Daniel


1:1   In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 
1:2  And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along
with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to
the temple of his god in Babylonia {[2] Hebrew <Shinar>} and put in the
treasure house of his god. 
1:3   Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring
in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- 
1:4  young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for
every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to
serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature
of the Babylonians. {[4] Or <Chaldeans>} 
1:5  The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's
table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to
enter the king's service. 
1:6   Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah. 
1:7  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name
Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah,
Abednego. 
1:8   But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and
wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself
this way. 
1:9  Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 
1:10  but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who
has assigned your {[10] The Hebrew for <your> and <you> in this verse is
plural.} food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other
young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." 
1:11   Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed
over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 
1:12  "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but
vegetables to eat and water to drink. 
1:13  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the
royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 
1:14  So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 
1:15   At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished
than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 
1:16  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to
drink and gave them vegetables instead. 
1:17   To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all
kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and
dreams of all kinds. 
1:18   At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief
official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 
1:19  The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 
1:20  In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king
questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and
enchanters in his whole kingdom. 
1:21   And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. 

2:1   In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind
was troubled and he could not sleep. 
2:2  So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and
astrologers {[2] Or <Chaldeans>; also in verses 4, 5 and 10} to tell him
what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 
2:3  he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to
know what it means. {[3] Or <was>}" 
2:4   Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, {[4] The text from
here through chapter 7 is in Aramaic.} "O king, live forever! Tell your
servants the dream, and we will interpret it." 
2:5   The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly
decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will
have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 
2:6  But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me
gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for
me." 
2:7   Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and
we will interpret it." 
2:8   Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain
time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 
2:9  If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You
have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation
will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can
interpret it for me." 
2:10   The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who
can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked
such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 
2:11  What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king
except the gods, and they do not live among men." 
2:12   This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution
of all the wise men of Babylon. 
2:13  So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were
sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. 
2:14   When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put
to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 
2:15  He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh
decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 
2:16  At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he
might interpret the dream for him. 
2:17   Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his
friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 
2:18  He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning
this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest
of the wise men of Babylon. 
2:19  During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then
Daniel praised the God of heaven 
2:20  and said: 
          "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; 
          wisdom and power are his. 
2:21      He changes times and seasons; 
          he sets up kings and deposes them. 
          He gives wisdom to the wise 
          and knowledge to the discerning. 
2:22      He reveals deep and hidden things; 
          he knows what lies in darkness, 
          and light dwells with him. 
2:23      I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: 
          You have given me wisdom and power, 
          you have made known to me what we asked of you, 
          you have made known to us the dream of the king." 
2:24   Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute
the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of
Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." 
2:25   Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man
among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means." 
2:26   The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to
tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" 
2:27   Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can
explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 
2:28  but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King
Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions
that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: 
2:29   "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come,
and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 
2:30  As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have
greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the
interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. 
2:31   "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an
enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 
2:32  The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of
silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 
2:33  its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 
2:34  While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.
It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 
2:35  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were
broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor
in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the
rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole
earth. 
2:36   "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 
2:37  You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you
dominion and power and might and glory; 
2:38  in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and
the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them
all. You are that head of gold. 
2:39   "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a
third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 
2:40  Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron--for iron
breaks and smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it
will crush and break all the others. 
2:41  Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and
partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of
the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 
2:42  As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be
partly strong and partly brittle. 
2:43  And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will
be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

2:44   "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will
crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure
forever. 
2:45  This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain,
but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay,
the silver and the gold to pieces.  "The great God has shown the king what
will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is
trustworthy." 
2:46   Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him
honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 
2:47  The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the
Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this
mystery." 
2:48   Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many
gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and
placed him in charge of all its wise men. 
2:49  Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself
remained at the royal court. 

