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the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and there before me the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts came up out of the sea, each different from other.
4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. As I was watching, its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 “Then another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and gorge yourself on flesh!’
6 “After that, as I was watching, another beast appeared. It looked like a leopard with four wings on its back like those of a bird. This beast had four heads and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that I saw in the visions of the night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and very powerful. It had large iron teeth, and it devoured and crushed its victims, and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, another horn appeared, a little one, which came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 “As I was watching,
“thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of His head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before His presence.
Thousands upon thousands attended Him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was convened,
and the books were opened.
11 “Then I continued to watch, because of the sound of the boastful words the horn was speaking. As I was watching, the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 As for the rest of beasts, they were stripped of their authority to rule, but their lives were prolonged for a period of time.
13 “As I continued watching in the night visions, I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
14 “He was given authority to rule, and glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this.
“So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever’.
19 “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one which was different from all the others and exceedingly terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that devoured and broke its victims in pieces, and trampled with its feet whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully, and whose appearance was more imposing that the others. 21 As I was watching, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was pronounced in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when these holy ones took possession of the kingdom.
23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear of the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, and trample it down and crush it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them, another king will arise, different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, and he will try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.
26 ‘But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the people who are the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him’.
28 “This is the end of the account. As for me, I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”