Daniel

In the first year of Baltasar king of the Chaldeans, Daniel saw a dream, and the visions of his head upon his bed: and he wrote the dream.

I Daniel saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.

The first was like a lioness, and she had wings as an eagle; I beheld until her wings were plucked, and she was lifted from the earth, and made to stand on men's feet, and a man's heart was given to her.

And, behold, a second beast like a bear, and it raised up one part of it, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth: and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much flesh.

After this I looked, and lo another beast like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon it; and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it.

After this I looked in the night vision, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth, devouring and breaking in pieces, and it trampled the residue with its feet: and it was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

I considered its horns, and behold another little horn came up in the midst of them, and before it three of the former horns were rooted out: and, behold, in this horn there were eyes as the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire.

A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burnt with fire.

And the dominion of the rest of the beasts was taken away; but a prolonging of life was given them for a time and a season.

I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

And there was given him dominion, and honour, and a kingdom; and all peoples, tribes, and languages shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.

As for me Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head troubled me.

And I came near to one of them that stood by, and I asked the truth of him concerning all these things: and he told me the truth, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.

These four great beasts are four kingdoms that shall arise out of the earth.

But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever and ever.

Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from every one of them, exceeding terrible, its teeth of iron, and its claws of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;

and concerning its ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other that came up, and before which three fell; and concerning that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and its look was more stout than the rest.

I beheld, and that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

until the Ancient of days came, and gave judgment to the saints of the Most High; and the time came, and the saints possessed the kingdom.

And he said to me, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which shall surpass all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and trample it and destroy it.

And its ten horns are ten kings that shall arise: and after them shall arise another, who shall surpass all the former in wickedness; and he shall subdue three kings.

And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change times and law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

Then the judgment shall sit, and they shall remove his dominion, to destroy and abolish it utterly.

And the kingdom and the power and the greatness of the kings under the whole heaven shall be given to the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all powers shall serve and obey him.

Here is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance was changed: but I kept the matter in my heart.