1 And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to confirm and to strengthen him.2 And now will I declare unto thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall enrich himself with great riches more than all; and when he hath become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.3 And a mighty king shall stand up that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the heavens; but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion wherewith he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside these.5 And the king of the south, who is one of his princes, shall be strong; but {another} shall be stronger than he, and have dominion: his dominion shall be a great dominion.6 And after the course of years they shall join affinity; and the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make equitable conditions: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; and she shall be given up, she and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in {those} times.7 But out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shew himself mighty.8 He shall also carry captive into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall subsist for more years than the king of the north;9 and {the same} shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but shall return into his own land.10 And his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through; and he shall return and carry the war even to his fortress.11 And the king of the south shall be enraged, and shall come forth and fight with him, with the king of the north, who shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand.12 And when the multitude shall have been taken away, his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down myriads; but he shall not prevail.13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and shall certainly come at the end of the times of years with a great army and with much substance.14 And in those times shall many stand up against the king of the south; and the violent of thy people will exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.15 And the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take the well-fenced city; and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, for there shall be no strength to withstand.16 And he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the land of beauty, and destruction shall be in his hand.17 And he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; and he shall practise; and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither shall she be for him.18 And he shall turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many; but a captain for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease: he shall turn it upon him, without reproach for himself.19 And he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; and he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.20 And in his place shall one stand up who shall cause the exactor to pass through the glory of the kingdom; but in a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.21 And in his place shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom; but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.22 And the overflowing forces shall be overflowed from before him, and shall be broken: yea, also the prince of the covenant.23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully, and he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.24 In time of peace shall he enter even into the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers: he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance, and he shall plan his devices against the fortified places, even for a time.25 And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall engage in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall plan devices against him.26 And they that eat of his delicate food shall break him, and his army shall be dissolved; and many shall fall down slain.27 And both these kings' hearts {shall meditate} mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.28 And he shall return into his land with great substance; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall practise, and return to his own land.29 At the set time he shall return, and come towards the south; but not as the former time shall be the latter;30 for ships of Chittim shall come against him; and he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant; and will practise; and he shall return and direct his attention to those that forsake the holy covenant.31 And forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and shall take away the continual {sacrifice}, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people that know their God shall be strong, and shall act.33 And they that are wise among the people shall instruct the many; and they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, {many} days.34 And when they fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.35 And {some} of the wise shall fall, to try them, and to purge and to make them white, to the time of the end: for it shall yet be for the time appointed.36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every *god, and speak monstrous things against the *God of *gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished: for that which is determined shall be done.37 And he will not regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women; nor regard any +god: for he will magnify himself above all.38 And in his place will he honour the +god of fortresses; and a +god whom his fathers knew not will he honour with gold and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things.39 And he will practise in the strongholds of fortresses with a strange +god: whoso acknowledgeth him will he increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over the many, and shall divide the land {to them} for a reward.40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and overflow and pass through.41 And he shall enter into the land of beauty, and many {countries} shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.42 And he shall stretch forth his hand upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape.43 And he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to exterminate, and utterly to destroy many.45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the mountain of holy beauty; and he shall come to his end, and there shall be none to help him.

