1It was the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule. After the vision that had already appeared to me, I had another one.2In my vision I saw myself in the city of Susa. It has high walls around it. It is in the land of Elam. In the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.3I looked up and saw a ram that had two horns. It was standing beside the canal. Its horns were long. One of them was longer than the other. But that horn grew up later.4I watched the ram as it charged towards the west. It also charged towards the north and the south. No animal could stand up against it. Not one of them could save anyone from its power. It did as it pleased. And it became great.5I was thinking about all of this. Then a goat suddenly came from the west. It had a large horn between its eyes. The goat raced across the whole earth without even touching the ground.6It came towards the ram that had the two horns. It was the ram I had seen standing beside the canal. The goat was very angry. It charged at the ram.7I saw it attack the ram with mighty force. It struck the ram and broke the ram’s two horns. The ram didn’t have the power to stand up against it. The goat knocked the ram to the ground and trampled on it. No one could save the ram from the goat’s power.8The goat became very great. But when its power was at its greatest, the goat’s large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns grew up towards the four winds of heaven.9Out of one of the four horns came another horn. It was small at first but became more and more powerful. It grew to the south and to the east and towards the beautiful land of Israel.10It grew until it reached the stars in the sky. It threw some of them down to the earth. And it trampled on them.11It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the LORD’s army. It took away the daily sacrifices from the LORD. And his temple in Jerusalem was thrown down.12Because many of the LORD’s people refused to obey him, they were handed over to the horn. The daily sacrifices were also given over to it. The horn was successful no matter what it did. And true worship of God was thrown down to the ground.13Then I heard a holy angel speaking. Another holy angel spoke to him. He asked, ‘How long will it take for the vision to come true? When will the daily sacrifices be stopped? When will those who refuse to obey God be destroyed? When will the temple be handed over to an enemy? And when will some of the LORD’s people be trampled on?’14One of the holy angels said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the temple will be made holy again.’
Gabriel tells Daniel what his vision means
15I was having the vision. And I was trying to understand it. Then I saw someone who looked like a man.16I heard a voice from the Ulai Canal. It called out, ‘Gabriel, tell Daniel what his vision means.’17Gabriel came close to where I was standing. I was terrified and fell down flat with my face towards the ground. Here is what he said to me. ‘Son of man, I want you to understand the vision. It’s about the time of the end.’18While he was speaking to me, I was sound asleep. I lay with my face on the ground. Then he touched me. He raised me to my feet.19He said, ‘I am going to tell you what will happen later. It will take place when God is angry. The vision is about the appointed time of the end.20You saw a ram that had two horns. It stands for the kings of Media and Persia.21The goat stands for the king of Greece. The large horn between its eyes is the first king.22Four horns took the horn’s place when it was broken off. They stand for four kingdoms that will come from his nation. But those kingdoms will not be as powerful as his.23‘Towards the end of their rule, those who refuse to obey God will become completely evil. Then another king will appear. He will have a scary-looking face. He will be a master at making clever plans.24He will become very strong. But he will not get that way by his own power. People will be amazed at the way he destroys everything. He will be successful no matter what he does. He will destroy mighty people. Those mighty people are God’s holy people.25He will tell lies in order to succeed. He will think he is more important than anyone else. When people feel safe, he will destroy many of them. He will stand up against the greatest Prince of all. Then he will be destroyed. But he will not be killed by human beings.26‘The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given to you is true. But seal up the vision. It is about a time far off.’27I, Daniel, was worn out. I was too tired to get up for several days. Then I got up and returned to my work for the king. The vision bewildered me. I couldn’t understand it.
Daniel 8
English Standard Version
Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat
1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. (Da 5:1; Da 7:1)2And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. (Ne 1:1; Isa 11:11; Eze 1:1; Da 8:16)3I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. (Da 8:20)4I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. (De 33:17; Eze 34:21; Da 3:15; Da 7:17; Da 8:7; Da 8:8; Da 11:3; Da 11:16; Da 11:36)5As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. (Da 8:21)6He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. (Job 15:26; Da 8:20)7I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. (Ps 7:5; Da 8:4; Da 11:11)8Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. (Da 7:2; Da 8:4; Da 8:5)9Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. (Ps 48:2; Eze 20:6; Eze 20:15; Da 7:8; Da 11:16; Da 11:25; Da 11:41)10It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some[1] of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. (Isa 14:13; Da 8:7; Da 11:28; Re 12:4)11It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. (Jos 5:14; Da 8:25; Da 11:31; Da 11:36; Da 12:11)12And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,[2] and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. (Da 8:24; Da 11:28; Da 11:30)13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” (Da 4:13; Da 9:21; Da 11:31; Da 12:6; Re 6:10)14And he said to me,[3] “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” (Da 8:26)
The Interpretation of the Vision
15When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. (Eze 1:26; Da 7:13; Da 10:16; Da 10:18; 1Pe 1:10; Re 1:13)16And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” (Da 8:2; Da 9:21; Da 12:5; Lu 1:19; Lu 1:26)17So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” (Eze 1:28; Eze 2:1; Da 8:19; Da 11:27; Da 11:35; Da 11:40; Da 12:4; Da 12:9; Lu 1:12)18And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. (Da 9:21; Da 10:9; Da 10:10; Da 10:18; Lu 9:32)19He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. (Ps 102:13; Da 8:17; Da 11:36)20As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. (Da 6:8; Da 8:3)21And the goat[4] is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. (Da 8:5; Da 10:20; Da 11:3)22As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[5] nation, but not with his power. (Da 8:8; Da 8:24)23And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.24His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. (Da 7:21; Da 8:12; Da 11:28; Da 11:30; Re 17:17)25By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. (Da 2:34; Da 8:11; Da 11:21; Da 11:23; Da 11:24)26The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” (Da 8:14; Da 10:1; Da 10:14; Da 12:4; Da 12:9)27And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. (Da 7:28; Da 8:16)