Vision of the Ram and Goat
8 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, [a]Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me [b]previously. 2 I (A)looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of (B)Susa, which is in the province of (C)Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai [c]Canal. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a (D)ram which had two horns was standing in front of the [d]canal. Now the two horns were [e]long, but one was [f]longer than the other, with the [g]longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram (E)butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his [h]power, but (F)he did as he pleased and magnified himself.
5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the [i]goat had a (G)conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the [j]canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7 I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his [k]power. 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as (H)he was mighty, the (I)large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the (J)four winds of heaven.
The Little Horn
9 Out of one of them came forth a rather (K)small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the [l](L)Beautiful Land. 10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the (M)stars to fall to the earth, and it (N)trampled them down. 11 It even (O)magnified itself [m]to be equal with the [n]Commander of the host; and it removed the (P)regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. 12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will (Q)fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. 13 Then I heard a (R)holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “(S)How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, [o]while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host [p]to be (T)trampled?” 14 He said to me, “For (U)2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be [q]properly restored.”
Interpretation of the Vision
15 When (V)I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought [r]to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one [s]who looked like a (W)man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “(X)Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and (Y)fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the (Z)time of the end.”
18 Now while he was talking with me, I (AA)sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he (AB)touched me and made me stand [t]upright. 19 He said, “Behold, I am going to (AC)let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.
The Ram’s Identity
20 The (AD)ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
The Goat
21 The shaggy [u]goat represents the [v]kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 The (AE)broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.
23 “In the latter period of their [w]rule,
When the transgressors have [x]run their course,
A king will arise,
[y]Insolent and skilled in [z]intrigue.
24 “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will [aa](AF)destroy to an extraordinary degree
And prosper and perform his will;
He will [ab]destroy mighty men and [ac]the holy people.
25 “And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his [ad]influence;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will [ae]destroy many while they are [af]at ease.
He will even [ag](AG)oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken (AH)without [ah]human agency.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is (AI)true;
But (AJ)keep the vision secret,
For it pertains to many (AK)days in the future.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was [ai](AL)exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and (AM)carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to [aj]explain it.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:1 Lit I, Daniel
- Daniel 8:1 Lit at the beginning
- Daniel 8:2 Or river
- Daniel 8:3 Or river
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:3 Lit high(er)
- Daniel 8:4 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:5 Lit buck
- Daniel 8:6 Or river
- Daniel 8:7 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:9 I.e. Palestine
- Daniel 8:11 Lit up to the
- Daniel 8:11 Or Prince
- Daniel 8:13 Or possibly and the transgression that horrifies
- Daniel 8:13 Lit as a trampling
- Daniel 8:14 Lit vindicated
- Daniel 8:15 Lit understanding
- Daniel 8:15 Lit like the appearance of a man
- Daniel 8:18 Lit on my standing
- Daniel 8:21 Lit buck
- Daniel 8:21 Lit king
- Daniel 8:23 Or kingdom
- Daniel 8:23 Lit finished
- Daniel 8:23 Lit Strong of face
- Daniel 8:23 Or ambiguous speech
- Daniel 8:24 Or corrupt
- Daniel 8:24 Or corrupt
- Daniel 8:24 Lit people of the saints
- Daniel 8:25 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:25 Or corrupt
- Daniel 8:25 Or secure
- Daniel 8:25 Lit stand against
- Daniel 8:25 Lit hand
- Daniel 8:27 Or done in
- Daniel 8:27 Lit make me understand
Cross references
- Daniel 8:2 : Num 12:6; Dan 7:2, 15; 8:3
- Daniel 8:2 : Neh 1:1; Esth 1:2; 2:8
- Daniel 8:2 : Gen 10:22; 14:1; Is 11:11; Jer 25:25; Ezek 32:24
- Daniel 8:3 : Dan 8:20
- Daniel 8:4 : Deut 33:17; 1 Kin 22:11; Ezek 34:21
- Daniel 8:4 : Dan 11:3
- Daniel 8:5 : Dan 8:8, 21; 11:3
- Daniel 8:8 : 2 Chr 26:16; Dan 5:20
- Daniel 8:8 : Dan 8:22
- Daniel 8:8 : Dan 7:2; Rev 7:1
- Daniel 8:9 : Dan 8:23
- Daniel 8:9 : Ps 48:2; Dan 11:16, 41
- Daniel 8:10 : Is 14:13; Jer 48:26; Rev 12:4
- Daniel 8:10 : Dan 7:7; 8:7
- Daniel 8:11 : 2 Kin 19:22, 23; 2 Chr 32:15-17; Is 37:23; Dan 8:25; 11:36, 37
- Daniel 8:11 : Ezek 46:14; Dan 11:31; 12:11
- Daniel 8:12 : Is 59:14
- Daniel 8:13 : Dan 4:13, 23; 1 Pet 1:12
- Daniel 8:13 : Ps 74:10; 79:5; Is 6:11; Dan 12:6, 8; Rev 6:10
- Daniel 8:13 : Is 63:18; Jer 12:10; Luke 21:24; Heb 10:29; Rev 11:2
- Daniel 8:14 : Dan 7:25; 12:7, 11; Rev 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5
- Daniel 8:15 : Dan 8:1
- Daniel 8:15 : Dan 7:13; 10:16, 18
- Daniel 8:16 : Dan 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26
- Daniel 8:17 : Ezek 1:28; 44:4; Dan 2:46; Rev 1:17
- Daniel 8:17 : Dan 8:19; 11:35, 40
- Daniel 8:18 : Dan 10:9; Luke 9:32
- Daniel 8:18 : Ezek 2:2; Dan 10:10, 16, 18
- Daniel 8:19 : Dan 8:15-17
- Daniel 8:20 : Dan 8:3
- Daniel 8:22 : Dan 8:8
- Daniel 8:24 : Dan 8:11-13; 11:36; 12:7
- Daniel 8:25 : Dan 8:11
- Daniel 8:25 : Job 34:20; Dan 2:34, 45
- Daniel 8:26 : Dan 10:1
- Daniel 8:26 : Ezek 12:27; Dan 12:4, 9; Rev 22:10
- Daniel 8:26 : Dan 10:14
- Daniel 8:27 : Dan 7:28; 8:17; Hab 3:16
- Daniel 8:27 : Dan 2:48