“After that, in my vision(A) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron(B) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled(C) underfoot whatever was left.(D) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.(E)

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little(F) one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being(G) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(H)

“As I looked,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days(I) took his seat.(J)
His clothing was as white as snow;(K)
    the hair of his head was white like wool.(L)
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels(M) were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire(N) was flowing,
    coming out from before him.(O)
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books(P) were opened.

11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.(Q) I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.(R) 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a](S) coming(T) with the clouds of heaven.(U) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority,(V) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.(W) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom(X) is one that will never be destroyed.(Y)

The Interpretation of the Dream

15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.(Z) 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.

“So he told me and gave me the interpretation(AA) of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people(AB) of the Most High will receive the kingdom(AC) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’(AD)

19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(AE) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(AF) 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,(AG) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.(AH)

23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.(AI) 24 The ten horns(AJ) are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

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I looked up,(A) and there before me was a ram(B) with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power.(C) It did as it pleased(D) and became great.

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it,(E) and none could rescue the ram from its power.(F) The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off,(G) and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.(H)

Out of one of them came another horn, which started small(I) but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.(J)

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Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

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20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.(A)

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20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

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13 you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar[a]
    and say, “Did we not take Karnaim[b] by our own strength?(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 6:13 Lo Debar means nothing.
  2. Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns; horn here symbolizes strength.

13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

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13 “Rise and thresh,(A) Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”(B)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(C)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

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13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

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His splendor was like the sunrise;(A)
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power(B) was hidden.

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And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

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