Daniel 8

1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me previously.

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, I, Daniel, had a vision appear to me (after the one that appeared to me at first).

2 And I saw in the vision, and when I looked, I was in the citadel of Shushan, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.

I saw in the vision, as I was looking, that I was in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.

3 Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and look, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns. And the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last.

I looked up and saw before me a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal. One horn was longer than the other, but the longer one grew more slowly than the shorter and was passed up in length by it.

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

I saw the ram charging west, then north, and then south; no other animal could stand before him. None of them was able to rescue anyone out of his hand. He did whatever he wanted, and he became great.

5 As I was considering, look, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a prominent horn between his eyes.

As I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat come from the west, who went across the surface of the whole earth, running fast, not seeming to touch the ground. The goat had a large horn between his eyes.

6 He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and rushed at him in the fury of his power.

He came to the ram who had two horns—I had seen the ram standing on the bank of the canal—and the goat ran toward the ram in a powerful rage.

7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he threw him down to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could deliver the ram from his power.

I saw the goat come close to the ram. He was very angry at the ram, and he hit the ram and broke off its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand before him. The goat knocked him down to the ground and trampled on him. There was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.

8 The male goat became very strong. But when he was strong, the large horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Then the goat became very large. But when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in its place four other large horns grew up that pointed toward the four winds of the heavens.

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

Out of one of them grew another horn, little at first, but which became very large in the south, in the east, and in the land of beauty.

10 It grew so great that it reached to the host of heaven, and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them.

It became so large as to engage in war with the army of heaven. Some of that army and some of the stars were thrown down to the earth, and it trampled on them.

11 And it magnified itself, even against the Prince of the host; and it took away from him the daily sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

It made itself to be as great as the commander of the army. It took away from him the regular burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was polluted.

12 The host was given over to it together with the daily sacrifice because of transgression. And it cast down truth to the ground, and kept prospering.

Because of rebellion, the army will be given over to the goat's horn, and the burnt offering will be stopped. The horn will throw truth down to the ground, and it will succeed in what it does.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one answering him, “How long will these things last, this vision about the burnt offering, the sin that brings destruction, the handing over of the sanctuary, and heaven's army being trampled on?”

14 He said to me, "To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state."

He said to me, “It will last for 2,300 evenings and mornings. After that the sanctuary will be put right.”

15 It came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it. And look, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then there stood before me one who looked like a man.

16 I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and called out and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

I heard a man's voice calling between the banks of the Ulai Canal. He said, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.”

17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was frightened, and fell prostrate. But he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision belongs to the time of the end."

So he came near where I stood. When he came, I was frightened and prostrated myself on the ground. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

18 Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

When he spoke to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and made me stand up.

19 He said, "Look, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of wrath, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.

He said, “See, I will show you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time for the end.

20 The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.

As for the ram you saw, the one that had two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

The male goat is the king of Greece. The large horn between his eyes is the first king.

22 As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation, but not with his power.

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

23 In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressions have reached their full measure, a rash and deceitful king shall arise.

At the latter time of those kingdoms, when the transgressors shall have reached their limit, a grim-faced king, one who is very intelligent, will arise.

24 His power shall be great, but not by his own strength; and he shall cause terrible destruction, and shall succeed in whatever he does. And he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

His power will be great—but not by his own power. He will be amazing in what he destroys; he will act and succeed. He will destroy powerful people, people among the holy ones.

25 Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper by his influence, and he shall be great in his own mind, and without warning he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be shattered, but not by human hands.

By his craftiness he will make deceit prosper under his hand. He will become great in his own mind. He will unexpectedly destroy many people. He will even rise up against the King of kings, and he will be broken, but not by any human hand.

26 The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision because it refers to many days from now."

The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been told is true. But seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”

27 I, Daniel, was overcome, and was ill for days. Then I rose up, and carried out the king's business. And I was astonished by the vision, but there was no one to explain it.

Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay weak for several days. Then I got up, and went about the king's business. But I was appalled by the vision, and there was no one who understood it.