| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him. | 1And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) |
| 2Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. | 2Now I will tell you the truth. The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel "Three more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth king will be unusually rich, more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. |
| 3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. | 3Then a powerful king will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. |
| 4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom 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 authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others. | 4Shortly after his rise to power, his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky--but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these. |
| 5The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority. | 5"Then the king of the south and one of his subordinates will grow strong. His subordinate will resist him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. |
| 6After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. | 6After some years have passed, they will form an alliance. Then the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, nor will he continue in his strength. She, together with the one who brought her, her child, and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time. |
| 7But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing. | 7"There will arise in his place one from her family line who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. |
| 8He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, | 8He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from the king of the north. |
| 9who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land. | 9Then the king of the north will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. |
| 10But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress. | 10His sons will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy's fortress. |
| 11In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy. | 11"Then the king of the south will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. |
| 12When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. | 12When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. He will be responsible for the death of thousands and thousands of people, but he will not continue to prevail. |
| 13For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies. | 13For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies. |
| 14In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail. | 14"In those times many will oppose the king of the south. Those who are violent among your own people will rise up in confirmation of the vision, but they will falter. |
| 15Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist. | 15Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. They will have no strength to prevail. |
| 16The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. | 16The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power. |
| 17He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him. | 17His intention will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. He will give the king of the south a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. |
| 18Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him. | 18Then he will turn his attention to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. |
| 19After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more. | 19He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. |
| 20In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle. | 20There will arise after him one who will send out an exactor of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or battle. |
| 21In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue. | 21"Then there will arise in his place a despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. |
| 22Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. | 22Armies will be suddenly swept away in defeat before him; both they and a covenant leader will be destroyed. |
| 23After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. | 23After entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. |
| 24In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time. | 24In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. |
| 25And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him. | 25He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm against the king of the south with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. |
| 26Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. | 26Those who share the king's fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; many will be killed in battle. |
| 27And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time. | 27These two kings, their minds filled with evil intentions, will trade lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. |
| 28The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land. | 28Then the king of the north will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. |
| 29At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first. | 29At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. |
| 30Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. | 30The ships of Kittim will come against him, leaving him disheartened. He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor those who forsake the holy covenant. |
| 31His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. | 31His forces will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. |
| 32With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. | 32Then with smooth words he will defile those who have rejected the covenant. But the people who are loyal to their God will act valiantly. |
| 33Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered. | 33These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. However, they will fall by the sword and by the flame, and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. |
| 34Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. | 34When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. |
| 35Some of the wise will fall, 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. | 35Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time. |
| 36Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. | 36"Then the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. |
| 37He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all. | 37He will not respect the gods of his fathers--not even the god loved by women. He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all. |
| 38And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. | 38What he will honor is a god of fortresses--a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities. |
| 39He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price. | 39He will attack mighty fortresses, aided by a foreign deity. To those who recognize him he will grant considerable honor. He will place them in authority over many people, and he will parcel out land for a price. |
| 40At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. | 40"At the time of the end the king of the south will attack him. Then the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. He will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. |
| 41He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites. | 41Then he will enter the beautiful land. Many will fall, but these will escape: Edom, Moab, and the Ammonite leadership. |
| 42He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. | 42He will extend his power against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape. |
| 43He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him. | 43He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians will submit to him. |
| 44But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. | 44But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many. |
| 45He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him. | 45He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him. |
|
