1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel 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 the heaven strove 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 stand upon the 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
it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of
it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour
much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which
had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; 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, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in
pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: 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
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up
by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man,
and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did
sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as
burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him:
thousand 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 then because of the voice of the great words which
the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body
destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of
the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were
prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came
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 people,
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 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of 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 of 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, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the
saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom
for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the
fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding
dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which
devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And
of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up,
and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, ad a
mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his
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 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
the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and
break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten
kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall
be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he
shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they
shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of
time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom
and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and
obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my
cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I
kept the matter in my heart.