Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
In the first year of aBelshazzar king of Babylon, bDaniel saw a dream and cvisions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, athe four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts acame up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, aanother beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a aleopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and bdominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, aterrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; ait devoured and broke in pieces aand stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and bit had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, athere came up among them another horn, a little one, abefore which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and ba mouth speaking great things.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 “As I looked,
athrones were placed,
and the bAncient of Days took his seat;
chis clothing was white as snow,
and dthe hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
eits wheels were burning fire.
10 aA stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
ba thousand thousands cserved him,
band ten thousand times ten thousand dstood before him;
the ecourt sat in judgment,
and fthe books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of athe great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, bthe beast was killed, and its body destroyed band given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, atheir dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and abehold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the bAncient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 aAnd to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all bpeoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
chis dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel’s Vision Interpreted
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and athe visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 a‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But athe saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth about athe fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 20 aand about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 21 As I looked, this horn amade war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the aAncient of Days came, and bjudgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when bthe saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘As for athe fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 aHe shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to bchange the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for ca time, times, and half a time.
26 aBut the court shall sit in judgment,
and bhis dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed cto the end.
27 aAnd the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of athe saints of the Most High;
bhis kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
28 “Here is the end of the matter. aAs for me, Daniel, my bthoughts greatly alarmed me, cand my color changed, but dI kept the matter in my heart.”