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the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.
2 “Now I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do whatever he pleases. 4 But just as he is becoming established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven. It will not pass to his descendants, nor will it have the same power by which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others besides these.
5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and he will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. However, she will not retain her power, and his power will not endure. She will be given up, along with her entourage, her father, and the one who supported her during those times.
7 “Then from a branch of her roots one will arise to take her place. He will advance against the army of the king of the North and enter his fortress. He will fight against them and prevail. 8 He will even capture their gods, with their metal images and precious articles of silver and gold, and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North. 9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land. 10 His sons will prepare for war and they will assemble a great army, which will advance like a flood, sweeping through and waging war right up to his fortress.
11 “Then the king of the South will be infuriated and will march out to fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride, and he will overthrow tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. 13 For the king of the North will again raise another army, even larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with an enormous army and abundant supplies.
14 “In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent men from among your own people will rise up so they can fulfil the vision, but they will fail. 15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps, and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not withstand him; even their best troops will not have the strength to resist. 16 But the invader who comes against him will do whatever he wants, and no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land with the power to totally destroy it. 17 He will set himself to come with the strength of his whole kingdom and will make an agreement with him. He will give his a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or work to his advantage. 18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his insolence; instead, he will turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.
20 “There will arise in his place one who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be shattered, yet not in anger or in battle.
21 “In his place a contemptible person will arise on whom the honour of royalty has not been given. He will come during a period of peace and seize the kingdom through intrigue. 22 Then an array of forces will be swept away and broken before him, and the prince of the covenant also. 23 After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a small number of people he will rise to power. 24 In a time of peace, he will invade the richest parts of the province and do what none of his fathers or forefathers ever did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans to overthrow fortified cities, but only for a time.
25 “With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not succeed because of the plots devised against him. 26 Those who eat of the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. 27 The two kings, with their hearts bent of evil, will sit together at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, for the end will still come at the appointed time. 28 The king of the North will return to his own land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it, then return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will not be the same as before. 30 Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back in rage and take out his anger against the holy covenant. He will return and heap favour on those who forsake the holy covenant.
31 “His military forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand firm and take action.
33 “Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many, though for a time they will die by sword and flame, and suffer captivity and plundering. 34 When they fall, some will lend help, but many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
36 “Then the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say horrendous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, or the one desired by women, nor will he have regard for any other god, for he will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honour a god of fortresses; a god his fathers did not know, with gold and silver, and with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honour those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many, and divide the land for gain.
40 “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land and many will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon will escape. 42 He will extend his power against many countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, yet he will come to his end, with no one to help him.”