Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat

1In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me—I, Daniel—after that which had appeared to me at the first. 2And I saw in the vision; and it was, in my looking, that I was in Susa the citadel, which is in Elam the province. And I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.

3And I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold! One ram was standing at the face of the river, and unto it were two horns; and the two horns were high, and one was higher than the second, and the higher one came up later. 4I saw the ram charging to the west, and to the north, and to the south; and all living creatures could not stand before him, and there was no one to deliver from his hand; and he did according to his will, and he became great.

5And I was considering, and behold, a male of the goats was coming from the west, over the face of all the earth, and without touching on the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6And he came to the ram, owner of the two horns, which I had seen standing at the face of the river, and he ran toward him with the fury of his power. 7And I saw him coming close beside the ram, and he was enraged at him, and he struck the ram and broke the two of his horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before his face, and he cast him down to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to deliver the ram from his hand.

8And the male of the goats grew as far as exceedingly, and with his becoming mighty, the large horn was broken, and came up four conspicuous ones in place of it, toward the four winds of the heavens.

9And from the one of them came forth one little horn, and it grew great exceedingly toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. 10And he grew up to the host of the heavens, and he cast down to the ground some of the host, and some of the stars, and he trampled them. 11And to the Prince of the host he became great, and from Him was taken away the daily sacrifice, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12And an army will be given over, along with the daily sacrifice, because of transgression, and he will cast down truth to the ground; and he will act, and will prosper.

13And I heard one holy one speaking; one holy one said to the one who was speaking, “Until when is the vision of the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, the giving over of both the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”

14And he said to me: “Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings—then the sanctuary will be made right.”

Gabriel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

15And it came to pass in my seeing—I, Daniel—the vision I sought understanding, that behold, one having the appearance of a man was standing before me. 16And I heard the voice of a man between the Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, to this one give understanding of the vision.”

17And he came alongside my station; and at his coming, I was afraid, and fell on my face.

And he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that regarding the time of the end is the vision.”

18And at his speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.

And he touched me and stood me on my station. 19And he said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will come to be at the latter end of the indignation, for it concerns the appointed time of the end.

20The ram that you saw, owner of the two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia. 21And the male goat is the king of Javan,† and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22And the broken one, and that arose the four in its place, is four kingdoms from that nation that will rise up, and not with its power.

23And in the latter time of their reign, at the completion of those transgressing, there will arise a king, strong of face and understanding riddles; 24and his power will be mighty—not by his power—and marvelously He will destroy, and he will prosper in what he does, and He will destroy the mighty ones and the people the holy ones. 25And by his cunning he will also make prosper deceit under his hand, and in his heart he will magnify himself. And when at ease he will destroy many; and against the Prince of princes he will rise, and without human hand he will be broken.

26And the vision of the evenings and the mornings that was told is true; and you, seal up the vision, for it is after many days.”

27And I, Daniel, was overcome and was sick for days. And I rose and went about the business of the king; and I was appalled by the vision, and it was not understood.