Daniel, 8

1. After this first vision, I, Daniel, had another, in the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar.

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

2. In my vision I saw myself in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam; I was beside the river Ulai.

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.

3. I looked up and saw standing by the river a ram with two great horns, the one larger and newer than the other.

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.

4. I saw the ram butting toward the west, north, and south. No beast could withstand it or be rescued from its power; it did what it pleased and became very powerful.

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.

5. As I was reflecting, a he-goat with a prominent horn on its forehead suddenly came from the west across the whole earth without touching the ground.

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.

6. It approached the two-horned ram I had seen standing by the river, and rushed toward it with savage force.

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.

7. I saw it attack the ram with furious blows when they met, and break both its horns. It threw the ram, which had not the force to withstand it, to the ground, and trampled upon it; and no one could rescue it from its power.

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.

8. The he-goat became very powerful, but at the height of its power the great horn was shattered, and in its place came up four others, facing the four winds of heaven.

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.

9. Out of one of them came a little horn which kept growing toward the south, the east, and the glorious country.

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.

10. Its power extended to the host of heaven, so that it cast down to earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.

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

11. It boasted even against the prince of the host, from whom it removed the daily sacrifice, and whose sanctuary it cast down,

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

12. as well as the host, while sin replaced the daily sacrifice. It cast truth to the ground, and was succeeding in its undertaking.

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

13. I heard a holy one speaking, and another said to whichever one it was that spoke, "How long shall the events of this vision last concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating sin which is placed there, the sanctuary, and the trampled host?"

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?'

14. He answered him, "For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be purified."

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

15. While I, Daniel, sought the meaning of the vision I had seen, a manlike figure stood before me,

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.

16. and on the Ulai I heard a human voice that cried out, "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."

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

17. When he came near where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. But he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the end time."

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.'

18. As he spoke to me, I fell forward in a faint; he touched me and made me stand up.

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

19. "I will show you," he said, "what is to happen later in the period of wrath; for at the appointed time, there will be an end.

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

20. "The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of the Medes and Persians.

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

21. The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king.

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

22. The four that rose in its place when it was broken are four kingdoms that will issue from his nation, but without his strength.

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.

23. "After their reign, when sinners have reached their measure, There shall arise a king, impudent and skilled in intrigue.

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.

24. He shall be strong and powerful, bring about fearful ruin, and succeed in his undertaking. He shall destroy powerful peoples;

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.

25. his cunning shall be against the holy ones, his treacherous conduct shall succeed. He shall be proud of heart and destroy many by stealth. But when he rises against the prince of princes, he shall be broken without a hand being raised.

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.

26. The vision of the evenings and the mornings is true, as spoken; Do you, however, keep this vision undisclosed, because the days are to be many."

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.'

27. I, Daniel, was weak and ill for some days; then I arose and took care of the king's affairs. But I was appalled at the vision, which I could not understand.

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.