|
1 | In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a
dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the
dream, and told the sum of the matters. |
|
2 | Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and,
behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great
sea. |
|
3 | And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another. |
|
4 | The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld
till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from
the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's
heart was given to it. |
|
5 | And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it
raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the
mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto
it, Arise, devour much flesh. |
|
6 | After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had
upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also
four heads; and dominion was given to it. |
|
7 | After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it
had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and
stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse
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 little horn, before whom there were three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were
eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. |
|
9 | I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of
his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery
flame, and his wheels as burning fire. |
|
10 | A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books
were opened. |
|
11 | I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which
the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and
his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. |
|
12 | As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and
time. |
|
13 | I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him. |
|
14 | And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. |
|
15 | I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and
the visions of my head troubled me. |
|
16 | I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the
truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the
interpretation of the things. |
|
17 | These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which
shall arise out of the earth. |
|
18 | But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. |
|
19 | Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was
diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth
were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in
pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; |
|
20 | And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn
that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose
look was more stout than his fellows. |
|
21 | I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them; |
|
22 | Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the
saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom. |
|
23 | Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom
upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and
shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and
break it in pieces. |
|
24 | And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be
diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. |
|
25 | And he shall speak great words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to
change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of time. |
|
26 | But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. |
|
27 | And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. |
|
28 | Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my
cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in
me: but I kept the matter in my heart. |
|
|