Daniel 7:2-14

2Daniel wrote, ‘I had a vision at night. I saw the four winds of the sky. They caused big waves in the great sea.

3Then four large animals came out of the sea. They were all different from each other.

4The first animal seemed like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. As I watched, someone pulled its wings off. They lifted it up and it stood on two feet like a man. They gave a man's mind to it.

5Then I saw a second animal. It seemed like a bear. It raised itself up on one side and it had three ribs between its teeth. Someone said to it, “Stand up and eat the meat from many bodies.”

6Then I saw another animal. It seemed like a leopard, but it had four wings on its back. They were like a bird's wings. This animal had four heads. It received authority to rule.

7Then, while I looked, I saw a fourth animal in my vision. It was a terrible animal that was very strong. It had large iron teeth. It ate things and it broke them into pieces. It used its feet to stamp on everything else. It was different from the other animals. It had ten horns.

8I was thinking about the horns and what they might mean. Then I saw another little horn that came up among the other ten horns. It pulled out three of those other horns to make room for itself. This little horn had eyes that looked like a man's eyes. It had a mouth that spoke proud words.

9While I looked, people put some thrones in their places. Then the God who has ruled for ever sat on his throne. His clothes were as white as snow. His hair was white like pure wool. His throne and the wheels under it burned with flames of fire.

10A river of fire poured out from the place where he was sitting. Thousands of servants were ready to do whatever he wanted. Many more thousands stood around, ready to serve him. Then the meeting of the court began. Someone opened the books to see what was in them.

11I continued to watch as the little horn was speaking proud words. While I watched, someone killed the fourth animal. They threw its body into the fire. The fire destroyed it.

12The other animals also lost their power to rule, but they could continue to live for a certain time.

13I continued to watch in my vision at night and this is what I saw: I saw someone who seemed like a son of man. He was coming towards me, with the clouds of the sky around him. He came near to the God who has ruled for ever. People took him to stand in front of God.

14God gave him great honour and authority to rule as king. The people of all nations and those who spoke every language agreed to serve him. He has authority to rule for ever. He will never stop being king. Nobody will be able to destroy his kingdom.