19The king then went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and his sleep fled from him. 20Then, at the first light of dawn, the king arose and rushed to the lions’ den. 21As he approached the den, he cried to Daniel in a mournful voice; the king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was the God whom you served so regularly able to deliver you from the lions?” 22Daniel then talked with the king, “O king, live forever! 23My God sent His angel, who shut the mouths of the lions so that they did not injure me, inasmuch as I was found innocent by Him, nor have I, O king, done you any injury.” 24The king was very glad, and ordered Daniel to be brought up out of the den. Daniel was brought up out of the den, and no injury was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. 25Then, by order of the king, those men who had slandered Daniel were brought and, together with their children and wives, were thrown into the lions’ den. They had hardly reached the bottom of the den when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
26Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language that inhabit the earth, “May your well-being abound! 27I have hereby given an order that throughout my royal domain men must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God who endures forever; His kingdom is indestructible, and His dominion is to the end of time; 28He delivers and saves, and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, for He delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” 29Thus Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision of his mind in bed; afterward he wrote down the dream. Beginning the account, 2Daniel related the following:
“In my vision at night, I saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea. 3Four mighty beasts different from each other emerged from the sea. 4The first was like a lion but had eagles’ wings. As I looked on, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted off the ground and set on its feet like a man and given the mind of a man. 5Then I saw a second, different beast, which was like a bear but raised on one side, and with three fangs in its mouth among its teeth; it was told, ‘Arise, eat much meat!’ 6After that, as I looked on, there was another one, like a leopard, and it had on its back four wings like those of a bird; the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7After that, as I looked on in the night vision, there was a fourth beast—fearsome, dreadful, and very powerful, with great iron teeth—that devoured and crushed, and stamped the remains with its feet. It was different from all the other beasts which had gone before it; and it had ten horns. 8While I was gazing upon these horns, a new little horn sprouted up among them; three of the older horns were uprooted to make room for it. There were eyes in this horn like those of a man, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly. 9As I looked on,
Thrones were set in place,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His garment was like white snow,
And the hair of His head was like lamb’sa wool.
His throne was tongues of flame;
Its wheels were blazing fire.
10A river of fire streamed forth before Him;
Thousands upon thousands served Him;
Myriads upon myriads attended Him;
The court sat and the books were opened.
11I looked on. Then, because of the arrogant words that the horn spoke, the beast was killed as I looked on; its body was destroyed and it was consigned to the flames. 12The dominion of the other beasts was taken away, but an extension of life was given to them for a time and season. 13As I looked on, in the night vision,
One like a human being
Came with the clouds of heaven;
He reached the Ancient of Days
And was presented to Him.
14Dominion, glory, and kingship were given to him;
All peoples and nations of every language must serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass
away,
And his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed.
15As for me, Daniel, my spirit was disturbed within me and the vision of my mind alarmed me. 16I approached one of the attendants and asked him the true meaning of all this. He gave me this interpretation of the matter: 17‘These great beasts, four in number [mean] four kingdomsb will arise out of the earth; 18then holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and will possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.’ 19Then I wanted to ascertain the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from them all, very fearsome, with teeth of iron, claws of bronze, that devoured and crushed, and stamped the remains; 20and of the ten horns on its head; and of the new one that sprouted, to make room for which three fell—the horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and which was more conspicuous than its fellows. 21(I looked on as that horn made war with the holy ones and overcame them, 22until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was rendered in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.) 23This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast [means]— there will be a fourth kingdom upon the earth which will be different from all the kingdoms; it will devour the whole earth, tread it down, and crush it. 24And the ten horns [mean]— from that kingdom, ten kings will arise, and after them another will arise. He will be different from the former ones, and will bring low three kings. 25He will speak words against the Most High, and will harass the holy ones of the Most High. He will think of changing times and laws, and they will be delivered into his power for a c-time, times, and half a time.-c 26Then the court will sit and his dominion will be taken away, to be destroyed and abolished for all time. 27The kingship and dominion and grandeur belonging to all the kingdoms under Heaven will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. Their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.”’ 28Here the account ends.
I, Daniel, was very alarmed by my thoughts, and my face darkened; and I could not put the matter out of my mind.
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier. 2I saw in the vision—at the time I saw it I was in the fortress of Shushan, in the province of Elam—I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai River. 3I looked and saw a ram standing between me and the river; he had two horns; the horns were high, with one higher than the other, and the higher sprouting last. 4I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward. No beast could withstand him, and there was none to deliver from his power. He did as he pleased and grew great. 5As I looked on, a he-goat came from the west, passing over the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn on its forehead. 6He came up to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing between me and the river and charged at him with furious force. 7I saw him reach the ram and rage at him; he struck the ram and broke its two horns, and the ram was powerless to withstand him. He threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was none to deliver the ram from his power. 8Then the he-goat grew very great, but at the peak of his power his big horn was broken. In its place, four conspicuous horns sprouted toward the four winds of heaven. 9From one of them emerged
