Daniel

7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel beheld a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed,—then the dream he wrote, the sum of the matters he told.

2 Daniel spake and said, I was looking in my vision [which came] with the night,—when lo! the four winds of the heavens bursting forth upon the great sea;

3 and four large wild beasts, coming up out of the sea,—diverse one from another:—

4 The foremost like a lion, having the wings of an eagle,—I looked until the wings thereof were torn out and it was lifted up from the earth and upon its feet like a man was it caused to stand, and the heart of a man was given to it.

5 And lo! another wild beast, a second, resembling a bear and on one side was it raised up, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth,—and thus were they saying to it, Rise! devour much flesh.

6 After that I was looking and lo! another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back,—and four heads had the wild beast, and dominion was given to it.

7 After that I was looking in the visions of the night, when lo! a fourth wild beast, terrible and well-hipped and exceeding strong, and it had large teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and the residue—with its feet it trampled down,—and it was diverse from all the wild beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

8 I was considering the horns, when lo! another horn, a little one came up among them, and three of the former horns were uprooted from before it,—and lo! eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 I continued looking until that thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat,—whose garment like snow was white and the hair of his head like pure wool, his throne was flames of fire, his wheels a burning fire.

10 A stream of fire was flowing on and issuing forth from before him, a thousand thousand waited upon him and ten thousand times ten thousand before him stood up,—Judgment took its seat and books were opened.

11 I continued looking, then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking, I continued looking until that the wild beast was slain and his body destroyed, and given to the burning of the fire.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts their dominion was taken away,—but a lengthening of life was given to them until time and season.

13 I continued looking in the visions of the night, when lo! with the clouds of the heavens one like a son of man was coming,—and unto the Ancient of days he approached, and before him they brought him near;

14 and unto him were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races and tongues unto him should do service,—his dominion was an age-abiding dominion which should not pass away, and his kingdom that which should not be destroyed.

15 The spirit of me Daniel was grieved in the midst of the sheath,—and the visions of my head terrified me.

16 I drew near unto one of them who stood by, and made exact enquiry of him concerning all this,—so he told me, and the interpretation of the things made he known unto me.

17 These great wild beasts, which are four,—are four kings who shall arise out of the earth;

18 but the holy ones of the Highest shall receive the kingdom,—and shall possess the kingdom for the age, yea for the age of ages.

19 Then desired I to be sure, concerning the fourth wild beast which was diverse from all of them,—exceeding terrible, whose teeth were iron and his claws of bronze, he devoured, brake in pieces, and the residue—with his feet he trampled down;

20 also concerning the ten horns which were in his head, and the other which came up, and there fell—from among them that were before it—three,—and this horn which had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, and his look was more proud than his fellows:

21 I continued looking, when this horn made war with the holy ones,—and prevailed against them:

22 until that the Ancient of Days came, and justice was granted to the holy ones of the Highest,—and the time arrived, that the holy ones should possess the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth wild beast is a fourth kingdom which shall be in the earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms,—and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten horns of that kingdom are ten kings who will arise,—and another will arise after them and he will be diverse from the former ones, and three kings will he cast down;

25 and words against the Most High will he speak, and the holy ones of the Highest will he afflict,—and will hope to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a season and seasons and the dividing of a season,

26 but Judgment will take its seat,—and his dominion will they take away, to destroy and make disappear unto an end.

27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Highest,—his kingdom is an age-abiding kingdom, and all the dominions unto him will render service and shew themselves obedient.

28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel greatly did my thoughts terrify me and my bright looks were changed upon me, but the matter—in mine own heart I kept.