1 En ek, in die eerste jaar van Dar¡us, die Meder, het ek opgetree as 'n versterking en beskutting vir hom.2 En nou sal ek jou die waarheid te kenne gee. Kyk, nog drie konings sal opstaan vir die Perse, en die vierde sal groter rykdom verwerf as almal; en as hy sterk is deur sy rykdom, sal hy alles in beweging bring teen die koninkryk van Griekeland.3 Dan sal 'n dapper koning opstaan wat groot heerskappy sal hê en sal maak net soos hy wil.4 En as hy opgetree het, sal sy koninkryk verbreek word en na die vier windstreke van die hemel verdeel word; en dit sal nie aan sy nakomelinge behoort en nie wees soos die heerskappy wat hy gehad het nie -- want sy koninkryk sal verwoes word en nie aan hulle behoort nie, maar aan ander.5 En die koning van die Suide sal sterk word, maar een van sy owerstes sal sterker word as hy en heers; sy heerskappy sal 'n groot heerskappy wees.6 En n verloop van jare sal hulle 'n bondgenootskap met mekaar aangaan, en die dogter van die koning van die Suide sal na die koning van die Noorde kom om vrede te sluit; maar sy sal die krag van die arm nie behou nie -- hy en sy mag sal nie standhou nie, en sy self sal prysgegee word saam met die wat haar gebring het, sowel as hy wat haar verwek het en haar in die tyd verwerf het.7 Dan sal een uit die spruite van haar wortels in sy plek oprys en teen die leër optrek, en hy sal in die vesting van die koning van die Noorde indring en teen hulle optree en magtig wees;8 ja, ook hulle gode en hulle gegote beelde saam met hulle kosbare voorwerpe, silwer en goud, in gevangenskap na Egipte bring, en hy sal jare lank die koning van die Noorde met rus laat.9 Dan sal die in die koninkryk van die koning van die Suide intrek, maar hy sal na sy land terugtrek.10 En sy seuns sal hulle in die oorlog begewe en 'n menigte groot leërs versamel; en hy sal sekerlik aankom en instroom en oorloop, en weer terugkom, en hulle sal oorlog voer tot by sy vesting.11 Dan sal die koning van die Suide verbitterd word en uittrek en teen hom, die koning van die Noorde, veg, wat ook 'n groot menigte op die been sal bring, maar hierdie menigte sal in sy hand oorgegee word.12 As die menigte vernietig is, sal sy hart hom verhef; en hy sal tien duisende neerslaan, maar nie sterk bly nie.13 Dan sal die koning van die Noorde weer 'n groter menigte op die been bring as die eerste, en n verloop van tyd, van jare, sal hy sekerlik kom met 'n groot leër en 'n groot gevolg.14 En in die tye sal baie teen die koning van die Suide opstaan, en die gewelddadige mense van jou volk sal hulle verhef om 'n gesig in vervulling te laat gaan, maar hulle sal omkom.15 So sal dan die koning van die Noorde kom en 'n wal opwerp en 'n versterkte stad inneem; en die leërs van die Suide sal nie standhou nie, selfs sy uitgesoekte manskappe nie, sodat daar geen krag sal wees om stand te hou nie.16 En hy wat uit die Noorde teen hom kom, sal maak net soos hy wil, en niemand sal voor hom standhou nie; hy sal ook gaan staan in die Pragtige Land, terwyl daar verdelging in sy hand is.17 En hy sal sy aangesig daarop rig om met die sterkte van sy hele koninkryk te kom, maar hy sal met hom vrede sluit; en hy sal vir hom 'n jongedogter gee om die land te gronde te rig. Maar dit sal nie tot stand kom nie, en daar sal niks vir hom wees nie.18 Daarna sal hy sy aangesig wend na die kuslande en baie daarvan verower; maar 'n aanvoerder sal aan sy gesmaad 'n einde maak, ja, hy sal sy gesmaad op homself laat terugval.19 Dan sal hy sy aangesig wend na die vestings van sy land, maar hy sal struikel en val en nie meer gevind word nie.20 En in sy plek sal iemand optree wat 'n geldinsamelaar deur die pragtigste deel van die koninkryk sal laat deurtrek, maar binne enkele dae sal hy verbreek word, maar nie deur toorn of deur oorlog nie.21 Daarna sal 'n veragtelike in sy plek optree op wie geen koninklike waardigheid gelê was nie, maar hy sal onverwags kom en met liste die koninkryk bemagtig.22 En die leërs van die instromende