ram from its hand.

8. And the he-goat waxed exceedingly huge, and when it became strong, the great horn broke, and an appearance of four sprouted in its stead, to the four directions of the heavens.

9. And from one of them emerged a small horn, and it became very great to the south and to the east and to the coveted land.

10. And it grew until the host of heaven, and it cast down to the ground some of the host and of the stars and trampled them.

11. And until the Prince of the host it grew, and through him the daily sacrifice was removed, and the base of His Sanctuary was cast down.

12. And a time will be given for the daily sacrifice because of transgression, and it will cast truth to the earth, and it will do and prosper.

13. Then I heard one holy one speaking, and one holy one said to the anonymous one who was speaking, "How long will be the vision of the daily sacrifice and the mute abomination, permitting the Sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

14. And he said to me, "Until evening and morning, two thousand and three hundred, and the holy ones shall be exonerated."

15. Now it came to pass when I, Daniel, perceived that vision, that I sought understanding, and behold, there stood before me one who appeared like a man.

16. And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the Ulai, and he called and said, "Gabriel, enable this one to understand the vision."

17. And he came beside the palace where I was standing, and when he came, I became frightened, and I fell upon my face. Then he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end."

18. Now, when he spoke to me, I fell into a sound sleep upon my face to the ground, and he touched me and stood me up where I had been standing.

19. And he said to me, "Behold I am letting you know what will be at the end of the fury, for it is the end of the time.

20. The ram that you saw, the one with the horns, represents the kings of Media and Persia.

21. And the he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes-that is the first king.

22. And the broken one, in whose stead stood four, represents four kingdoms [that] will rise from a nation, but not with its strength.

23. And at the end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have been destroyed, there will arise a brazen-faced king who understands riddles.

24. And his power will become strong, but not through his strength, and he will destroy wondrously, and he will prosper and accomplish, and he will destroy the mighty and the people of the holy ones.

25. And through his intellect, he will cause the deceit in his hand to prosper, and in his heart he will become proud, and in tranquility he will destroy many, and over the Prince of princes he will stand, and without strength he will be broken.

26. And the vision of the evening and the morning that was said is true, and you close up the vision, which will be for many days."

27. And I, Daniel, became broken and ill for days, but I rose and did the king's work, and I was terrified about the vision, but no one realized it.