3:1   King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine
feet {[1] Aramaic <sixty cubits high and six cubits wide> (about 27 meters
high and 2.7 meters wide)} wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the
province of Babylon. 
3:2  He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers,
treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to
come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 
3:3  So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges,
magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the
dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood
before it. 
3:4   Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to
do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 
3:5  As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of
gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 
3:6  Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into
a blazing furnace." 
3:7   Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither,
lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every
language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up. 
3:8   At this time some astrologers {[8] Or <Chaldeans>} came forward and
denounced the Jews. 
3:9  They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 
3:10  You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of
the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall
down and worship the image of gold, 
3:11  and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a
blazing furnace. 
3:12  But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the
province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--who pay no attention to
you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you
have set up." 
3:13   Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 
3:14  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have
set up? 
3:15  Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the
image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown
immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you
from my hand?" 
3:16   Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this
matter. 
3:17  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to
save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 
3:18  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." 
3:19   Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven
times hotter than usual 
3:20  and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 
3:21  So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other
clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 
3:22  The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the
flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, 
3:23  and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 
3:24   Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked
his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the
fire?"  They replied, "Certainly, O king." 
3:25   He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound
and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." 
3:26   Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and
shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,
come out! Come here!"  So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the
fire, 
3:27  and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around
them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of
their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of
fire on them. 
3:28   Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted
in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives
rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 
3:29  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say
anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into
pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can
save in this way." 
3:30   Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province
of Babylon.    

4:1   King Nebuchadnezzar,   To the peoples, nations and men of every
language, who live in all the world:   May you prosper greatly!  
4:2   It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders
that the Most High God has performed for me. 
4:3       How great are his signs, 
          how mighty his wonders! 
          His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; 
          his dominion endures from generation to generation. 
4:4   I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.

4:5  I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images
and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 
4:6  So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to
interpret the dream for me. 
4:7  When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers {[7] Or <Chaldeans>} and
diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for
me. 
4:8  Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is
called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy
gods is in him.) 
4:9   I said, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit
of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is
my dream; interpret it for me. 
4:10  These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there
before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 
4:11  The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was
visible to the ends of the earth. 
4:12  Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for
all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the
air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. 
4:13   "In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there
before me was a messenger, {[13] Or <watchman>; also in verses 17 and 23} a
holy one, coming down from heaven. 
4:14  He called in a loud voice: `Cut down the tree and trim off its
branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee
from under it and the birds from its branches. 
4:15  But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in
the ground, in the grass of the field.  "`Let him be drenched with the dew
of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 
4:16  Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the
mind of an animal, till seven times {[16] Or <years>; also in verses 23, 25
and 32} pass by for him. 
4:17   "`The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the
verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over
the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them
the lowliest of men.' 
4:18   "This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now,
Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom
can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is
in you."  
4:19   Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a
time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do
not let the dream or its meaning alarm you."  Belteshazzar answered, "My
lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your
adversaries! 
4:20  The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching
the sky, visible to the whole earth, 
4:21  with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all,
giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its
branches for the birds of the air-- 
4:22  you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your
greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to
distant parts of the earth. 
4:23   "You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven
and saying, `Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound
with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in
the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like
the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.' 
4:24   "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most
High has issued against my lord the king: 
4:25  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild
animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of
heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most
High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he
wishes. 
4:26  The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that
your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

4:27  Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins
by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.
It may be that then your prosperity will continue."  
4:28   All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 
4:29  Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal
palace of Babylon, 
4:30  he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal
residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" 
4:31   The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This
is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has
been taken from you. 
4:32  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild
animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you
until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of
men and gives them to anyone he wishes." 
4:33   Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He
was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched
with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and
his nails like the claws of a bird.  
4:34   At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward
heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored
and glorified him who lives forever. 
          His dominion is an eternal dominion; 
          his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 
4:35      All the peoples of the earth 
          are regarded as nothing. 
          He does as he pleases 
          with the powers of heaven 
          and the peoples of the earth. 
          No one can hold back his hand 
          or say to him: "What have you done?" 
4:36   At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor
were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles
sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than
before. 
4:37  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of
heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And
those who walk in pride he is able to humble.  

