1 Assim como eu, {no primeiro ano do reinado de Dario, o medo, mantive-me} junto a ele para auxiliá-lo e protegê-lo.2 Agora vou manifestar-te a verdade. Haverá ainda três reis na Pérsia. O quarto ultrapassará todos os demais em riquezas. Quando suas riquezas o tiverem tornado poderoso, movimentará tudo contra o reino de Javã.3 Mas levantar-se-á um rei forte que dominará sobre um vasto império e fará tudo quanto lhe aprouver.4 Quando ficar poderoso, seu reino será desmembrado e dividido aos quatro ventos do céu. Não passará à posteridade e não terá mais o mesmo poder; seu reino será desmembrado e entregue a estranhos e não a seus descendentes.5 O rei do sul tornar-se-á poderoso, mas um dos chefes do seu exército ficará ainda mais forte e seu império será grande.6 Após alguns anos aliar-se-ão: a filha do rei do sul virá à casa do rei do norte para fazer o acordo; mas ela não conservará o apoio de seu pai, cujo poder não se manterá, nem o do seu esposo. Ela será morta com aqueles que a tiverem trazido, aquele que a criou e aquele que a tinha feito poderosa.7 Um dos rebentos da mesma raiz levantar-se-á em seu lugar; virá em direção do exército, entrará nas fortalezas do rei do norte, atacá-lo-á e sairá vencedor.8 Levará para o Egito até mesmo seus deuses cativos, assim como seus ídolos e seus objetos preciosos de ouro e de prata. Depois, durante alguns anos, abster-se-á de atacar o rei do norte.9 Este virá contra o rei do sul, mas voltará para a sua terra.10 Mas seus filhos prepararão a guerra recrutando um exército numeroso, o qual, precipitando-se como uma torrente, invadirá e levará a batalha até a sua fortaleza.11 Irritado, o rei do sul sairá para atacar o rei do norte: como porá em campo um numeroso exército, as tropas inimigas ser-lhe-ão entregues.12 Após o aniquilamento desse exército, encher-se-á de orgulho. Mandará matar dezenas de milhares de homens, sem ficar mais forte por isso.13 O rei do norte organizará novamente um exército mais numeroso ainda que o primeiro, e alguns anos depois avançará em meio a enormes tropas e a um grandioso aparato.14 Nesse momento, muitos se levantarão contra o rei do sul; homens violentos de teu povo revoltar-se-ão para cumprir a visão, mas fracassarão.15 O rei do norte virá então, destruirá trincheiras e tomará fortalezas. Os exércitos do rei do sul, mesmo as suas tropas de escol, não se manterão; nada poderá resistir.16 O invasor agirá à sua vontade sem que ninguém possa enfrentá-lo. Deter-se-á no país que é a jóia da terra; e a destruição estará em suas mãos.17 Empreenderá a conquista do reino do sul; fará um pacto com seu rei e dar-lhe-á sua filha como mulher, a fim de amenizar a ruína dessa terra; mas isso não dará resultado, e esse reino não lhe pertencerá.18 Depois voltar-se-á contra as ilhas e tomará diversas. Porém um chefe militar porá fim à sua soberba, e fá-lo-á pagar sua injúria.19 Então voltar-se-á contra as fortalezas de sua terra, mas tropeçará, cairá e acabará desaparecendo.20 No lugar deste último será colocado um príncipe, que enviará um fiscal ao país que é a jóia da terra. Em poucos dias ele será aniquilado, e não será nem por efeito de cólera nem de batalha.21 Em seu lugar, elevar-se-á um homem vil, sem nenhuma dignidade real, que surgirá repentinamente e apossar-se-á da realeza pelas suas intrigas.22 As tropas de invasão serão postas em fuga diante dele e aniquiladas, bem como o chefe da aliança.23 A despeito do pacto firmado com ele, agirá com perfídia: atacará e triunfará