Daniel 8
Expanded Bible
Daniel’s Vision
8 ·During [In] the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule [C perhaps 547 bc], I, Daniel, saw another vision, ·which was like the first one [L after the one that appeared to me in the beginning/previously; 7:1]. 2 In this vision I saw myself in the ·capital city [or fortress city] of Susa, in the ·area [province] of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate] 3 when I ·looked up and [L lifted my eyes I] saw a ·male sheep [ram] standing beside the ·canal [or gate]. It had two long horns, but one horn was longer and ·newer than the other [L came up second]. 4 I watched the ·sheep [ram] charge to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could ·save [protect] another animal from his ·power [L hand]. He did whatever he ·wanted [pleased] and became very ·powerful [great; strong].
5 While I was ·watching this [or reflecting; pondering], I saw a male goat come from the west. This goat had ·one large horn between his eyes that was easy to see [L a horn of vision; or a conspicuous horn between its eyes]. He crossed over the whole earth without touching the ground [C because of its speed].
6 ·In his anger [or With angry power] the goat ·charged [L came up to] the ·sheep [ram] with the two horns that I had seen standing by the ·canal [or gate]. 7 I watched the angry goat ·attack [approach] the ·sheep [ram] and break the ·sheep’s [ram’s] two horns. The ·sheep [ram] ·was not strong enough to stop him [L did not have the power/strength to stand before him]. The goat ·knocked [threw] the ·sheep [ram] to the ground and then ·walked all over him [trampled him]. No one was able to ·save [protect] the ·sheep [ram] from ·the goat [its power/L hand], 8 so the male goat became very ·great [powerful; strong]. But when he was strong, his ·big [or conspicuous] horn broke off and four horns grew in place of the one big horn. Those four horns ·pointed in four different directions [L were toward the four winds of heaven] and were ·easy to see [conspicuous].
9 Then ·a little horn grew from one of those four horns [L from one of them came out another horn, a little one; 7:8], and it became very ·big [great]. It grew to the south, the east, and toward the beautiful land [C Judah; Ezek. 20:6, 15]. 10 That ·little horn [L it] grew ·until it reached to the sky [L to the hosts of heaven; C the angels and the stars]. It even threw some of the ·army of heaven [L hosts and the stars] to the ground and ·walked on [trampled] them! 11 ·That little horn [L It] set itself up as equal to the prince of ·heaven’s armies [L the hosts; C God]. It ·stopped [abolished] the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [Ex. 29:38–41; Num. 28:3–8] that were offered to him, and the ·Temple, the place where people worshiped him, [L place of the sanctuary] was ·pulled down [overthrown]. 12 Because there was a ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression], the people stopped the ·daily [regular] sacrifices. Truth was thrown down to the ground, and ·the horn [L it] was successful in everything it did.
13 Then I heard ·a holy angel [L one of the holy ones] speaking. Another ·holy angel [L holy one] asked the first one, “How long will the things in this vision last—the ·daily [regular] sacrifices [8:12], the ·turning away from God [rebellion; transgression] that brings ·destruction [desolation], the ·Temple [sanctuary] being pulled down, and the ·army of heaven [host] being ·walked on [trampled]?”
14 The angel said to me, “This will happen for twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings [C either 2,300 or 1,150 days]. Then the ·holy place [sanctuary] will be ·repaired [restored; made right again].”
15 I, Daniel, saw this vision and ·tried to understand what it meant [L sought understanding]. I saw someone who looked like a man standing near me. 16 And I heard a man’s voice calling from the Ulai ·Canal [or Gate]: “Gabriel [C an angel], explain the vision to this man.”
17 ·Gabriel [L He] came to where I was standing. When he came close to me, I was ·very afraid [terrified; or overwhelmed] and ·bowed facedown on the ground [L fell on my face]. But ·Gabriel [L he] said to me, “·Human being [L Son of man], understand that this vision is about the time of the end.”
