Daniel’s vision of a ram and a goat

8 During the third year that Belshazzar was the King of Babylonia, I had another vision. 2 In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was standing alongside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up and saw a ram that was standing alongside the canal. It had two long horns, but the newest one was longer than the other one. 4 The ram butted/knocked away with its horns everything that was west and everything that was north and everything that was south of it. There were no other animals that were able to oppose it, and none that could rescue/save other animals from its power. The ram did whatever it wanted to do and became very powerful.

5 While I was thinking about what I had seen, in the vision I saw a goat come from the west. It ran across the land so quickly, that it seemed like its feet did not touch the ground. This goat had one very large horn between its eyes. 6 It was very angry, and it ran straight toward the ram that I had seen previously, the ram that was standing alongside the canal. 7 The goat struck the ram furiously and broke off its two horns, with the result that the ram was unable to defend itself. So the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power. 8 The goat became very powerful. But when its power was very great, its horn was broken off. But four other large horns took its place. They each pointed in a different direction.

9 Then from one of those large horns appeared a little horn, which became very big, and pointed toward the south and then toward the east and then toward the beautiful land of Israel. 10 The man who was represented by that horn became very strong, with the result that he attacked some of the soldiers of the army of heaven, and (OR, meaning) the stars in the sky which represented God’s people. He threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. 11 He ◄defied/considered himself to be greater than► the leader of the army of heaven, and prevented priests from offering sacrifices to him. He also ◄defiled the temple/caused the temple to become unholy►. 12 Then God’s people allowed the man who was represented by that horn to control/rule them, with the result that they sinned by offering sacrifices to him. And he threw to the ground the laws that contained the true religion. Everything that he did was successful.

13 Then I heard two angels who were talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the things/events that were in this vision continue? How long will the man who rebels against God and causes the temple to be defiled be able to prevent priests from offering sacrifices? How long will he trample on the temple and on the armies of heaven?”

14 The other angel replied, “It will continue for 1,150 days. During all of that time, people will not be permitted to offer sacrifices in the morning or in the evening. After that, the temple will be purified.”