1 A lso I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood up to confirm and to strengthen him.

¶ And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to encourage and to strengthen him.

2 A nd now I will show you the truth. Behold, there shall arise three more kings in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than they all. And when he has become strong through his riches he shall stir up and stake all against the realm of Greece.

And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall yet be three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall obtain far greater riches than they all; and by his strengthening himself with his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

3 T hen a mighty king shall arise who shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will.

And a valiant king shall stand up, that shall rule over a great dominion and do according to his will.

4 A nd as soon as he has fully arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of the heavens, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be torn out and uprooted and go to others to the exclusion of these.

But when he is reigning, his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided by the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion by which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

5 T hen the king of the South (Egypt) shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he is and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

¶ And the king of the south, and of his principalities, shall make himself strong; and he shall exceed him and make himself powerful; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6 A t the end of some years they shall make an alliance; the daughter of the king of the South shall come to the king of the North to make agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her might, neither shall he and his might endure. She shall be handed over with her attendants, her child, and him who strengthened her in those times.

But at the end of some years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; for she shall be given up and those that brought her and he that begat her, and those that were for her in this time.

7 B ut out of a branch of the roots as hers shall one stand up in his place or office, who shall come against the army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the North and shall deal against them and shall prevail.

But of the new shoot from her roots shall one stand up upon his throne and shall come unto the army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north and do in them according to his will and shall prevail:

8 A nd also he shall carry off to Egypt their gods with their molten images and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, and he shall refrain for some years from the king of the North.

and even their gods, with their princes, with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, shall be taken captive in Egypt; and for some years he shall maintain himself against the king of the north.

9 A nd he shall come into the kingdom of the king of the South but shall return to his own land.

Thus shall the king of the south enter into the kingdom and return to his own land.

10 B ut his sons shall be stirred up and shall prepare for war and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on and overflow and pass through and again shall make war even to the fortress.

But the sons of that one shall be stirred up and shall assemble a multitude of great armies and shall come in great haste, and overflow and pass through and turn and come with wrath unto his fortress.

11 A nd the king of the South (Egypt) shall be moved with anger and shall come forth and fight with the king of the North (Syria); and he shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

Therefore the king of the south shall become furious and shall come forth and fight with him even with the king of the north; and he shall put a great multitude into the field, but all that multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 W hen the multitude is taken and carried away, the heart and mind shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

Therefore the multitude shall be filled with pride, his heart shall be lifted up, and he shall cast down many thousands, but he shall not prevail.

13 F or the king of the North shall raise a multitude greater than before, and after some years shall certainly return, coming with a great army and much substance and equipment.

And the king of the north shall put another multitude greater than the former in the field and at the end of a time of some years shall come in great haste with a great army and with much riches.

14 I n those times many shall rise up against the king of the South (Egypt); also the men of violence among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the visions, but they shall fail and fall.

But in those times many shall stand up against the king of the south, and sons of robbers of thy people shall raise themselves up to establish the vision, but they shall fall.

15 T hen the king of the North shall come and cast up siege works and take a well-fortified city, and the forces of the South shall not stand, or even his chosen troops, for there shall be no strength to stand.

So the king of the north shall come and cast up a mount and shall take the strong cities, and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any fortress that can withstand.

16 B ut he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction and all the land shall be in his power.

And he that comes against him shall do according to his own will, and there shall be no one that can stand before him, and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17 H e shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him upright conditions and terms of peace, and he shall perform them. He shall give him daughter to corrupt and destroy it and the kingdom, but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage.

He shall then set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom and shall do upright things with him, and he shall give him a daughter of his women to persuade her, but she shall not stand, neither be for him.

18 A fter this he shall turn his attention to the islands and coastlands and shall take over many of them. But a prince or commander shall teach him to put an end to the insults offered by him; in fact he shall turn his insolence and reproaches back upon him.

After this he shall turn his face unto the isles and shall take many, but a prince shall cause him to cease his affront and shall even turn his reproach upon him.

19 T hen he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and not be found.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and not appear again.

20 T hen shall stand up in his place or office one who shall send an exactor of tribute to pass through the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle.

Then shall succeed in his throne a taker of taxes who shall be the glory of the kingdom, but within few days he shall be broken, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 A nd in his place or office shall arise a contemptuous and contemptible person, to whom royal majesty and honor of the kingdom have not been given. But he shall come in without warning in time of security and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries, intrigues, and cunning hypocritical conduct.

