Open English Translation DAN Chapter 11

2 Now I’ll tell you the truth: Three more kings will reign in Persia, then a fourth one will gain far more riches than all the others. When he becomes strong through his wealth, he’ll stir up everyone against the kingdom of Yavan/Greece. 3 Then a powerful king will come to the throne, and he’ll rule with great authority and do whatever he wants. 4 But as soon as he’s reached his peak, his kingdom will be uprooted, then broken and divided into the four compass directions. But it won’t be his descendants reigning but those kingdoms will be given to others, and they won’t rule with that same authority.

5 Then the southern (Egyptian) king will become strong, but one of his generals will become stronger than him and will take over—he will rule a larger region. 6 After some years, they’ll forge an alliance—the daughter of the southern king will come to the northern (Syrian) king to make an agreement. But she won’t be able to retain her power, and he won’t be able to continue in his strength. She’ll be handed over, along with her attendants and her child, and the man who supported her in those times. 7 But one of her relatives will step up to become the southern king. He will attack the army of the northern king and invade his fortress, defeating them. 8 He’ll also take their gods away to Egypt as plunder, along with their cast metal images and their precious gold and silver utensils. Then he’ll stay away from the northern king for several years. 9 Then that northern king will come into the southern king’s region, but will return again to his own land.

10 However, his sons will assemble a huge army and wage war. It will keep coming and overflow like a flood and pass through, and will carry the war as far as his fortress again. 11 Then the southern (Egyptian) king will be furious and go out and fight against the northern (Syrian) king who’ll assemble a large army, but that large army will be defeated. 12 Defeating all of them will result in that southern king becoming proud and he’ll be responsible for the death of tens of thousands, but he won’t triumph.

13 Then the northern (Syrian) king will again assemble a huge army, even larger than previously. After a few years, he’ll certainly want to attack with a huge well-equipped army. 14 In those times, many will try to rebel against the southern (Egyptian) king. Men of violence from among your people (Israel) will also rebel in order to fulfill the vision, but they’ll all fail. 15 Then the northern king will come, heap up siege ramps, and capture a forfitied city. The forces of the south, not even their best troops, will have enough strength to be able to resist them. 16 So the invader will be able to do whatever he wants—no one will stand against him. The northern king will stand in the beautiful land of Israel, ready to destroy it.

17 He’ll make the decision to use the strength of his entire kingdom to invade. He’ll forge an agreement, yet he’ll give him a daughter as a wife in order to ruin it, but it won’t work or be to his advantage. 18 After that, he’ll focus on the coastlands and will capture many, but a commander will end his insolence against him—in fact he’ll cause his insolence to bounce back upon him. 19 Then he’ll focus his attention on the fortresses in his own land, but he’ll stumble and fall and drop off the scene.

20 Then another man will succeed the northern king and he’ll send a tax collector to Yerushalem so he can make his kingdom more prosperous, but in a few days he will be broken, although not in anger or in battle.

21 In his place, a despicable person without any royal lineage will come to power. He’ll come unexpectedly and will seize the northern (Syrian) kingdom by intrigue. 22 The overflowing forces will be swept away before him and broken, and also the prince of the agreement. 23 After an alliance is made with him, he’ll act deceitfully then he’ll go up and become powerful with a small number of people. 24 He’ll come into the richest parts of the province in a time of peace, and he’ll do what neither his fathers nor his fathers’ fathers did. He will distribute plunder, booty, and possessions among them. He’ll make plans against fortresses, but only for a time.

25 He’ll use his courage and power to raise a large army against the southern (Egyptian) king. The southern king will amass an exceedingly large, powerful army to respond in battle, but he won’t be able to make headway because plots will be devised against him. 26 Even those who sit at his table and eat his fine food will work against him. His army will be swept away with large numbers of casualties. 27 The two kings with their evil intentions, will sit at the same table but tell each other lies. However, it won’t suceed, because the end won’t come until the time appointed by God. 28 Then the northern king will return to his own country with valuable plunder, but his heart will be set against the holy agreement. He’ll take action, and then return to his own country.

29 At the appointed time the northern (Syrian) king will come back into the south, but he won’t be successful like he had been the previous time. 30 Ships will come against him from Kittum (Cyprus), and he’ll withdraw in fear. He’ll be angry about the holy agreement and will take action. He’ll come back and take the advice of those who forsake the holy agreement. 31 Some of his forces will attack and defile the sanctuary fortress. They’ll prevent the regular burnt offerings, and they’ll set up something revolting that causes people to be appalled.[ref] 32 Using flattery, he will corrupt others who oppose the agreement, But the people who know their God will be strong and will take action. 33 Those among the people and have insight will teach others, But they’ll be killed in battle or burnt during the attacks, or be plundered for several days or taken captive. 34 When they fall, they’ll receive a little help. Many will join themselves with them in hypocrisy. 35 Some of those who have insight will fall but the others will be refined, purified, and cleaned until the time of the end, because it’ll continue until the appointed time.

36 The northern (Syrian) king will do whatever he wants. He’ll boast and claim to be greater than any god, and he’ll say terrible things against the God of gods, . He’ll be successful until the indignation is accomplished, because everything will happen just as it’s already been determined.[ref] 37 He won’t pay any attention to his ancestors’ gods, or to the one desired by women, or for that matter, to any other god, because he’ll think he’s better than everyone and everything else. 38 Instead of those, he’ll honour the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors had never even heard of. He’ll honour that god with gold and silver, and with precious stones and treasures. 39 He’ll take action against the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He’ll increasingly honour those who acknowledge him and will make them influential leaders, and he’ll divide up the land for a price.

40 At the time of the end, the southern (Egyptian) king will attack the northern king, but that northern (Syrian) king will fight back agressively with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. He’ll invade several countries like how a flood overflows then passes through. 41 He will come into the beautiful land of Israel, killing many, but Edom, Moab, and the bulk of the Ammonites will escape from his power. 42 That northern king will invade other countries, and even Egypt won’t miss out. 43 He’ll accumulate the treasures of gold and of silver, and everything in Egypt that’s valuable, and then the Libyans and the Cushites will be in his footsteps. 44 But reports coming in from the east and the north will terrify him, and he’ll go out to fight furiously and kill many. 45 He’ll erect his royal tents between the seas and the beautiful holy mountain, but that northern king will come to his end, and no one will help him.