Daniel 7

¹ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions that passed through hishead as he lay in bed. He wrote the dream down, and this is how the narrative began:

² Daniel said, 'I have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring upthe Great Sea;

³ four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the others.

⁴ The first was like a lion with eagle's wings and, as I looked, its wings were torn off, and it was lifted offthe ground and set standing on its feet like a human; and it was given a human heart.

⁵ And there before me was a second beast, like a bear, rearing up on one side, with three ribs in itsmouth, between its teeth. "Up!" came the command. "Eat quantities of flesh!"

⁶ After this I looked; and there before me was another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird's wings onits flanks; it had four heads and was granted authority.

⁷ Next, in the visions of the night, I saw another vision: there before me was a fourth beast, fearful,terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate its victims, crushed them, and trampled their remainsunderfoot. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.

⁸ 'While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of theoriginal horns were pul ed out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and amouth ful of boasting.

⁹ While I was watching, thrones were set in place and one most venerable took his seat. His robe waswhite as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burningfire.

¹⁰ A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence. A thousand thousand waited on him, tenthousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was in session and the books lay open.

¹¹ 'I went on watching: then, because of the noise made by the boastings of the horn, as I watched, thebeast was put to death, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames.

¹² The other beasts were deprived of their empire, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.

¹³ I was gazing into the visions of the night, when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were ason of man. He came to the One most venerable and was led into his presence.

¹⁴ On him was conferred rule, honour and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became hisservants. His rule is an everlasting rule which wil never pass away, and his kingship wil never come to an end.

¹⁵ 'I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me.

¹⁶ So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him about al this. And in reply herevealed to me what these things meant.

¹⁷ "These four great beasts are four kings who will rise up from the earth.

¹⁸ Those who receive royal power are the holy ones of the Most High, and kingship will be theirs for ever,for ever and ever."

¹⁹ Then I asked about the fourth beast, different from al the rest, very terrifying, with iron teeth andbronze claws; it ate its victims, crushed them, and trampled their remains underfoot;

²⁰ and about the ten horns on its head -- and why the other horn sprouted and the three original hornsfel , and why this horn had eyes and a mouth ful of boasting, and why it looked more impressive than its fel ows.

²¹ This was the horn I had watched making war on the holy ones and proving the stronger,

²² until the coming of the One most venerable who gave judgement in favour of the holy ones of the MostHigh, when the time came for the holy ones to assume kingship.

²³ This is what he said: "The fourth beast is to be a fourth kingdom on earth, different from al otherkingdoms. It will devour the whole world, trample it underfoot and crush it.

²⁴ As for the ten horns: from this kingdom will rise ten kings, and another after them; this one will bedifferent from the previous ones and wil bring down three kings;

²⁵ he wil insult the Most High, and torment the holy ones of the Most High. He will plan to alter theseasons and the Law, and the Saints wil be handed over to him for a time, two times, and half a time.

²⁶ But the court will sit, and he wil be stripped of his royal authority which wil be final y destroyed andreduced to nothing.

²⁷ And kingship and rule and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the peopleof the holy ones of the Most High, whose royal power is an eternal power, whom every empire wil serve andobey."

²⁸ 'Here the narrative ends. 'I, Daniel, was greatly disturbed in mind, and I grew pale; but I kept thesethings to myself.'