mag sal voor hom weggespoel en verbreek word, en ook die vors van die verbond.23 Want sodra 'n bondgenootskap met hom aangegaan is, pleeg hy bedrog; en hy sal omhoog kom en met min manskappe sterk word.24 Onverwags en in die vetste dele van die provinsie sal hy inkom, en hy sal doen wat sy vaders en sy grootvaders nie gedoen het nie: roof en buit en goed sal hy onder hulle uitstrooi en teen vestings planne beraam, maar net vir 'n tyd.25 En hy sal sy krag en sy hart opwek teen die koning van die Suide met 'n groot leër; en die koning van die Suide sal hom in die oorlog begewe met 'n groot en baie sterk leër, maar hy sal nie standhou nie, want hulle sal planne teen hom beraam.26 En die wat sy spys eet, sal hom te gronde rig; en sy leër sal wegvloei, en daar sal baie gesneuweldes lê.27 En wat die twee konings betref, hulle hart sal wees om kwaad te doen; en aan een tafel sal hulle leuens spreek, maar dit sal nie geluk nie, want die einde sal eers op die vasgestelde tyd wees.28 En hy sal na sy land teruggaan met baie goed, en sy hart sal teen die heilige verbond wees, en hy sal optree en na sy land teruggaan.29 Op die vasgestelde tyd sal hy terugkeer en in die Suide kom, maar dit sal die laaste keer nie wees soos die eerste keer nie.30 Want skepe van die Kittiërs sal teen hom kom, en hy sal moedeloos word; dan sal hy teruggaan en sy toorn openbaar teen die heilige verbond en optree; en hy sal teruggaan en ag gee op die wat die heilige verbond versaak het.31 En deur hom sal leërs op die been gebring word en die heiligdom, die vesting, ontheilig, en hulle sal die voortdurende offer afskaf en die ontsettende gruwel opstel.32 En die wat goddeloos handel teen die verbond, sal hy met vleiery afvallig maak, maar die volk wat hulle God ken, sal vashou en optree.33 En die verstandiges onder die volk sal baie tot insig bring; maar hulle sal struikel deur swaard en vlam, deur gevangenskap en berowing, dae lank.34 En terwyl hulle struikel, sal hulle met 'n klein hulp ondersteun word; dan sal baie uit listigheid by hulle aansluit.35 En van die verstandiges sal sommige struikel, om onder hulle loutering en reiniging en suiwering aan te bring tot die tyd van die einde -- want dit sal nog duur tot op die vasgestelde tyd.36 En die koning sal doen net wat hy wil en homself verhef en hom groot hou bo enige god, en teen die God van die gode sal hy wonderbaarlike dinge spreek; en hy sal voorspoedig wees, totdat die grimmigheid ten einde is; want wat vas besluit is, sal uitgevoer word.37 En op die gode van sy vaders sal hy nie ag slaan nie, en op die liefling van die vroue en op enige god sal hy geen ag gee nie; want hy sal homself bo alles groot hou.38 Maar in plaas daarvan sal hy die god van die vestings vereer, en die god wat sy vaders nie geken het nie, sal hy met goud en silwer en edelgesteente en kosbaarhede vereer.39 So sal hy dan optree teen die versterkte vestings met behulp van 'n vreemde god; diegene wat hy erken, sal hy baie eer en hulle oor baie laat heers en grond as beloning uitdeel.40 Maar in die tyd van die einde sal die koning van die Suide met hom in botsing kom, en die koning van die Noorde sal op hom afstorm met strydwaens en perderuiters en baie skepe, en hy sal daarmee in die lande inkom en instroom en dit oorvloei.41 Hy sal ook kom in die Pragtige Land, en baie sal struikel; maar hierdie volke sal uit sy hand vryraak: Edom en Moab en die beste deel van die kinders van Ammon.42 En hy sal sy hand uitsteek teen die lande; ook Egipteland sal nie vrykom nie.43 En hy sal mag hê oor die skatte van goud en silwer en oor al die kosbaarhede van Egipte, terwyl die L¡biërs en die Kusiete sy voetstappe volg.44 Maar gerugte uit die ooste en uit die noorde sal hom verskrik; daarom sal hy met groot woede uittrek om baie mense te verdelg en met die banvloek te tref.45 En hy sal sy paleistente opslaan tussen die see en die berg van die heilige Prag; maar hy sal aan sy einde kom, en daar sal vir hom geen helper wees nie.