1In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.2In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.3I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.4I watched the ram as it charged towards the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.5As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.6It came towards the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage.7I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power.8The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up towards the four winds of heaven.9Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and towards the Beautiful Land.10It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.11It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down.12Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people[1] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled – the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?’14He said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.’
The interpretation of the vision
15While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.16And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, ‘Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.’17As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. ‘Son of man,’[2] he said to me, ‘understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.’18While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.19He said: ‘I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.[3]20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.21The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.22The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.23‘In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise.24He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.25He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.26‘The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.’27I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
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)