5:1   King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and
drank wine with them. 
5:2  While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the
gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father {[2] Or <ancestor>;
or <predecessor>; also in verses 11, 13 and 18} had taken from the temple in
Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines
might drink from them. 
5:3  So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple
of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his
concubines drank from them. 
5:4  As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of
bronze, iron, wood and stone. 
5:5   Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster
of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the
hand as it wrote. 
5:6  His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked
together and his legs gave way. 
5:7   The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers {[7] Or
<Chaldeans>; also in verse 11} and diviners to be brought and said to these
wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means
will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and
he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." 
5:8   Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the
writing or tell the king what it meant. 
5:9  So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more
pale. His nobles were baffled. 
5:10   The queen, {[10] Or <queen mother>} hearing the voices of the king
and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "O king, live forever!" she
said. "Don't be alarmed! Don't look so pale! 
5:11  There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in
him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and
intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your
father--your father the king, I say--appointed him chief of the magicians,
enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 
5:12  This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have
a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to
interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for
Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means." 
5:13   So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, "Are
you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 
5:14  I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have
insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 
5:15  The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this
writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 
5:16  Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to
solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it
means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around
your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." 
5:17   Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself
and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing
for the king and tell him what it means. 
5:18   "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar
sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 
5:19  Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations
and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to
put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he
wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 
5:20  But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was
deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 
5:21  He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he
lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was
drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High
God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he
wishes. 
5:22   "But you his son, {[22] Or <descendant>; or <successor>} O
Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 
5:23  Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had
the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your
wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of
silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear
or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life
and all your ways. 
5:24  Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 
5:25   "This is the inscription that was written:  MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN
{[25] Aramaic <UPARSIN> (that is, <AND PARSIN>)}  
5:26   "This is what these words mean:  <Mene> {[26] <Mene> can mean
<numbered> or <mina> (a unit of money).}: God has numbered the days of your
reign and brought it to an end. 
5:27  <Tekel> {[27] <Tekel> can mean <weighed> or <shekel.>}: You have been
weighed on the scales and found wanting. 
5:28  <Peres> {[28] <Peres> (the singular of <Parsin>) can mean <divided> or
<Persia> or <a half mina> or <a half shekel.>}: Your kingdom is divided and
given to the Medes and Persians."  
5:29   Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold
chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest
ruler in the kingdom. 
5:30   That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, {[30] Or
<Chaldeans>} was slain, 
5:31  and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. 

6:1   It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the
kingdom, 
6:2  with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The
satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer
loss. 
6:3  Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the
satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over
the whole kingdom. 
6:4  At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for
charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were
unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was
trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 
6:5  Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges
against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his
God." 
6:6   So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and
said: "O King Darius, live forever! 
6:7  The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors
have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree
that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except
to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. 
6:8  Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot
be altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which
cannot be repealed." 
6:9  So King Darius put the decree in writing. 
6:10   Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went
home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three
times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God,
just as he had done before. 
6:11  Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God
for help. 
6:12  So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did
you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays
to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions'
den?"  The king answered, "The decree stands--in accordance with the laws of
the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 
6:13   Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from
Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in
writing. He still prays three times a day." 
6:14  When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined
to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. 
6:15   Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember,
O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or
edict that the king issues can be changed." 
6:16   So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him
into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve
continually, rescue you!" 
6:17   A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the
king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so
that Daniel's situation might not be changed. 
6:18  Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without
eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not
sleep. 
6:19   At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions'
den. 
6:20  When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice,
"Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve
continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" 
6:21   Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 
6:22  My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have
not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done
any wrong before you, O king." 
6:23   The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den.
And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because
he had trusted in his God. 
6:24   At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were
brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and
children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions
overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 
6:25   Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every
language throughout the land:   "May you prosper greatly!  
6:26   "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear
and reverence the God of Daniel. 
          "For he is the living God 
          and he endures forever; 
          his kingdom will not be destroyed, 
          his dominion will never end. 
6:27      He rescues and he saves; 
          he performs signs and wonders 
          in the heavens and on the earth. 
          He has rescued Daniel 
          from the power of the lions." 
6:28   So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus
{[28] Or <Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus>} the Persian. 

7:1   In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream,
and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote
down the substance of his dream. 
7:2   Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were
the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 
7:3  Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the
sea. 
7:4   "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I
watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so
that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to
it. 
7:5   "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It
was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth
between its teeth. It was told, `Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' 
7:6   "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that
looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a
bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 
7:7   "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a
fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large
iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot
whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had
ten horns. 
7:8   "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another
horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns
were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a
mouth that spoke boastfully. 
7:9   "As I looked, 
          "thrones were set in place, 
          and the Ancient of Days took his seat. 
          His clothing was as white as snow; 
          the hair of his head was white like wool. 
          His throne was flaming with fire, 
          and its wheels were all ablaze. 
7:10      A river of fire was flowing, 
          coming out from before him. 
          Thousands upon thousands attended him; 
          ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. 
          The court was seated, 
          and the books were opened. 
7:11   "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was
speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed
and thrown into the blazing fire. 
7:12  (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were
allowed to live for a period of time.) 
7:13   "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a
son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of
Days and was led into his presence. 
7:14  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples,
nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that
will never be destroyed. 
7:15   "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed
through my mind disturbed me. 
7:16  I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true
meaning of all this.  "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these
things: 
7:17  `The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the
earth. 
7:18  But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will
possess it forever--yes, for ever and ever.' 
7:19   "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which
was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth
and bronze claws--the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and
trampled underfoot whatever was left. 
7:20  I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the
other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that
looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that
spoke boastfully. 
7:21  As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and
defeating them, 
7:22  until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the
saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 
7:23   "He gave me this explanation: `The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom
that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms
and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 
7:24  The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After
them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will
subdue three kings. 
7:25  He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to
change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for
a time, times and half a time. {[25] Or <for a year, two years and half a
year>} 
7:26   "`But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and
completely destroyed forever. 
7:27  Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the
whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High.
His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and
obey him.' 
7:28   "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my
thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."  

