Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man

7 In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions[fn] of his head as he lay on his bed; then he wrote down the dream and the summary[fn] of the words as follows:[fn] 2 Daniel explained[fn] and said, “I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, differing from one another.[fn] 4 The first was like a lion and had[fn] the wings of an eagle. I was watching until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and it was raised on its feet like a human, and a human heart was given to it. 5 And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks[fn] were in its mouth between its teeth, and so it was told,[fn] “Arise, eat much flesh!” 6 After this I was watching and look, another beast like a leopard; it had four wings[fn] of a bird on its back, and the beast had[fn] four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and it had[fn] great iron teeth,[fn] and it was devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder[fn] with its feet; and it was different from all the other beasts that preceded it[fn] and it had ten horns.[fn] 8 I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up among[fn] them, and three of the earlier horns were rooted out[fn] from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of a human[fn] in this horn and also a mouth that was speaking boastfully.

9 “I continued watching[fn] until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing was like white snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool and his throne was a flame[fn] of fire and its wheels[fn] were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued forth and flowed from his presence;[fn] thousands upon thousands served him and ten thousand upon ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and the books were opened.

11 “I continued watching[fn] then[fn] because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn who was speaking; I continued watching[fn] until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given over to burning with fire. 12 And as for the remainder of the beasts, their dominion was taken away,[fn] but a prolongation of their life[fn] was given to them for a season and a time.

13 “I continued watching[fn] in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man[fn] was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented[fn] before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that[fn] all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion without end[fn] that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.