1 I n the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel hath seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then the dream he hath written, the chief of the things he hath said.

2 D aniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

Answered hath Daniel and said, `I was seeing in my vision by night, and lo, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the great sea;

3 A nd four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

and four great beasts are coming up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 T he first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.

The first like a lion, and it hath an eagle's wings. I was seeing till that its wings have been plucked, and it hath been lifted up from the earth, and on feet as a man it hath been caused to stand, and a heart of man is given to it.

5 A nd behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’

And lo, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and to the same authority it hath been raised, and three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth, and thus they are saying to it, Rise, consume much flesh.

6 A fter this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

`After this I was seeing, and lo, another like a leopard, and it hath four wings of a fowl on its back, and four heads hath the beast, and dominion is given to it.

7 A fter this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

`After this I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and fearful, and exceedingly strong; and it hath iron teeth very great, it hath consumed, yea, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled; and it diverse from all the beasts that before it; and it hath ten horns.

8 W hile I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. The Ancient of Days Reigns

`I was considering about the horns, and lo, another horn, a little one, hath come up between them, and three of the first horns have been eradicated from before it, and lo, eyes as the eyes of man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 “ I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.

`I was seeing till that thrones have been thrown down, and the Ancient of Days is seated, His garment as snow white, and the hair of his head as pure wool, His throne flames of fire, its wheels burning fire.

10 “ A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.

A flood of fire is proceeding and coming forth from before Him, a thousand thousands do serve Him, and a myriad of myriads before Him do rise up, the Judge is seated, and the books have been opened.

11 T hen I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.

`I was seeing, then, because of the voice of the great words that the horn is speaking, I was seeing till that the beast is slain, and his body hath been destroyed, and given to the burning fire;

12 A s for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. The Son of Man Presented

and the rest of the beasts have caused their dominion to pass away, and a prolongation in life is given to them, till a season and a time.

13 “ I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.

`I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, with the clouds of the heavens as a son of man was coming, and unto the Ancient of Days he hath come, and before Him they have brought him near.

14 “ And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. The Vision Interpreted

And to him is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages do serve him, his dominion a dominion age-during, that passeth not away, and his kingdom that which is not destroyed.

15 “ As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

`Pierced hath been my spirit -- I, Daniel -- in the midst of the sheath, and the visions of my head trouble me;

16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

I have drawn near unto one of those standing, and the certainty I seek from him of all this; and he hath said to me, yea, the interpretation of the things he hath caused me to know:

17 ‘ These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.

`These great beasts, that four, four kings, they rise up from the earth;

18 B ut the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’

and receive the kingdom do the saints of the Most High, and they strengthen the kingdom unto the age, even unto the age of the ages.

19 “ Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,

`Then I wished for certainty concerning the fourth beast, that was diverse from them all, fearful exceedingly; its teeth of iron, and its nails of brass, it hath devoured, it doth break small, and the remnant with its feet it hath trampled;

20 a nd the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.

and concerning the ten horns that in its heads, and of the other that came up, and before which three have fallen, even of that horn that hath eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and whose appearance great above its companions.

21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them

`I was seeing, and this horn is making war with the saints, and hath prevailed over them,

22 u ntil the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

till that the Ancient of Days hath come, and judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and the time hath come, and the saints have strengthened the kingdom.

23 “ Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.

`Thus he said: The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom in the earth, that is diverse from all kingdoms, and it consumeth all the earth, and treadeth it down, and breaketh it small.

24 A s for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

And the ten horns out of the kingdom ten kings, they rise, and another doth rise after them, and it is diverse from the former, and three kings it humbleth;

25 H e will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

and words as an adversary of the Most High it doth speak, and the saints of the Most High it doth wear out, and it hopeth to change seasons and law; and they are given into its hand, till a time, and times, and a division of a time.

26 B ut the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.

`And the Judge is seated, and its dominion they cause to pass away, to cut off, and to destroy -- unto the end;

27 T hen the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’

and the kingdom, and the dominion, even the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens, is given to the people -- the saints of the Most High, His kingdom a kingdom age-during, and all dominions do serve and obey Him.

28 “ At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

`Hitherto the end of the matter. I, Daniel, greatly do my thoughts trouble me, and my countenance is changed on me, and the matter in my heart I have kept.