Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat
1
In the third year of the reign of 1King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, 2after that which appeared to me 3at the first.
2
And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in 4Susa the capital,a which is in the province of 5Elam. And 6I saw in the vision, 7and I was at the 8Ulai canal.
3
I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, 9a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4
I saw 10the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No 11beast 12could stand before him, 13and there was no one who could rescue from his power. 14He did as he pleased and 15became great.
5
As I was considering, behold, a 16male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had 17a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
6
He came to 18the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, 19and he ran at him in his powerful wrath.
7
I saw him come close to the ram, 20and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. 21And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he 22cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8
Then 23the goat 24became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four 25conspicuous horns toward 26the four winds of heaven.
9
Out of one of them came 27a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward 28the south, toward the east, and toward 29the glorious land.
10
30It grew great, 31even to the host of heaven. And some of the host 32and someb of 33the stars it threw down to the ground and 34trampled on them.
11
35It became great, even as great as 36the Prince of the host. 37And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.
12
And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,c and it will throw truth to the ground, and 38it will act and prosper.
13
Then I heard 39a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, 40"For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, 41the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?"
14
And he said to me,d"For 2,300 42evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state."
The Interpretation of the Vision
15
When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I 43sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having 44the appearance of a man.
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45And I heard a man's voice 46between the banks of the 47Ulai, and it called, 48"Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."
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So he came near where I stood. And when he came, 49I was frightened 50and fell on my face. But he said to me, "Understand, 51O son of man, that the vision is for 52the time of the end."
18
And when he had spoken to me, 53I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But 54he touched me and made me stand up.
19
He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of 55the indignation, for it refers to 56the appointed time of the end.
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And 59the goate is the king of Greece. And 60the great horn between his eyes is 61the first king.
22
62As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from hisf nation, 63but not with his power.
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And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.
24
His power shall be great--64but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction 65and shall succeed in what he does, 66and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.
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67By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind 68he shall become great. 69Without warning he shall destroy many. And he 70shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken--but 71by no human hand.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)