Daniel 8
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, saw a vision, similar to the one I saw in the first year.

2 I was looking in the vision. And when I looked, I was at the fortress-city of Susa in Elam Province. And I looked in the vision, and I was beside Ulai Canal.

3 Then I raised my eyes and looked and saw a ram standing beside the canal. It had two horns, and the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other. And the longer one came up last.

4 I watched the ram butting westward, northward and southward. No animals could withstand it, and none could rescue others from its power. It did what it wanted, and it became great.

5 As I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat coming from the west. It skimmed across the entire earth without touching the earth. The goat had a prominent horn between its eyes.

6 It came near the ram with two horns, which I had seen standing beside the canal. It charged at it with furious power.

7 I saw it attack the ram. It was furious with it. It hit the ram and shattered its two horns. The ram could not stay upright. The goat threw it to the ground, and trampled on it. And no one could rescue the ram from its power.

8 The goat became very great. But at the height of its might, the great horn broke! In its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of the sky.

9 Out of one of them came a little horn. It grew extremely great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.

10 It grew great, reaching the army# of Heaven! It threw to the ground some of the army,# some of the stars. Then it `trampled' on them.

11 It exalted itself as high as the Prince of the stars. It removed his continual atonement and pulled down the place of his sanctuary.

12 It was allowed to dominate the stars, and the continual atonement, through apostacy. It threw truth to the ground. It was an achiever, and it prospered.

13 Then I heard a holy one talking. And another holy one answered the one who spoke: "`How long is the vision about the continual atonement and the devasting apostacy which tramples sanctuary and stars?"

14 And he told me, "For 2300 days! Then a sanctuary will be cleansed."

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I wanted to know the meaning. I saw someone standing before me who looked like a man.

16 Then I heard a male voice from the Ulai. He called out, "Gabriel! Make this man understand the vision."

17 So he came toward where I stood, and as he approached I was frightened and fell on my face! But he said to me, "O son of man, understand, the vision is for the time of the end."

18 As he was speaking to me, I lay stunned with my face to the ground. But he touched me and helped me stand.

19 "Listen," he said, "I will tell you what will happen in the final period of God's wrath. For this message is for the appointed time of the end.

20 "The ram with two horns which you saw is the kings of Media and Persia.

21 The shaggy male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The great horn between its eyes is the first king.

22 The horn being broken and four horns replacing it are four kingdoms emerging from that nation, but without its power.

23 Near the end of their kingdom, when apostacy is fully-developed, a king will arise, stern-faced and skilled at intrigue.

24 He will become very powerful, but it is not his power. He will excel at destruction. He will prosper, and be an achiever. He will destroy the mighty warriors, and `the holy people.'

25 Through his skill, and by his hand, he will make deceit succeed. He will feel superior, and at ease. He will destroy many people. He will oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human strength.

26 And the vision about the 2300 days which was mentioned is true. Now, close up the vision because its fulfillment is many days away."

27 Then I, Daniel, fainted. I was sick for days. Then I arose and went about the king's business. I was stunned by the vision, but did not understand it.