The Babylonian Exile

`Hitherto is 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.

`In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision hath appeared unto me--I Daniel--after that which had appeared unto me at the beginning.

And I see in a vision, and it cometh to pass, in my seeing, and I am in Shushan the palace that is in Elam the province, and I see in a vision, and I have been by the stream Ulai.

And I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, a certain ram is standing before the stream, and it hath two horns, and the two horns are high; and the one is higher than the other, and the high one is coming up last.

I have seen the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, and no living creatures do stand before it, and there is none delivering out of its hand, and it hath done according to its pleasure, and hath exerted itself.

`And I have been considering, and lo, a young he-goat hath come from the west, over the face of the whole earth, whom none is touching in the earth; as to the young he-goat, a conspicuous horn is between its eyes.

And it cometh unto the ram possessing the two horns, that I had seen standing before the stream, and runneth unto it in the fury of its power.

And I have seen it coming near the ram, and it becometh embittered at it, and smiteth the ram, and breaketh its two horns, and there hath been no power in the ram to stand before it, and it casteth it to the earth, and trampleth it down, and there hath been no deliverer to the ram out of its power.

`And the young he-goat hath exerted itself very much, and when it is strong, broken hath been the great horn; and come up doth a vision of four in its place, at the four winds of the heavens.

And from the one of them come forth hath a little horn, and it exerteth itself greatly toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beauteous land ;

yea, it exerteth unto the host of the heavens, and causeth to fall to the earth of the host, and of the stars, and trampleth them down.

And unto the prince of the host it exerteth itself, and by it taken away hath been the continual sacrifice , and thrown down the base of his sanctuary.

And the host is given up, with the continual sacrifice , through transgression, and it throweth down truth to the earth, and it hath worked, and prospered.

`And I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a certain holy one saith to the wonderful numberer who is speaking: Till when is the vision of the continual sacrifice , and of the transgression, an astonishment, to make both sanctuary and host a treading down?

And he saith unto me, Till evening--morning two thousand and three hundred, then is the holy place declared right.

`And it cometh to pass in my seeing--I, Daniel--the vision, that I require understanding, and lo, standing over-against me is as the appearance of a mighty one.

And I hear a voice of man between the banks of Ulai, and he calleth and saith: Gabriel, cause this one to understand the appearance.

And he cometh in near my station, and at his coming in I have been afraid, and I fall on my face, and he saith unto me: Understand, son of man, for at the time of the end is the vision.

And in his speaking with me, I have been in a trance on my face, on the earth; and he cometh against me, and causeth me to stand on my station,

and saith: Lo, I--I am causing thee to know that which is in the latter end of the indignation; for, at the appointed time is the end.

`The ram that thou hast seen possessing two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia.

And the young he-goat, the hairy one, is the king of Javan; and the great horn that is between its eyes is the first king;

and that being broken, stand up do four in its place, four kingdoms from the nation do stand up, and not in its power.

`And in the latter end of their kingdom, about the perfecting of the transgressors, stand up doth a king, fierce of face, and understanding hidden things;

and his power hath been mighty, and not by his own power; and wonderful things he destroyeth, and he hath prospered, and wrought, and destroyed mighty ones, and the people of the Holy Ones.