¶ And a vile person shall succeed in his place, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: nevertheless he shall come in with peace and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 B efore him the overwhelming forces of invading armies shall be broken and utterly swept away; yes, and a prince of the covenant also.

And with the arms they shall be overflown of a flood before him and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

23 A nd from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall work deceitfully, and he shall come up unexpectedly and shall become strong with a small people.

And after the union made with him he shall work deceit and shall rise and shall overcome with few people.

24 W ithout warning and stealthily he shall come into the most productive places of a province or among the richest men of a province, and he shall do that which his fathers have not done nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall distribute among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds—but only for a time.

With the province in peace and in abundance, he shall enter and do that which his fathers have never done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall distribute prey and spoil and riches to his soldiers; and against the fortresses he shall forecast his devices, even for a time.

25 A nd 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 wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for schemes shall be devised against.

And he shall stir up his forces and his heart against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall move to the war with a great and mighty army, but he shall not prevail, for they shall betray him.

26 Y es, those who eat of his rich and dainty food shall break and destroy him, and his army shall drift or turn away to flee, and many shall fall down slain.

Even those that ate his bread shall break him, and his army shall be destroyed; and many shall fall down slain.

27 A nd as for both of these kings, their hearts and minds shall be set on doing mischief; they shall speak lies over the same table, but it will not succeed, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.

And the heart of both these kings shall be to do evil, and at the same table they shall speak lies; but it shall not prosper, for the time appointed is not yet come.

28 T hen shall return into his land with much booty; and his heart and purpose shall be set against holy covenant, and he shall accomplish and return to his own land.

Then he shall return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits and return to his own land.

29 A t the time appointed he shall return and come into the South, but it shall not be successful as were the former invasions.

At the time appointed he shall turn toward the south, but the latter coming shall not be as the former.

30 F or the ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and discouraged and turn back and carry out his rage and indignation against the holy covenant and God’s people, and he shall do his own pleasure; he shall even turn back and make common cause with those who abandon the holy covenant.

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and return and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return and have an understanding with those that have forsaken the holy covenant.

31 A nd armed forces of his shall appear and they shall pollute the sanctuary, the stronghold, and shall take away the continual; and they shall set up the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate.

And arms shall be placed on his behalf, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.

32 A nd such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits.

And with flatteries he shall cause to sin those that violate the covenant, but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

33 A nd they who are wise and understanding among the people shall instruct many and make them understand, though some shall fall by the sword and flame, by captivity and plunder, for many days.

And the wise among the people shall give wisdom to many, yet they shall fall by the sword, and by fire, by captivity, and by spoil, for some days.

34 N ow when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies.

And in their fall, they shall be helped with a little help, but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

35 A nd some of those who are wise, prudent, and understanding shall be weakened and fall, to refine, to purify, and to make those among white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed.

And some of the wise shall fall to be purged and cleaned and made white, even to the time of the end because even for this there is time appointed.

36 A nd the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that which is determined shall be done.

And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvels against the God of gods and shall prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for the determination has been made.

37 H e shall not regard the gods of his fathers or Him women desire or any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.

Neither shall he care for the God of his fathers, nor the love of women, nor care for any god, for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 B ut in their place he shall honor the god of fortresses; a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver, with precious stones, and with pleasant and expensive things.

But in his place shall he honour the god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he shall honour it with gold and silver and precious stones and with things of great price.

39 A nd he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall magnify with glory and honor, and he shall cause them to rule over many and shall divide the land for a price.

And with the people of the strange god that he shall know, he shall make strong fortresses, increase their glory; and cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 A nd at the time of the end the king of the South shall push at and attack him, and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass through.

But at the end of the time the king of the south shall lock horns with him, and the king of the north shall raise up a storm against him with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships, and he shall enter into the lands and shall overflow and pass over.

41 H e shall enter into the Glorious Land and many shall be overthrown, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the main of the people of Ammon.

He shall come to the glorious land, and many provinces shall fall, but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab and the first of the sons of Ammon.

42 H e shall stretch out his hand also against the countries, but the land of Egypt shall not be among the escaped ones.

He shall stretch forth his hand to the lands, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 B ut 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 accompany him.

And he shall take over the treasures of gold and of silver and of all the precious things of Egypt, of Libya, and Ethiopia where he passes.

44 B ut rumors from the east and from the north shall alarm and hasten him. And he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and to kill many.

45 A nd he shall pitch his palatial tents between the seas and the glorious holy Mount; yet he shall come to his end with none to help him.

And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas, in the desirable mountain of the sanctuary; and he shall come to his end, and shall have no one to help him.