25 that dyou shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
1 In the first year of oBelshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head pas he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared,1 “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the qfour winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great rbeasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was slike a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a tfourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had uten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a vlittle one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and wa mouth speaking great things.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 “As I looked,
xthrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
yhis clothing was white as snow,
and zthe hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 aA stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
ba thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
cthe court sat in judgment,
and dthe books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, ethe beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, fwith the clouds of heaven
there came one like a gson of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 hAnd to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
ihis dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and jhis kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel’s Vision Interpreted
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me2 was anxious, and the visions of my head kalarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But lthe saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 20 and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 21 As I looked, this horn mmade war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 nAs for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 oHe shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to pchange the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
qfor a time, times, and half a time.
26 But rthe court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 sAnd the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
this kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’3
28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly ualarmed me, and vmy color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”
The Time of the End
1 “At that time shall arise bMichael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, csuch as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, deveryone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of ethose who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, fsome to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And gthose who are wise hshall shine like the brightness of the sky above;1 and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and iseal the book, until the jtime of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the kman clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,2 l“How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; mhe raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be nfor a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but oI did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall ppurify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but qthe wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the rregular burnt offering is taken away and the sabomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall trest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”
