[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] 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 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 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] 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] 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 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] 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] 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 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 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 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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 with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. [21]
And the he-goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn between his 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 nation, but not with
his power. [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 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] 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
told is true; but seal up the vision, for it pertains to many days hence."
[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.