Daniel

8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king,a vision appeared unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the beginning.

2 So then I saw in the vision and it came to pass when I saw that I was in Shusan the fortress, which is in Persia the province,—yea I saw it in a vision, when I was by the river Ulai.

3 So then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and lo! a ram standing before the river and it had two horns,—and the two horns were high but the one was higher than the other, and the higher had come up last.

4 I saw the ram pushing strongly westward and northward and southward so that no wild beast could stand before him, and none could deliver out of his hand,—but he did according to his own pleasure and shewed himself great.

5 Now I was observing, when lo! a he-goat coming in out of the west, over the face of all the earth, but it meddled not with the earth,—and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

6 So then he came up to the ram having the two horns, which I had seen standing before the river,—and ran unto him in the fury of his strength.

7 Yea I saw him coming close upon the ram and he was enraged at him and smote the ram, and brake in pieces both his horns, and there was no strength in the ram to stand before him,—but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him underfoot, and there was none could deliver the ram out of his power.

8 But the he-goat shewed himself very great,—and when he had become mighty the great horn was broken in pieces, and there came up afterwards four in its stead, towards the four winds of the heavens;

9 and out of the first of them came forth a little horn,—which became exceedingly great against the south and against the east and against the beautiful [land];

10 yea it became great as far as the host of the heavens,—and caused to fall to the earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled them underfoot;

11 even as far as the ruler of the host shewed he his greatness,—and because of him was taken away the continual [ascending-sacrifice], and the place of the sanctuary was cast down;

12 and a host was set over the continual [ascending-sacrifice] by transgression,—and faithfulness was cast down to the ground, and so he acted with effect and succeeded.

13 Then heard I a certain holy one speaking,—and another holy one said to that certain holy one who was speaking—How long is the vision of the continual [ascending-sacrifice] as taken away and the transgression which astoundeth, for both sanctuary and host to be given over to be trampled underfoot?

14 And he said unto him, Until two thousand and three hundred evening-mornings,—then shall the sanctuary be vindicated.

15 And it came to pass when I Daniel had seen the vision,—and had sought discernment, that lo! there was standing before me as the appearance of a man.

16 Then heard I a human voice between [the banks of] the Ulai,—which cried out and said, Gabriel! cause this man to understand the revelation.

17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was terrified and fell upon my face,—but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man, that to the time of the end belongeth the vision.

18 And when he spake with me I fell stunned upon my face to the earth,—but he touched me, and caused me to stand up where I was.

19 Then said he, Behold me! causing thee to know, that which shall come to pass in the afterpart of the indignation,—for at an appointed time shall be an end.

20 The ram which thou sawest having the two horns representeth the kings of Media and Persia;

21 and the he-goat is the king of Greece,—and the great horn which was between his eyes the same is the first king.

22 Now as for its being broken in pieces, whereupon there stood up four in its stead four kingdoms out of his nation shall stand up but not with his strength;

23 but in the aftertime of their kingdom, when transgressions have filled up their measure,—there will stand up a king of mighty presence and skilful in dissimulation;

24 and his strength will be mighty but not through his own strength, and wonderfully will he destroy and succeed and act with effect,—and will destroy mighty ones and the people of holy ones;

25 and by his cunning will he both cause deceit to succeed in his hand, and in his own heart will he shew himself to be great and by their careless security will he destroy many,—and against the ruler of rulers will he stand up, but without hand shall be broken in pieces.

26 Now the revelation of the evening and the morning which hath been told faithful indeed it is,—but thou close up the vision, because it is for many days.

27 Now as for me Daniel then was I sick for days, but I arose and did the business of the king,—and though I was confounded concerning the revelation yet could no one discern it.