com poucos homens.24 Invadirá inesperadamente as regiões mais férteis da terra; fará o que nunca fizeram seus pais nem os antepassados deles: distribuirá com os seus os saques, despojos, riquezas; combinará ofensivas contra as fortalezas, mas apenas por um tempo.25 Dará novo impulso a suas forças e a seu valor, atacando o rei do sul com um exército considerável. Por seu lado, o rei do sul entrará na luta com um exército importante e valoroso, mas não poderá resistir devido às intrigas urdidas contra ele.26 Seus comensais o aniquilarão; seu exército se dispersará e muitos homens cairão feridos mortalmente.27 Com o coração repleto de desejos malévolos, os dois reis enganar-se-ão mutuamente à volta da mesma mesa. Mas seus projetos fracassarão, porque o fim só virá no tempo determinado.28 Volverá à sua terra com grandes riquezas. Seu coração meditará o mal contra a santa aliança; cometê-lo-á, depois entrará novamente em sua terra.29 No tempo previsto atacará de novo o sul: mas esta expedição não será semelhante à precedente.30 Navios de Cetim o atacarão e ele desanimará. Dirigirá novamente sua fúria contra a santa aliança, tomará medidas contra ela, fazendo um pacto com aqueles que a abandonarem.31 Tropas sob sua ordem virão profanar o santuário, a fortaleza; farão cessar o holocausto perpétuo e instalarão a abominação do devastador.32 Submeterá, com suas lisonjas, os violadores da aliança, mas a multidão daqueles que conhecem seu Deus manter-se-á firme e resistirá.33 Os homens doutos desse povo instruirão um grande número; mas, durante algum tempo, perecerão pela espada, fogo, cativeiro e pilhagem.34 Enquanto forem caindo dessa maneira, serão um tanto amparados; e um bom número unir-se-á hipocritamente a eles.35 Muitos desses sábios sucumbirão, a fim de que sejam provados, purificados e branqueados até o termo final; ora, esse final só chegará no tempo marcado.36 O rei fará então tudo o que desejar. Ensoberbecer-se-á, elevar-se-á no seu orgulho acima de qualquer divindade; proferirá até coisas inauditas contra o Deus dos deuses; prosperará até que a cólera divina tenha chegado ao seu termo, porque o que está decretado deverá ser executado.37 Não respeitará nem os deuses de seus antepassados, nem a deusa querida das mulheres, nem divindade alguma; julgar-se-á superior a todos.38 Mas venerará o deus das fortalezas, no próprio local, um deus desconhecido de seus antepassados, com ouro, prata, pedras preciosas e jóias.39 Com o auxílio de um deus estranho, atacará as muralhas das fortalezas; aos que o reconhecerem, multiplicará as honras, conferir-lhes-á autoridade sobre numerosos vassalos e distribuir-lhes-á terras em recompensa.40 No final, o rei do sul e ele entrarão em luta. O rei do norte cairá sobre ele, como um furacão, com carros, cavaleiros e uma frota considerável. Entrará na terra como uma torrente que transborda.41 Invadirá o país que é a jóia da terra, onde muitos homens cairão. Mas os edomitas, os moabitas, e a maioria dos amonitas escapar-lhe-ão.42 Apoderar-se-á de diferentes países; o Egito não lhe escapará.43 Pilhará os tesouros de ouro e de prata bem como tudo o que houver de precioso no Egito. Os líbios e os etíopes juntar-se-ão a ele.44 Mas, alarmado pelas notícias vindas do oriente e do norte, retirar-se-á como uma fúria, para destruir e exterminar uma multidão de povos.45 Erguerá os pavilhões de seu palácio entre o mar e a nobre montanha do santuário. Então alcançará o termo de sua vida e ninguém lhe prestará socorro.

