Daniel 7
American Standard Version
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel [a]had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and [b]it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and [c]powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till thrones were [d]placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given [e]to be burned with fire. 12 And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of [f]my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given [g]to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall [h]tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. 25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. 26 But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28 [i]Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my [j]countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Footnotes
- Daniel 7:1 Aramaic saw.
- Daniel 7:5 Or, as otherwise read, it raised up one dominion
- Daniel 7:7 Or, dreadful
- Daniel 7:9 Or, cast down
- Daniel 7:11 Aramaic to the burning of fire.
- Daniel 7:15 Aramaic the sheath.
- Daniel 7:22 Or, for
- Daniel 7:23 Or, thresh it
- Daniel 7:28 Aramaic Hitherto.
- Daniel 7:28 Aramaic brightness.
Daniel 7
Contemporary English Version
Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts
7 1-2 Daniel wrote:
In the first year of King Belshazzar[a] of Babylonia, I had some dreams and visions while I was asleep one night, and I wrote them down.
The four winds were stirring up the mighty sea, 3 (A) when suddenly four powerful beasts came out of the sea. Each beast was different. 4 (B) The first was like a lion with the wings of an eagle. As I watched, its wings were pulled off. Then it was lifted to an upright position and made to stand on two feet, just like a human, and it was given a human mind.
5 The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs.[b] It held three ribs in its teeth, and it was told, “Attack! Eat all the flesh you want.”
6 The third beast was like a leopard—except that it had four wings and four heads. It was given authority to rule.
7 (C) The fourth beast was stronger and more terrifying than the others. Its huge teeth were made of iron, and what it didn't grind with its teeth, it smashed with its feet. It was different from the others, and it had horns on its head—ten of them. 8 (D) Just as I was thinking about these horns, a smaller horn appeared, and three of the other horns were pulled up by the roots to make room for it. This horn had the eyes of a human and a mouth that spoke with great arrogance.
Judgment
Daniel wrote:
9 (E) Thrones were set up
while I was watching,
and the Eternal God[c]
took his place.
His clothing and his hair
were white as snow.
His throne was a blazing fire
with fiery wheels,
10 (F) and flames were dashing out
from all around him.
Countless thousands
were standing there
to serve him.
The time of judgment began,
and the books[d] were opened.
11 I watched closely to see what would happen to this smaller horn because of the arrogant things it was saying. Then before my very eyes, the fourth beast was killed and its body destroyed by fire. 12 The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.[e] 13 (G) As I continued to watch the vision that night,
I saw what looked like
a son of man[f]
coming with the clouds of heaven,
and he was presented
to the Eternal God.[g]
14 (H) He was crowned king
and given power and glory,
so that all people
of every nation and race
would serve him.
He will rule forever,
and his kingdom is eternal,
never to be destroyed.
The Meaning of Daniel's Vision
15 Daniel wrote:
I was terrified by these visions, and I didn't know what to think. 16 So I asked one of those standing there,[h] and he explained, 17 “The four beasts are four earthly kingdoms. 18 (I) But God Most High will give his kingdom to his chosen ones, and it will be theirs forever and ever.”
19 I wanted to know more about the fourth beast,[i] because it was so different and much more terrifying than the others. What was the meaning of its iron teeth and bronze claws and of its feet that smashed what the teeth and claws had not ground and crushed? 20 I also wanted to know more about all ten of those horns on its head. I especially wanted to know more about the one that took the place of three of the others—the horn that had eyes and spoke with arrogance and seemed greater than the others. 21 (J) While I was looking, this horn attacked God's chosen ones and was winning the battle. 22 (K) Then God Most High, the Eternal God,[j] came and judged in favor of his chosen ones, because the time had arrived for them to be given the kingdom.
23 Then I was told
by the one standing there:
“The fourth beast
will be a fourth kingdom
to appear on earth.
It will be different
from all the others—
it will trample the earth
and crush it to pieces.
24 (L) All ten of those horns are kings
who will come from this kingdom,
and one more will follow.
This horn will be different
from the others,
and it will conquer
three other kings.
25 (M) “This king will speak evil
of God Most High,
and he will be cruel
to God's chosen ones.
He will try to change God's Law
and the sacred seasons.
And he will be able to do this
for a time, two times,
and half a time.[k]
26 But he will finally be judged,
and his kingdom
completely destroyed.
27 (N) “Then the greatest kingdom of all
will be given to the chosen ones
of God Most High.
His kingdom will be eternal,
and all others will serve
and obey him.”
28 That was what I saw and heard. I turned pale with fear and kept it all to myself.
Footnotes
- 7.1,2 first year of King Belshazzar: 554 b.c.
- 7.5 standing on its hind legs: Or “higher on one side than the other” or “with a paw lifted up.”
- 7.9 Eternal God: Aramaic “Ancient of Days.”
- 7.10 books: Containing the record of the good and evil that each person has done.
- 7.12 a while longer: Aramaic “for a time and a season.”
- 7.13 son of man: Or “human.” In Aramaic “son of man” may mean a human or even “oneself” (“I” or “me”). Jesus often used the phrase “the Son of Man” when referring to himself.
- 7.13 Eternal God: See the note at 7.9.
- 7.16 one of those standing there: Possibly an angel sent to interpret the visions or one of those thousands mentioned in verse 10.
- 7.19 fourth beast: See verses 7,8.
- 7.22 Eternal God: See the note at 7.9.
- 7.25 for … time: Or “for a year, two years, and half a year.”
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