21 |In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue.
22 |The overflowing forces will be flooded away before him and shattered, and also the prince of the covenant.
23 |After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small [force of] people.
24 |In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest [parts] of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but [only] for a time.
25 |He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, for schemes will be devised against him.
26 |Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.
27 |As for both kings, their hearts will be [intent] on evil, and they will speak lies [to each other] at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still [to come] at the appointed time.
28 |Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be [set] against the holy covenant, and he will take action and [then] return to his [own] land.
29 |At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before.
30 |For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 |Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
32 |By smooth [words] he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.
33 |Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for [many] days.
34 |Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.
35 |Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because [it is] still [to come] at the appointed time.
36 |Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done.
37 |He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any [other] god; for he will magnify himself above [them] all.
38 |But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor [him] with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures.
39 |He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with [the help of] a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge [him] and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
40 |At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow [them] and pass through.
41 |He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many [countries] will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.
42 |Then he will stretch out his hand against [other] countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape.
43 |But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians [will follow] at his heels.
44 |But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many.
45 |He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