1 And I in the first year of Darius the Mede had my station to assist and to protect him.2 And now will I tell thee the truth. Behold, there will stand up yet three kings of Persia: and the fourth will obtain far greater riches than all these: and when he is strong through his riches will he stir up all, namely, the kingdom of Javan.3 And then will stand up a mighty king, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his pleasure.4 And when he shall have stood, his kingdom will be broken, and will be divided toward the four winds of the heavens, and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom will be torn asunder even for others beside those.5 And the king of the south will become strong, yea, he who is one of his princes; but another will become strong against him, and will rule: a great dominion will his dominion be.6 But at the end of some years will they associate themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make a settlement of difficulties; but she will not retain the power of the support; neither will he stand, nor his support: but she will be given up with those that had brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in those times.7 But there will up a sprout of her roots in his place, and he will come to the army, and will enter into the stronghold of the king of the north, and will deal with them, and prevail:8 And also their gods with their molten images, with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, will he carry into captivity to Egypt; and he will stand off some years from the king of the north.9 But this one will then enter the kingdom of the king of the south, and then return into his own land.10 But his sons will commence a war, and assemble a multitude of great armies; and one will certainly enter, and overflow, and pass along: then will he return, and make war again, even to his stronghold.11 And the king of the south will be moved with bitter wrath, and go forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he will set forth a great multitude; but the multitude of the other will be given up into his hand.12 And the multitude will be lifted up, and his heart will become proud; and he will cast down myriads; but he will not be strengthened by it.13 And the king of the north will return, and set forth a multitude greater than the former; and at the end of the times, of years, will he certainly come with a great army and with much riches.14 And in those times many will stand up against the king of the south: also the rebellious sons of thy people will lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they will stumble.15 And the king of the north will come, and cast up a mound, and capture the city defended by fortifications: and the arms of the south will not withstand, and as regardeth his chosen people, there will be no power in them to withstand.16 But he that cometh against them will do according to his pleasure, and none will stand before him; and he will place himself in the glorious land, which will be altogether in his hand.17 He will also direct his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, having professions of peace with him; and thus will he do it: and he will give him the daughter of his wife to destroy it: but it will not stand, and it will not remain his.18 And he will direct his face unto the isles, and capture many; but a chieftain will cause to cease his reproach against him: without his giving back to him his own reproach.19 Then will he direct his face toward the strong–holds of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and will no more be found.20 And there will stand up in his place one who will cause the exactor of taxes to pass through the glorious land of the kingdom; but within a few days will he be broken, but not in anger, nor in battle.21 And there will stand up in his place a despicable person, to whom they assigned not the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in quietly, and lay hold of the kingdom by flatteries.22 And the powers of the overflow will be swept away from before him, and will be broken: yea, so also the prince in covenant with him.23 And from the time of his associating with him will he deal deceitfully; and he will come up, and obtain the victory with a small number of people.24 In quiet and into the fattest portion of the province will he enter; and he will do what his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers: the prey, and spoil, and riches will he divide freely to them, and against the strong–holds will he devise his plans, but only till a certain time.25 And he will then stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army: and the king of the south will prepare himself for the war with an exceedingly great and mighty army; but he will not stand; for they will devise evil plans against him.26 Yea, they that eat of his food will bring his downfall, and the army of the other will overflow; and many will fall down slain.27 And as for both these kings, their heart is bent on mischief, and at one table will they speak lies; but it shall not prosper; for the end is yet for the time appointed.28 Then will he return into his land with great riches, and his heart will be against the holy covenant: and he will do it, and return to his own land.29 At the time appointed will he return, and enter into the south; but not as in the former will it be in the latter time.30 For there will come against him the ships of Kittim; and he will become faint–hearted, and return, and will rage against the holy covenant; and he will do it: and he will return, and have an understanding with those that forsake the holy covenant.31 And the army divisions will proceed from him, and they will defile the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the continual sacrifice, and they will set up the desolating abomination.32 And such as act wickedly against the covenant will he corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God will be strong, and deal valiantly.33 And the intelligent among the people will impart understanding to many: yet they will stumble through the sword, and through flame, through captivity, and through being plundered for some time.34 But in their stumbling will they be aided with a little help: but many will join themselves to them with deceptive flatteries.35 And some of the intelligent will stumble, to make a purification among them, and to select and to cleanse them, until the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.36 And the king will do according to his pleasure; and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and against the God of gods will he speak incredible things, and he will prosper till the indignation be at an end; for that which is determined will be accomplished.37 And to the gods of his fathers will he pay no regard; and to the desire of women, or to any god whatever will he not pay any regard; for above all will he magnify himself.38 But in his place he will pay honor to the god of the fortresses; and to a god whom his fathers knew not will he pay honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and costly things.39 This will he do for the very strong fortresses together with the strange god: whoever will acknowledge him, him will he give much honor; and he will cause such to rule over many, and he will divide out the land for a price.40 And at the time of the end will the king of the south push against him; and the king of the north will come against him like a storm–wind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter into some countries, and will overflow and press along.41 And he will enter into the glorious land, and much will be overthrown; but these will escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the first portion of the children of ‘Ammon.42 And he will stretch forth his hand against some countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape.43 And he will have control over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the costly things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow at his steps.44 But reports out of the east and out of the north will terrify him; and he will go forth with great fury to destroy, and to exterminate many.45 And he will pitch the tents of his palace between seas and the glorious holy mountain; and he will come to his end, without one to help him.