Daniel, 8

1. In the third year of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had originally appeared to me.

1. In the third year of the reign of King Belshaz'zar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.

2. I gazed at the vision, and as I gazed I found myself in Susa, the citadel in the province of Elam; gazing at the vision, I found myself at the Ulai Gate.

2. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was at the river U'lai.

3. I raised my eyes to look, and I saw a ram standing in front of the gate. It had two horns; both were tall, but one taller than the other, and the one that rose the higher was the second.

3. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the river. It had two horns; and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

4. I saw the ram butting westwards, northwards and southwards. No animal could stand up to it, nothing could escape its power. It did as it pleased and became strong.

4. 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 magnified himself.

5. This is what I observed: a he-goat from the west, encroaching over the entire surface of the world though never touching the ground, and between its eyes the goat had one majestic horn.

5. As I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

6. It advanced on the two-horned ram, which I had seen standing in front of the gate, and charged at it in the full force of its fury.

6. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the river, and he ran at him in his mighty wrath.

7. I saw it reach the ram; it was enraged with the ram and struck it, breaking both its horns, so that the ram was not strong enough to hold its ground; it threw it to the ground and trampled it underfoot; no one was there to rescue the ram.

7. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns; and the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled upon him; and there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.

8. The he-goat then grew more powerful than ever; but at the height of its strength the great horn snapped, and in its place sprouted four majestic horns, pointing to the four winds of heaven.

8. Then the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly; but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

9. From one of these, the small one, sprang a horn which grew to great size towards south and east and towards the Land of Splendour.

9. Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

10. It grew right up to the armies of heaven and flung armies and stars to the ground, and trampled them underfoot.

10. It grew great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them.

11. It even challenged the power of the Prince of the army; it abolished the perpetual sacrifice and overthrew the foundation of his sanctuary,

11. It magnified itself, even up to the Prince of the host; and the continual burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.

12. and the army too; over the sacrifice it installed iniquity and flung truth to the ground; the horn was active and successful.

12. And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through transgression; and truth was cast down to the ground, and the horn acted and prospered.

13. I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one say to the speaker, 'How long is this vision to be -- of perpetual sacrifice, of horrifying iniquity, of sanctuary and army trampled underfoot?'

13. Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to the one that spoke, "For how long is the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled under foot?"

14. The first replied, 'Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings have gone by: then the sanctuary will have its rights restored.'

14. And he said to him, "For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state."

15. As I, Daniel, gazed at the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone standing in front of me who looked like a man.

15. When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

16. I heard a human voice cry over the Ulai, 'Gabriel, tell him the meaning of the vision!'

16. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the U'lai, and it called, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

17. He approached the place where I was standing; as he approached, I was seized with terror and fell prostrate on the ground. 'Son of man,' he said to me, 'understand this: the vision shows the time of the End.'

17. So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened and fell upon my face. But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end."

18. He was still speaking, when I fainted, face downwards on the ground. He touched me, however, and raised me to my feet.

18. As he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and set me on my feet.

19. 'Come,' he said, 'I shall tell you what is going to happen when the Retribution is over, about the final times.

19. He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation; for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.

20. As for the ram which you saw, its two horns are the kings of Media and of Persia.

20. As for the ram which you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.

21. The hairy he-goat is the king of Greece, the large horn between its eyes is the first king.

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

22. The horn which snapped and the four horns which sprouted in its place are four kingdoms rising from his nation but not having his strength.

22. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

23. 'And at the end of their reign, when the measure of their sins is full, a king will arise, a proud-faced, ingenious-minded man.

23. And at the latter end of their rule, when the transgressors have reached their full measure, a king of bold countenance, one who understands riddles, shall arise.

24. His power will grow greater and greater, though not through any power of his own; he will plot incredible schemes, he will succeed in whatever he undertakes, he will destroy powerful men and the holy ones, God's people.

24. His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people of the saints.

25. Such will be his resourcefulness of mind that all his treacherous activities will succeed. He will grow arrogant of heart and destroy many people by taking them unawares. He will challenge the power of the Prince of princes but, without any human intervention, he will be broken.

25. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall magnify himself. Without warning he shall destroy many; and he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes; but, by no human hand, he shall be broken.

26. The vision of the evenings and the mornings which has been revealed is true, but you must keep the vision secret, for there are still many days to go.'

26. The vision of the evenings and the mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it pertains to many days hence."

27. At this I, Daniel, lost consciousness; I was ill for several days. Then I got up to discharge my duties in the king's service, keeping the vision a secret and still not understanding what it meant.

27. And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I rose and went about the king's business; but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.