8:1   In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision,
after the one that had already appeared to me. 
8:2  In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of
Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 
8:3  I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing
beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than
the other but grew up later. 
8:4  I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the
south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his
power. He did as he pleased and became great. 
8:5   As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn
between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without
touching the ground. 
8:6  He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal
and charged at him in great rage. 
8:7  I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his
two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him
to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his
power. 
8:8  The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large
horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward
the four winds of heaven. 
8:9   Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in
power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 
8:10  It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of
the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 
8:11  It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took
away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was
brought low. 
8:12  Because of rebellion, the host [of the saints] {[12] Or <rebellion,
the armies>} and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in
everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 
8:13   Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him,
"How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled--the vision concerning
the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender
of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 
8:14   He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the
sanctuary will be reconsecrated." 
8:15   While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it,
there before me stood one who looked like a man. 
8:16  And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this
man the meaning of the vision." 
8:17   As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and
fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision
concerns the time of the end." 
8:18   While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to
the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 
8:19   He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time
of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. {[19]
Or <because the end will be at the appointed time>} 
8:20  The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and
Persia. 
8:21  The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his
eyes is the first king. 
8:22  The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent
four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same
power. 
8:23   "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become
completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 
8:24  He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause
astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy
the mighty men and the holy people. 
8:25  He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself
superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand
against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human
power. 
8:26   "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is
true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future." 
8:27   I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up
and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was
beyond understanding. 

9:1   In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes {[1] Hebrew <Ahasuerus>} (a
Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian {[1] Or <Chaldean>}
kingdom-- 
9:2  in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the
Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet,
that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 
9:3  So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and
petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 
9:4   I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:   "O Lord, the great and
awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey
his commands, 
9:5  we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled;
we have turned away from your commands and laws. 
9:6  We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your
name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the
land. 
9:7   "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the
men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in
all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness
to you. 
9:8  O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with
shame because we have sinned against you. 
9:9  The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have
rebelled against him; 
9:10  we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us
through his servants the prophets. 
9:11  All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey
you.  "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses,
the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned
against you. 
9:12  You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers
by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever
been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 
9:13  Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come
upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning
from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 
9:14  The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD
our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 
9:15   "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a
mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we
have sinned, we have done wrong. 
9:16  O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger
and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the
iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of
scorn to all those around us. 
9:17   "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For
your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 
9:18  Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of
the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are
righteous, but because of your great mercy. 
9:19  O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake,
O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."  
9:20   While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my
people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill-- 
9:21  while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the
earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening
sacrifice. 
9:22  He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you
insight and understanding. 
9:23  As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come
to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message
and understand the vision: 
9:24   "Seventy `sevens' {[24] Or <`weeks'>; also in verses 25 and 26} are
decreed for your people and your holy city to finish {[24] Or <restrain>}
transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
most holy. {[24] Or <Most Holy Place>; or <most holy One>} 
9:25   "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree {[25] Or
<word>} to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, {[25] Or
<an anointed one>; also in verse 26} the ruler, comes, there will be seven
`sevens,' and sixty-two `sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a
trench, but in times of trouble. 
9:26  After the sixty-two `sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and
will have nothing. {[26] Or <off and will have no one>; or <off, but not for
himself>} The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and
the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the
end, and desolations have been decreed. 
9:27  He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' {[27] Or
<`week'>} In the middle of the `seven' {[27] Or <`week'>} he will put an end
to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an
abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured
out on him. {[27] Or <it>}" {[27] Or <And one who causes desolation will
come upon the pinnacle of the abominable [temple], until the end that is
decreed is poured out on the desolated [city]>} 