18 While ·Gabriel [L he] was speaking, I fell into a ·deep sleep [trance] with my face on the ground. Then he touched me [C strengthening him] and ·lifted me to my feet [L made me stand in my place]. 19 He said, “Now, I will ·explain [make known; reveal] to you what will happen in the time of anger. Your vision was about the ·set [appointed] time of the end.
20 “You saw a ·male sheep [ram] with two horns, which are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of ·Greece [L Javan], and the big horn between its eyes is the first king [C Alexander the Great, who defeated Persia around 330 bc]. 22 The four horns that grew in the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms [C Alexander died in 323 bc and his four most powerful generals carved up his empire between them]. Those four kingdoms will come from ·the nation of the first king [L his nation], but ·they will not be as strong as the first king [L not with his power/strength].
23 “When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a ·bold and cruel [fierce/stern-faced] king who ·tells lies will come [L understands riddles/enigmas; C Antiochus Epiphanes, who terrorized the Jews in the mid-second century bc]. This will happen when ·many people have turned against God [rebellions/transgressions will reach their height]. 24 ·This king will be very powerful [L His power will be strong], but ·his power will not come from himself [L not his own power]. He will cause ·terrible [fearful] destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and even ·God’s holy people [L the people of the holy ones]. 25 This king will succeed by using ·lies and force [L the deceit in his hand/power]. He will ·think that he is very important [L be great in his heart]. He will destroy many people ·without warning [or with ease]; he will ·try to fight [L stand against] even the Prince of princes! But ·that cruel king [L he] will be ·destroyed [L broken], and not by human ·power [L hand].
26 “The vision that has been shown to you about these evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because ·those things won’t happen for a long time [L it concerns many days from now].”
27 I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for ·several days after that vision [L some days]. Then I got up and went back to work for the king, but I was very ·upset [dismayed; perplexed] about the vision. I didn’t understand what it meant.
Daniel 8
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s(A) reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier.(B) 2 I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the fortress city of Susa,(C) in the province of Elam.(D) I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up,[a] and there was a ram(E) standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south.(F) No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted(G) and became great.
5 As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn[b] between his eyes.(H) 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury. 7 I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the male goat became very great,(I) but when he became powerful, the large horn was shattered.(J) Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.(K)
The Little Horn
9 From one of them a little horn(L) emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.[c](M) 10 It grew as high as the heavenly host, made some of the stars and some of the host fall to the earth,(N) and trampled them.(O) 11 It made itself great,(P) even up to the Prince of the host;(Q) it removed His daily sacrifice(R) and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. 12 Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful(S) in whatever it does.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking,(T) and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will the events of this vision last(U)—the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”(V)
14 He said to me,[d] “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored.”
Interpretation of the Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.(W) 16 I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel,(X) explain the vision to this man.”
17 So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown.(Y) “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.”(Z) 18 While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep,(AA) with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up,(AB) 19 and said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the conclusion of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end.(AC) 20 The two-horned ram(AD) that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.[e] 22 The four horns that took the place of the shattered horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.
23 Near the end of their kingdoms,
when the rebels have reached
the full measure of their sin,[f]
an insolent king, skilled in intrigue,[g]
will come to the throne.
24 His power will be great,
but it will not be his own.
He will cause terrible destruction(AE)
and succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy the powerful
along with the holy people.(AF)
25 He will cause deceit to prosper
through his cunning and by his influence,
and in his own mind he will make himself great.
He will destroy many in a time of peace;
he will even stand against the Prince of princes.
Yet he will be shattered—not by human hands.(AG)
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings
that has been told is true.
Now you must seal up the vision(AH)
because it refers to many days in the future.”
27 I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days.(AI) Then I got up and went about the king’s business.(AJ) I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:3 Lit I lifted my eyes and looked
- Daniel 8:5 Lit a horn of a vision
- Daniel 8:9 = Israel
- Daniel 8:14 LXX, Theod, Syr, Vg read him
- Daniel 8:21 = Alexander the Great
- Daniel 8:23 Lit have become complete
- Daniel 8:23 Lit king, and understanding riddles
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