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

“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and 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.

Now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

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

A mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with 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.

When he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.

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.

The king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; 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.

At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

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 out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, 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.

Also their gods, with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from 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.

He shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into 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 shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to 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.

The king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall send out a great multitude, and the 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.

The multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of 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.

The king of the north shall return, and shall send out a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much substance.

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 there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among your people shall lift 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 mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand.

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.

But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.

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 set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt 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 shall he turn his face to the islands, and shall take many: but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yes, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn 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.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

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 stand up in his place one who shall cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, 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.

In his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall 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.

The overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, 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.

After the treaty made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small 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.

In time of security shall he come even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and plunder, and substance: yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, 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.

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 war in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices 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.

Yes, they who eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; 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.

As for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

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 will return into his land with great substance; and his heart will be against the holy covenant; and he will take action, 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 return, and come into the south; but it shall not be in the latter time as it was in 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 ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall take action: he shall even return, and have regard to those who forsake 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.

Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up 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.

Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.

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 who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.

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

Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves 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.

Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the 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.

The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall 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.

Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard 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 honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn’t know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

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.

He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall 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 shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow 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 shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children 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 out his hand also on the countries; 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.

But 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 be at his steps.

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 out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away 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.

He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one shall help him.