Daniel 8

1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier. 2 In the vision I was at the citadel of Susa in the land of Elam, beside the Ulai canal. [a] 3 I looked up and saw a ram standing before the Ulai. It had two high horns, one higher than the other, though the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging west, north, and south. No beast could stand before it, and no one could rescue anything from its power. It did as it pleased and became great. 5 As I was considering this, a male goat came from the southwest across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a prominent horn between its eyes. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing before the Ulai and rushed at it with violent force. 7 I saw it approach the ram in fury. It struck the ram and broke both its horns. The ram had no strength to stand against it. The goat threw it to the ground and trampled it, and no one could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The male goat became exceedingly great. But at the height of its strength, its great horn was broken, and four other horns rose in its place toward the four winds of heaven. 9 From one of them came a strong horn that grew very great toward the south, the east, and the army. 10 It grew as high as heaven’s army, caused some of that army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and trampled them. 11 This will go on until the chief captain rescues the captives. Because of him the sacrifice was disrupted; it came about and prospered for him, and the holy place will be made desolate. [b] 12 Sin was set against the sacrifice, righteousness was thrown to the ground, and the horn acted and prospered. 13 Then I heard one holy one speaking, and another holy one said to Phelmouni, who was speaking, “How long will the vision last—the removal of the sacrifice, the introduction of the sin of desolation, and the trampling of the holy place and the army?” [c] 14 He answered, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the holy place will be made clean.” [d]

15 While I, Daniel, was seeing the vision and trying to understand it, someone with the appearance of a man stood before me. 16 I heard a human voice from between the banks of the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.” 17 Gabriel came and stood near me. When he approached, I was terrified and fell facedown. He told me, “Understand, son of man, for the vision is for the time of the end.” 18 While he spoke with me, I fell facedown on the ground. He touched me and set me on my feet. 19 He said, “I will make known to you what will happen at the end of the indignation, for the vision is for the time of the end.” 20 “The ram you saw with the horns is the king of the Medes and Persians.” 21 “The male goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king.” 22 “As for the horn that was broken, with four horns standing up in its place: four kings will arise from his nation, but not with his strength.” 23 “Near the end of their kingdom, when their sins have reached their full measure, a brazen-faced king who understands riddles will arise.” 24 “His power will become great, though not by his own strength. He will cause astonishing destruction, succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty people and the holy people.” 25 “His oppressive yoke will prosper. Deceit will be in his hand, and he will exalt himself in his heart. Through deceit he will destroy many, take his stand to destroy many people, and crush them like eggs in his hand.” 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told is true. Seal up the vision, because it concerns many days from now.” 27 I, Daniel, lay down and was sick for some days. Then I got up and attended to the king’s business. I was amazed by the vision, but no one understood it.