Open English Translation DAN Chapter 8

8 In the third year of King Belshatstsar’s reign, I, Daniel, had another vision—different from the previous one. 2 In the vision, I saw that I was at the fortress in Shusan (often called Susa, in Eylam province), beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I looked up, and to my surprise, there was a ram standing beside the canal. It had two horns and both horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one had grown last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward, and northward, and southward—no animal could stand against it—there was no one to rescue anything from it. The ram did whatever it wanted, and it became very powerful.

5 As I was observing, suddenly a billy goat was coming from the west, crossing the entire world without touching the ground. The goat had a prominent horn between its eyes. 6 In a powerful rage, it charged at the two-horned ram that I had seen standing in front of the canal. 7 I saw the furious goat reach the ram and strike it, shattering the ram’s two horns. The ram wasn’t strong enough to stay standing so it was knocked to the ground and trampled on—there was no one who could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.

8 Then the billy goat became even more powerful, but at its peak, the large horn was broken, and in its place, four prominent horns came up facing in the four different compass directions. 9 Then a small horn grew out of one of them—it grew very long towards the south, towards the east, and towards the beautiful land of Israel. 10 It grew up to the army in the heavens, but it threw some of the army and some of the stars down to the earth and trampled on them.[ref] 11 It became as powerful as the general leading the heavenly army. It took the regular burnt offering away from him, and his sanctuary place was overthrown. 12 Because of sinfulness, it will be allowed to take control of the army, along with the regular burnt offering. It will overthrow truth, but it will be active and will prosper.

13 Then I heard a holy one[fn] speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “How long until this vision about the regular burnt offering will be fulfilled, and about the transgression that makes desolate, the giving over of the sanctuary and the army to be trampled on?”

14 “For 2,300 evenings and mornings,” he said to me, “Then the sanctuary will be restored.”

15 While I, Daniel, was still trying to make sense of the vision that I’d seen, suddenly someone who looked like a man was standing in front of me. 16 Then I heard a human voice call out from the Ulai canal, “Gavri’el (Gabriel), help that man to be able to understand the vision.”[ref] 17 So he came over near where I stood, but I was frightened and fell to my knees with my face to the ground. However, he said to me, “You, human male, that vision concerns the end of the world.”

18 While he was speaking with me, I fell into a trance with my face still on the ground. Then he touched me and made me stand up 19 and he said, “Listen, I’m going to tell you what will happen towards the end of God’s indignation, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.

20 The ram that you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia, 21 and the shaggy goat is the Greece’s king, and the large horn between his eyes is their first king. 22 The horn that was broken, and the four that grew in its place, represent four kingdoms that will rise from his nation, but not with the same power that he had.

23 At the latter end of their rule, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a defiant king who understands riddles, will come to power. 24 His power will increase, but it won’t be his own power. He bring about horrific destruction, and he’ll succeed in what he does. He’ll destroy powerful men and some of God’s people. 25 Using his cunning, he’ll prosper by being deceitful. He’ll be proud of himself, and will destroy many while they’re living peacefully. He will even attack the prince of princes, but it’s him who’ll be broken, but not by human strength. 26 That vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told is true. But lock the vision away for now, because it refers to the distant future.”

27 Then I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and lay sick for days. Then I got up, and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled at the vision and didn’t really understand it.