1 In the first
year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told
the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold,
the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld
till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from
the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's
heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it
raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth
of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise,
devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which
had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had
also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it
had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped
the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all
the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them
another little horn, before whom there were three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were
eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient
of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair
of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery
flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand
stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which
the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and
his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and
time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son
of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient
of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body,
and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him
the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation
of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which
shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was
diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth
were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake
in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn
that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose
look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to
the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom
upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall
devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it
in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that
shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall
be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change
times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations
much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept
the matter in my heart.
Chapter 8
1 In the third
year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto
me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at
the first.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that
I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of
Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood
before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns
were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher
came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward;
so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there
any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according
to his will, and became great.
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the
west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground:
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had there
seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury
of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with
choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns:
and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he
cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there
was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong,
the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones
toward the four winds of heaven.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed
exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and
toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast
down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped
upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host,
and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place
of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by
reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground;
and it practised, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto
that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision
concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation,
to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under
foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred
days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the
vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood
before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which
called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid,
and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son
of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on
my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be
in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed
the end shall be.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings
of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn
that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four
kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors
are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding
dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:
and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise,
and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper
in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and
by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against
the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told
is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be
for many days.
27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward
I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished
at the vision, but none understood it.
Chapter 9
1 In the first
year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,
which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books
the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to
Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years
in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession,
and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant
and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done
wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts
and from thy judgments:
6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets,
which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
and to all the people of the land.
7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion
of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are
far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven
them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against
thee.
8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to
our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against
thee.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though
we have rebelled against him;
10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to
walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the
prophets.
11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing,
that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured
upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the
servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us,
and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a
great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as
hath been done upon Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come
upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God,
that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought
it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works
which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth
out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten
thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee,
let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem,
thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities
of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach
to all that are about us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant,
and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy
sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and
behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy
name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for
our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer
not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people
are called by thy name.
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my
sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication
before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel,
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused
to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel,
I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came
forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved:
therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy
holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring
in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth
of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and
two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even
in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall
come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations
are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and
the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. |