10:1   In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to
Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned
a great war. {[1] Or <true and burdensome>} The understanding of the message
came to him in a vision. 
10:2   At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 
10:3  I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no
lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 
10:4   On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the
bank of the great river, the Tigris, 
10:5  I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a
belt of the finest gold around his waist. 
10:6  His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like
flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and
his voice like the sound of a multitude. 
10:7   I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did
not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid
themselves. 
10:8  So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength
left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 
10:9  Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a
deep sleep, my face to the ground. 
10:10   A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 
10:11  He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the
words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to
you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 
10:12   Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day
that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before
your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 
10:13  But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days.
Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was
detained there with the king of Persia. 
10:14  Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in
the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." 
10:15   While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the
ground and was speechless. 
10:16  Then one who looked like a man {[16] Most manuscripts of the
Masoretic Text; one manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and
Septuagint <Then something that looked like a man's hand>} touched my lips,
and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before
me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am
helpless. 
10:17  How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone
and I can hardly breathe." 
10:18   Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.

10:19  "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong
now; be strong."  When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak,
my lord, since you have given me strength." 
10:20   So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return
to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece
will come; 
10:21  but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No
one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. 

11:1  And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support
and protect him.) 
11:2   "Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in
Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When
he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the
kingdom of Greece. 
11:3  Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do
as he pleases. 
11:4  After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out
toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will
it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and
given to others. 
11:5   "The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders
will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great
power. 
11:6  After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of
the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will
not retain her power, and he and his power {[6] Or <offspring>} will not
last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort
and her father {[6] Or <child> (see Vulgate and Syriac)} and the one who
supported her. 
11:7   "One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will
attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will
fight against them and be victorious. 
11:8  He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable
articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he
will leave the king of the North alone. 
11:9  Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the
South but will retreat to his own country. 
11:10  His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will
sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his
fortress. 
11:11   "Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight
against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be
defeated. 
11:12  When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled
with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain
triumphant. 
11:13  For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the
first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully
equipped. 
11:14   "In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The
violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision,
but without success. 
11:15  Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and
will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to
resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. 
11:16  The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand
against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have
the power to destroy it. 
11:17  He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and
will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a
daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans {[17]
Or <but she>} will not succeed or help him. 
11:18  Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many
of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his
insolence back upon him. 
11:19  After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own
country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more. 
11:20   "His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal
splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or
in battle. 
11:21   "He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been
given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel
secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 
11:22  Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and
a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. 
11:23  After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and
with only a few people he will rise to power. 
11:24  When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will
achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute
plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of
fortresses--but only for a time. 
11:25   "With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against
the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and
very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots
devised against him. 
11:26  Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his
army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. 
11:27  The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same
table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come
at the appointed time. 
11:28  The king of the North will return to his own country with great
wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take
action against it and then return to his own country. 
11:29   "At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time
the outcome will be different from what it was before. 
11:30  Ships of the western coastlands {[30] Hebrew <of Kittim>} will oppose
him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury
against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who
forsake the holy covenant. 
11:31   "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and
will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that
causes desolation. 
11:32  With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant,
but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 
11:33   "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will
fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. 
11:34  When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not
sincere will join them. 
11:35  Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified
and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the
appointed time. 
11:36   "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself
above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He
will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been
determined must take place. 
11:37  He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one
desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above
them all. 
11:38  Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to
his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and
costly gifts. 
11:39  He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign
god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them
rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. {[39] Or
<land for a reward>} 
11:40   "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in
battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots
and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and
sweep through them like a flood. 
11:41  He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but
Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 
11:42  He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 
11:43  He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the
riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 
11:44  But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will
set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 
11:45  He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at {[45] Or <the sea
and>} the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one
will help him. 

12:1   "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people,
will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from
the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone
whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. 
12:2  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to
everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 
12:3  Those who are wise {[3] Or <who impart wisdom>} will shine like the
brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like
the stars for ever and ever. 
12:4  But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the
time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."  
12:5   Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on
this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 
12:6  One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters
of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are
fulfilled?" 
12:7   The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river,
lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear
by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a
time. {[7] Or <a year, two years and half a year>} When the power of the
holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." 
12:8   I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will
the outcome of all this be?" 
12:9   He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and
sealed until the time of the end. 
12:10  Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will
continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are
wise will understand. 
12:11   "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the
abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 
12:12  Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335
days. 
12:13   "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at
the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." 
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