Daniel 8

Vision of the Ram and Goat

1In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, 1Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me 2previously. 2I 3looked in the vision, and while I was looking, I was in the citadel of 4Susa, which is in the province of 5Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a 6ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were 7long, but one was 8longer than the other, with the 9longer one coming up last. 4I saw the ram 10butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his 11power, but 12he did as he pleased and made himself great.

5While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a 13prominent horn between his eyes. 6He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7And I saw him come up beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and smashed his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his 14power. 8Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once 15he became powerful, the 16large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the 17four winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

9And out of one of them came a rather 18small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the 1920Beautiful Land. 10It grew up to the heavenly 21lights, and some of the 22lights, 23that is, some of the 24stars it threw down to the earth, and it 25trampled them. 11It even 26exalted itself 27to be equal with the 28Commander of the army; and it removed the 29regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. 12And because of 30an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will 31hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. 13Then I heard a 32holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “33How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, 34while the offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army 35to be 36trampled?” 14And he said to me, “For 372,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be 38properly restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

15When 39I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought 40to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one 41who looked like a 42man. 16And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “43Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” 17So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and 44fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the 45time of the end.”

18Now while he was talking with me, I was 46dazed with my face to the ground; but he 47touched me and made me stand at my place. 19And he said, “Behold, I am going to 48inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end.

The Ram’s Identity

20The 49ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.

The Goat

21The shaggy 50goat represents the 51kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22The 52broken horn and the four horns that came up in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.23And in the latter period of their 53dominion, When the wrongdoers have 54run their course, A king will arise, 55Insolent and skilled in 56intrigue.24And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will 5758destroy to an extraordinary degree And be successful and do as he pleases; He will 59destroy mighty men and 60the holy people.25And through his shrewdness He will make deceit a success by his 61influence; And he will make himself great in his 62own mind, And he will 63destroy many while they are 64at ease. He will even 6566oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken 67without 68human agency.26And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is 69true; But as for you, 70keep the vision secret, Because it pertains to many 71days in the future.”

27Then I, Daniel, was 7273exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and 74carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.