Daniel Seeks to Understand the Vision
15 Now it happened when aI, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who had the appearance of a bman. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “aGabriel, give this man an understanding of what has appeared.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was terrified and afell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the btime of the end.”
18 Now while he was talking with me, I asank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he btouched me and made me stand upright. 19 Then he said, “Behold, I am going to alet you know what will happen at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20 The aram which you saw with the two horns is the kings of Media and Persia. 21 Now the shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 And the abroken horn and the four horns that stood in its place are four kingdoms which will take their stand from his nation, although not with his power.
23 In the latter period of their reign,
When the transgressors have run their course,
A king will stand,
Insolent and skilled in intrigue.
24 His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will adestroy to an astonishing degree
And succeed and do his will;
He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.
25 And through his insight
He will cause deceit to succeed by his hand;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will destroy many while they are at ease.
He will even astand against the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken bwithout hands.
26 And what had appeared about the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is atrue;
But as for you, bconceal the vision,
For it pertains to many cdays in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was aexhausted and sick for days. Then I rose up again and bdid the king’s work; but I was appalled at what had appeared, and there was none to make me understand it.