Knox Bible

1

To me, to Daniel, another revelation came, besides that I had first seen. It was now the third year of king Baltassar,

2

and I was at the town of Susa, in Aelam province, but it seemed, in my vision, it was by the gate✻ of Ulai I stood.

3

I looked at what lay before me, and what saw I, at the edge of the marsh, but a ram standing there, with one high-branching horn, and another that grew up after it, but grew higher yet.

4

With those horns it tossed every enemy that came to meet it; west and north and south was never a beast could match it, or escape its attack; no wonder this ram carried all before it, and rose to greatness.

5

But now, as I looked, came a buck-goat from the west country, earth overshadowing, and spurning the ground beneath him; one horn this goat had between the eyes of him, a horn of noble aspect.

6

Close he came to the ram, the great horned ram I had espied in yonder gateway, and bore down upon it with very furious onslaught.

7

So madly he charged that he overcame the ram and broke either horn of it with one blow; what shift could it make now? Brought down it was and trampled under foot; there was no rescuing it.

8

So now it was the goat’s turn to enjoy dominion; yet no sooner had he reached his full strength, than the great horn was broken, and four other horns must grow up in place of it, fronting the four winds of heaven.

9

It was from one of these a single horn now sprang; a little horn that grew till it outrivalled south and east, aye, and the armies …

10

For the armies of heaven itself it proved a match, bringing heavenly powers down to earth, stars down to earth, and trampling them under foot;

11

a match even for the captain of those armies, that must lose the daily sacrifice offered to him, and look on at the destruction of his sanctuary.

12

Alas for our guilt! That such an enemy, by armed force, should avail against the sacrifice, truth itself should dethrone, and should thrive yet, should prosper yet!

13

This complaint I heard one of God’s servants making to another, I know not who; and when that other asked how long a cessation of sacrifice the vision portended, how long the estranging guilt, and the defeat, and the profanation,

14

Night first, said he, morning after; two thousand three hundred days it will be, ere the sanctuary is cleansed.✻

15

But for me, for Daniel, that saw the vision, understanding of it was none, till one appeared to me that had the semblance of a man,

16

and a voice hailed him from between Ulai gates; For thee it is, Gabriel, to make the vision clear.

17

Came he close, then, to where I was standing; but I, at his coming, fell down in terror, face to earth. Heed thou well, son of man, said he; what here thou seest, in the last days shall be accomplished.

18

But he spoke to one that lay swooning on the ground; so he must put out his hand, and raise me to my feet.

19

Then he went on: I mean to tell thee how all shall fall out when the days of punishment are over; be sure the end of them is fixed.

20

Horned ram of thy vision rules over the Medes and Persians;

21

buck-goat over the realm of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is first of the Greek kings.

22

Those four others that grew after its breaking are four kings that shall arise, fellow-countrymen of his, but not his peers.

23

These reigning, the world shall go from bad to worse, till a new king comes to the throne, brazen-faced, a master of riddles.

24

Great power shall he wield, though of that first king not the peer, making havoc beyond belief, thriving and prospering. Strength of arms nor holiness of life shall rescue peoples

25

from his will; all shall go well with crafty scheming of his, till his heart grows proud, and he deals death all about him, when peril is none. And at last with the Prince of princes he shall try conclusions; no human hand it shall be that crushes him down at last.

26

Night comes first, then morning; but the revelation made to thee is a true one; seal it up, till those last days when it must have effect.✻

27

So much he told me; and for many days after I lay sick; when I was on my feet again, I had the king’s business to do, but still I was all dazed by the vision, and there was no interpreting it.