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the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier. 2 In the vision I was looking and saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there standing beside the canal was a ram with two horns, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other, but the longer one grew up later. 4 I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became strong.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a prominent horn between his eyes. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him with savage fury. 7 I saw him approaching the ram, enraged against him. He struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was powerless to stand before him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him underfoot, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power 8 Then the male goat became very great, but when he was at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them a little horn emerged, and it grew extremely great toward the south and toward the east and toward the Beautiful Land 10 It grew up until it reached as high as the heavenly host, and it threw down to the earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up for greatness, even to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from Him and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. 12 Because of rebellion, the host was given over to it, together with the daily sacrifice. It threw truth to the ground and prospered in everything it did.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who had spoken, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?”
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, suddenly there before me stood one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice calling out from the Ulai, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
17 So he approached where I was standing, and when he came near, I became terrified and fell facedown to the ground. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
18 While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said, “Behold, I am making known to you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation, but not with his power.
23 “Near the end of their reign, when rebels have reached the full measure of their transgressions, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will grow strong in power, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the powerful, and also the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper through his cunning, and in his own mind he will be great. He will destroy many at a time when they feel secure, and even take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be shattered, but not by human hands.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”
27 I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was astonished at the vision, yet it was beyond understanding.