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 Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto 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 a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

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. 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.

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 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.

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. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable 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. And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his 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.

7. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

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. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones 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. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land].

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

10. And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped 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. Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

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 an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, 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 one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint] which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice], and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden 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 unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

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. And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as 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] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to 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 afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.

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

18. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

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

19. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].

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

20. The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [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 rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] 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. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in 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 in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

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. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

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. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

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. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it [shall be] for many days.

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 fainted, and was sick [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].