| 7 | Daniel | ||
| 1 | In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the sum of the matter. | DANIEL DESCRIBES HIS VISIONS. (7.1-12.13) The four beasts. Dn.7.1-8 | |
| 2 | Daniel said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. | ||
| 3 | And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. | ||
| 4 | The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand upon two feet like a man; and the mind of a man was given to it. | ||
| 5 | And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.' | ||
| 6 | After this I looked, and lo, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it. | ||
| 7 | After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. | ||
| 8 | I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. | ||
| 9 | As I looked, and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. | ← The vision of the Ancient of days. Dn.7.9-14 | |
| 10 | A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. | ||
| 11 | I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. | ||
| 12 | As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. | ||
| 13 | I saw in the night visions, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. | ||
| 14 | And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. | ||
| 15 | "As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me. | The visions explained. Dn.7.15-28 | |
| 16 | I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things. | ||
| 17 | 'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. | ||
| 18 | But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.' | ||
| 19 | "Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrible, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze; and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; | ||
| 20 | and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up and before which three of them fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and which seemed greater than its fellows. | ||
| 21 | As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them, | ||
| 22 | until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom. | ||
| 23 | "Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. | ||
| 24 | As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. | ||
| 25 | He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time. | ||
| 26 | But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. | ||
| 27 | And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.' | ||
| 28 | "Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my colour changed; but I kept the matter in my mind." | ||
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