Daniel 7:9-27

English Standard Version

The Ancient of Days Reigns

⁹“As I looked,

^(A)thrones were placed,
    and the ^(B)Ancient of Days took his seat;
^(C)his clothing was white as snow,
    and ^(D)the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
    ^(E)its wheels were burning fire.
¹⁰^(F)A stream of fire issued
    and came out from before him;
^(G)a thousand thousands ^(H)served him,
    ^(I)and ten thousand times ten thousand ^(J)stood before him;
the ^(K)court sat in judgment,
    and ^(L)the books were opened.

¹¹“I looked then because of the sound of ^(M)the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, ^(N)the beast was killed, and its body destroyed ^(O)and given over to be burned with fire. ¹²As for the rest of the beasts, ^(P)their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

¹³“I saw in the night visions,

and ^(Q)behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the ^(R)Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
¹⁴^(S)And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all ^(T)peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
^(U)his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

Daniel's Vision Interpreted

¹⁵“As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me^[a] was anxious, and ^(V)the visions of my head alarmed me. ¹⁶I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ¹⁷^(W)‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But ^(X)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

¹⁹“Then I desired to know the truth about ^(Y)the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, ²⁰^(Z)and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. ²¹As I looked, this horn ^(AA)made war with the saints and prevailed over them, ²²until the ^(AB)Ancient of Days came, and ^(AC)judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when ^(AD)the saints possessed the kingdom.

²³“Thus he said: ‘As for ^(AE)the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
    which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
    and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
²⁴As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
    and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
    and shall put down three kings.
²⁵^(AF)He shall speak words against the Most High,
    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
    and shall think to ^(AG)change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
    for ^(AH)a time, times, and half a time.
²⁶^(AI)But the court shall sit in judgment,
    and ^(AJ)his dominion shall be taken away,
    to be consumed and destroyed ^(AK)to the end.
²⁷^(AL)And the kingdom and the dominion
    and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
    shall be given to the people of ^(AM)the saints of the Most High;
^(AN)his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
    and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’^[b]