Daniel 8:2-27

2I 1looked in the vision, and while I was looking, I was in the citadel of 2Susa, which is in the province of 3Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a 4ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were 5long, but one was 6longer than the other, with the 7longer one coming up last. 4I saw the ram 8butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand against him nor was there anyone to rescue from his 9power, but 10he 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 11prominent 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 12power. 8Then the male goat made himself exceedingly great. But once 13he became powerful, the 14large horn was broken; and in its place four prominent horns came up toward the 15four winds of heaven.

9And out of one of them came a rather 16small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the 1718Beautiful Land. 10It grew up to the heavenly 19lights, and some of the 20lights, 21that is, some of the 22stars it threw down to the earth, and it 23trampled them. 11It even 24exalted itself 25to be equal with the 26Commander of the army; and it removed the 27regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was overthrown. 12And because of 28an offense the army will be given to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will 29hurl truth to the ground and do as it pleases and be successful. 13Then I heard a 30holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “31How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, 32while the offense causes horror, so as to allow both the sanctuary and the army 33to be 34trampled?” 14And he said to me, “For 352,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be 36properly restored.”

15When 37I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought 38to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one 39who looked like a 40man. 16And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “41Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” 17So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and 42fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the 43time of the end.”

18Now while he was talking with me, I was 44dazed with my face to the ground; but he 45touched me and made me stand at my place. 19And he said, “Behold, I am going to 46inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20The 47ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21The shaggy 48goat represents the 49kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22The 50broken 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 51dominion, When the wrongdoers have 52run their course, A king will arise, 53Insolent and skilled in 54intrigue.24And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will 5556destroy to an extraordinary degree And be successful and do as he pleases; He will 57destroy mighty men and 58the holy people.25And through his shrewdness He will make deceit a success by his 59influence; And he will make himself great in his 60own mind, And he will 61destroy many while they are 62at ease. He will even 6364oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken 65without 66human agency.26And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is 67true; But as for you, 68keep the vision secret, Because it pertains to many 69days in the future.”

27Then I, Daniel, was 7071exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and 72carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.