Daniel 7

1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream, and visions filled his head as he lay on his bed. Then he wrote the dream down and gave a summary of the account.

2Daniel spoke up and said, “I was watching in my vision during the night, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were whipping up the great sea.

3Four great beasts came up out of the sea, each different from the others.

4The first was like a lion, with an eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked away; then it was raised off the ground and set upright on two feet like a human being, and it received a human heart.

5Then another beast appeared, a second one, resembling a bear. It was raised up on one side and held three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. They said to it, ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’

6After this, as I kept watching, another beast appeared, one like a leopard, with four wings like a bird’s on its back. The beast had four heads, and it was granted dominion.

7After this, as I kept watching in the night visions, a fourth beast appeared—fearsome, terrifying, and immensely strong. It had huge teeth of iron. It devoured and shattered, and whatever was left it stamped down with its feet. It was unlike all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.

8As I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a small one, sprang up among them, and three of the earlier horns were torn out by the roots before it. There were eyes in this horn like the eyes of a human being, and a mouth speaking arrogant things.

9I kept watching until thrones were set out and the Ancient of Days sat down. His garment was as white as snow, and the hair of his head was like clean wool. His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of blazing fire.

10A river of fire poured out, streaming from his presence. Thousands of thousands waited on him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court took its seat, and books were opened.

11Then I kept watching because of the sound of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and consigned to the flames.

12The rest of the beasts were stripped of their dominion, but their lives were extended for a season and a time.

13I went on watching in the visions of the night, and there, coming with the clouds of heaven, was one like a son of man. He reached the Ancient of Days and was brought before him.

14He was granted dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages would serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be brought to ruin.

15I, Daniel, was grieved in spirit within my body, and the visions that filled my head frightened me.

16I went up to one of those standing nearby and asked him for the exact truth about all this. So he spoke to me and explained to me what these things meant:

17‘These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who will arise from the earth.

18But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will hold the kingdom as their possession forever, for all eternity.’

19Then I wanted to be certain about the fourth beast, the one unlike all the others and utterly terrifying, whose teeth were iron and whose claws were bronze, which devoured and shattered and stamped down what was left with its feet,

20and about the ten horns on its head, and about the other horn that sprang up while three fell before it—the horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, and that appeared larger than its fellow horns.

21I kept watching, and that horn was making war with the holy ones and overpowering them,

22until the Ancient of Days came and justice was given to the holy ones of the Most High; the time arrived, and the holy ones took the kingdom as their possession.

23He said this: ‘The fourth beast means a fourth kingdom that will come to be on the earth, unlike all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, tread it down, and smash it.

24The ten horns mean that ten kings will rise up from this kingdom. After them another will rise up, unlike those before him, and he will bring down three kings.

25He will utter words against the Most High and wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and he will intend to change the appointed times and the law. They will be given into his power for a time, times, and half a time.

26But the court will sit, and his dominion will be taken from him, to be wiped out and destroyed for good.

27Then the kingdom, the dominion, and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens will be handed to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom is a kingdom that lasts forever, and every authority will serve him and obey him.’

28Here the account ends. I, Daniel, was deeply alarmed by my thoughts, and the color drained from my face, but I kept the matter in my heart.”