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Daniel 7

7 During the first year that Belshazzar was the king of Babylon, Daniel saw things in a dream one night as he was lying on his bed. The next morning, he wrote down the main points of what he had dreamed.

2 Daniel wrote, “This is what I saw in the dream I had last night. Strong winds were blowing from four directions and making big waves in the Great Sea. 3 I saw four great beasts coming up out of the water. Each one was different from the others.

4 The first beast looked a lion. However, it had wings like an eagle’s wings. But as I watched, someone tore off its wings. Then this beast reared up and stood on two legs, as people do. It also became able to think as people do.

5 The second beast that I saw looked like a bear. One of its sides was higher than the other. It was holding three ribs in its mouth with its teeth. Someone told it, “Go and eat as much meat as you want!”

6 The next beast that I saw looked like a leopard, but it had four wings like bird’s wings on its back. It had four heads. It received authority to rule many people.

7 The next thing I saw in my dream last night was a fourth beast. It was very powerful and very terrifying. It had huge iron teeth. It killed the other beasts and devoured them, and then it trampled on their carcasses. It was different from the other three beasts. It had ten horns on its head.

8 I was looking at those horns, and I saw a little horn grow up in the middle of them. It tore out three of the other horns. I saw that this little horn had eyes that were like humans eyes. It also had a mouth, and it was speaking very boastfully.

9 Then, as I watched,

some beings brought in some thrones.

God, who has always existed, sat on one of the thrones.

His clothes were as white as snow,

and his hair was as white as pure wool.

His throne was like a chariot; it was blazing with fire,

and its wheels were also blazing with fire.

10 A stream of fire

was rushing out in front of him.

Many thousands of people were there serving him,

and millions of other people were standing in front of him ready to serve him.

Judges began a court session,

and they opened books that recorded what people had done.

11 I heard the little horn speaking very boastfully, so I looked over at it. As I watched, someone killed the fourth beast and threw its body into the fire to burn it up completely. 12 The other three beasts lost their authority to rule, but they were able to continue living for a little while.

13 The next thing I saw in my dream last night was someone who resembled a human being. He was riding on the clouds in the sky. He got to where God was, the one who has always existed, and God’s servants brought him to his throne. 14 God honored him and gave him the authority to rule as king. People from every nation and group and who speak every language will obey him. He will rule forever; he will never stop ruling. No one will ever destroy the kingdom that he rules.

15 As for me, Daniel, what I saw in my dream scared me. I felt very upset inside. 16 I went up to one of those who were standing in front of God’s throne. I asked him to tell me what all of this meant. So he told me what the things in my dream meant so that I could understand them.

17 He said, “The four great beasts represent four kingdoms that will become powerful in the world. 18 But the Supreme God will give power to his people to rule, and they will rule forever and ever.’

19 Then I wanted to know exactly what the fourth beast represented. That beast was different from the other three beasts. It was very terrifying. It had iron teeth and bronze claws. It killed the other beasts and devoured them, and then it trampled on their carcasses. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the little horn that grew up in the middle of them. It tore out three of the other horns. It had human eyes and a mouth. It spoke very boastfully, and it looked more powerful than the other horns. 21 In my dream, I saw this horn attack God’s people. It was defeating them, 22 but then God, who has always existed, came and decided in favor of the people who belonged to him, the Supreme God. Then it was time for them to receive authority to rule.

23 The one I was speaking with told me, “The fourth beast represents a fourth empire that will become powerful in the world. That empire will be different from the other empires that were before it. Its army will conquer other kingdoms throughout the world. It will defeat them badly and destroy them. 24 The ten horns of this beast represent ten kings who will rule that empire. Another king will succeed them. He will be different from the previous kings, and he will conquer three other kings. 25 He will say insulting things about the Supreme God, and he will oppress the people who belong to him. He will try to change their religious festivals and laws. He will have power over them for a time, times, and half a time.

26 But then there will be a session of the heavenly court. The court will take away that king’s authority. That will be the end of his kingdom forever. 27 Then the people who belong to the Supreme God will receive great honor and the power to rule every kingdom in the world. The kingdom of the Supreme God will last forever. All earthly rulers will be his subjects.”

28 That is what I saw in my dream. As I, Daniel, thought about these things, they really scared me. My face became pale. But I did not tell anyone about the dream I had.

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