1 A vision appeared to me, Daniel, in the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar. It appeared after the first vision.

2 I saw in the vision: I was in Shushan the castle palace, which is in the province of Elam by the River Ulai.

3 A ram with two horns stood next to the river. The two horns were tall, but one was taller than the other, and the taller one came up last.

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward. No beasts could stand before him. Neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand. He did what ever he wanted and boasted about himself.

5 As I observed a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth. It did not touch the ground. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6 He approached the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing next to the river. He charged him with the full fury of his power.

7 I saw him come close to the ram. He was driven with anger and he struck the ram and broke his two horns. The ram had no power to stand before him. He threw him down to the ground, and trampled upon him. No one could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 The he-goat promoted boasted about himself exceedingly. He was strong. The great horn was broken and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven.

9 A little horn cam out of one of them. The little horn became very great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. It threw down to the ground some of the host and it trampled them.

11 It magnified itself, even to the prince of the host. It took the continual burnt offering from him and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

12 The host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through transgression. It cast down truth to the ground, and whatever it wanted to do and prospered.

13 Then I heard a holy one speak and another holy one said to it: »How long will the vision be concerning the continual burnt-offering and the transgression that makes desolate to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?«

14 He said to me: »Two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.«

15 After I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision I sought to understand it. Behold, there appeared before me a man standing.

16 I heard a man's voice from the banks of the Ulai River. He called to Gabriel: »Make this man understand the vision of the time of the end.«

17 He came near where I stood. I was afraid and fell to my face. But he said to me: »Understand, O son of man the vision belongs to the time of the end.«

18 He spoke to me while I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. He touched me, and set me upright.

19 He said: I will make you know what will happen in the final time of indignation for the vision is for the appointed time of the end.

20 »The ram that you saw that had the two horns symbolizes represents the kings of MEDIA and PERSIA.

21 »And the rough he-goat is the king of GREECE. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

22 »As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.

23 »Toward the end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a FIERCE KING will arise who will understand sinister schemes.

24 »He will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy excessively cause great devistation and will prosper and do anything he wants to do. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.

25 »Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will boast about himself in his heart. In their security they will destroy many. He will even stand up against the prince of princes; but he will be destroyed without human power.

26 »The vision told about the evenings and mornings is true: but seal up the vision. It belongs to the future.«

27 I, Daniel, fainted from exhaustion, and was sick for days. Then I rose up, and did the king's business. I wondered about the vision, but none understood it.