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 up to help him and give him strength.)

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.

I tell you the truth. Three more kings will rule over Persia. Then a fourth will become much richer than all of them. As soon as he becomes strong because of his riches, he will move everyone against the nation of Greece.

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

Then a powerful king will rise up, and he will rule with power and do as he pleases.

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 as soon as he has risen to power, his nation will be broken and divided to the four winds of heaven. It will not be divided among his own children, or because of his own power. For his power will be taken and given to others besides these. The Nations of Egypt and Syria

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.

“Then the king of the South will become strong. But one of his leaders will become stronger than he and will rule with much power.

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.

After some years they will join together. The daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make an agreement. But she will not keep her power, and he will not keep his. She will be killed, together with those who brought her, and her father, and the one who helped her.

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 one of her family will become king in his place. He will fight against the army and go into the strong city of the king of the North. He will fight against them and win.

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 he will carry their false gods and objects of silver and gold away to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone.

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

Then the king of the North will go to fight against the king of the South, but will 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.

“His sons will get ready for war and gather together a very large army. They will come like a flood and pass through, and fight in battle as far as his strong city.

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.

The king of the South will be very angry and will go and fight with the king of the North, who will have a very large army. But his army will be given over to the king of the South.

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.

When the army is taken away, the king of the South will become very proud, and he will kill tens of thousands. But his strength will not last.

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.

For the king of the North will gather together a larger army than before. And after some years he will come with a large army ready to do battle.

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.

“In those times many will fight against the king of the South. Angry men among your people will also go against the king to do what was shown in the special dream, but they will not win.

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.

Then the king of the North will come and build a battle-wall, and take a very strong city. The army of the South will not be able to stand against him, not even their best soldiers. They will not have enough strength.

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.

The king of the North will do as he pleases. No one will be able to stand against him. He will stay for awhile in the Beautiful Land with the power to destroy it.

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 will plan to come with the strength of his whole nation and will make a peace agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage to try to destroy his nation. But she will not help him or be on his side.

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.

Then he will turn to the lands beside the sea and take many in battle. But a captain will stop him (king of the North) in his pride, and cause trouble to be put on 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.

So he will turn to the strong cities of his own land. But he will lose his step and fall, and will not be seen again. The Sinful King of Syria

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 one will become king in his place, who will send a man through his great nation to make the people pay taxes. Yet within a short time that king will be killed, but not in anger or 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.

A very sinful person will rise to power in his place. He will not be given the honor of being king, but he will come in a time of peace and take over the nation using smooth sounding words and false ways.

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.

Armies will be driven away and destroyed in front of him, and also the ruler of the agreement.

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 a peace agreement is made with him, he will use false ways and become strong with a small army.

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.

In a time of peace he will go into the richest parts of the land, and do what his fathers and his fathers’ fathers never did. He will divide the things taken in war and things of worth among them, and make plans against strong cities, but only 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.

He will gather all his strength against the king of the South with a large army. So the king of the South will gather together a very large and powerful army for war, but he will not win the battle. Secret plans will be made against 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.

Those who eat his best food will destroy him. And his army will be driven away and many will be killed.

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.

The hearts of both kings will be sinful. They will lie to each other at the same table. But nothing will come of it, for the end will still come at the chosen time.

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 the king of the North will return to his land with many things of much worth. But his heart will be set against the holy agreement. He will work against it and then 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 chosen time he will return to the South, but this time it will not be as it was before.

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 ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will be afraid and turn back. He will return in anger and go against the holy agreement. He will come back and show favor to those who have turned away from the holy agreement.

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.

His armies will come and make the house of God unclean, and put an end to the burnt gifts. Then they will set up the very sinful manmade god.

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.

He will speak well of those who sin against the agreement. But the people who know their God will show their strength and stand against him.

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.

Those people who are wise will make many understand. But for many days they will be killed by the sword or by fire, or be taken to prison or robbed.

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

When they fall, they will receive a little help. And many will pretend to be their friends.

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.

Some of the wise people will be hurt, but this is so they will be made pure through punishment until the time of the end. For the end will still come at the chosen time.

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.

“Then the king will do as he pleases. He will honor himself more than every god, and will say very bad things against the God of gods. Everything will go well for him until the time of anger is finished. For what has been planned will be done.

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.

He will not care about the gods of his fathers or for the one that women like. He will not care about any other god, for he will honor himself more than any of them.

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.

Instead he will honor a god of strong cities, a god his fathers did not know. He will honor him with gold, silver, stones of much worth, and riches.

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 he will fight against the strongest cities with the help of a strange god. He will give great honor to those who follow him, and will let them rule over many people. And he will divide the land for a price.

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.

“At the time of the end the king of the South will go against him. And the king of the North will fight against him with war-wagons, horsemen, and many ships. He will come into countries like a flood and pass through.

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 will also come into the Beautiful Land and many countries will be taken. But Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be saved from his power.

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

Then he will fight against other countries, and Egypt will be taken.

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.

He will get the hidden riches of gold and silver and all the things of great worth in Egypt. And the people of Libya and Ethiopia will follow behind him.

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 news from the East and from the North will trouble him, and he will go with much anger to kill and destroy many people.

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.

He will set up his tents made for kings between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.