Daniel 7

¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon , Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed . Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter .

²Daniel declared , I saw in my vision by night , and behold , the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea .

³And four great beasts came up out of the sea , different from one another .

⁴The first was like a lion and had eagles ’ wings . Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man , and the mind of a man was given to it.

⁵And behold , another beast , a second one, like a bear . It was raised up on one side . It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth ; and it was told , Arise , devour much flesh .

⁶After this I looked , and behold , another , like a leopard , with four wings of a bird on its back . And the beast had four heads , and dominion was given to it.

⁷After this I saw in the night visions , and behold , a fourth beast , terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong . It had great iron teeth ; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet . It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns .

⁸I 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 .

⁹As I looked , thrones were placed , and the Ancient of Days took his seat ; his clothing was white as snow , and the hair of his head like pure wool ; his throne was fiery flames ; its wheels were burning fire .

¹⁰A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened .

¹¹I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking . And as I looked , the beast was killed , and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire .

¹²As for the rest of the beasts , their dominion was taken away , but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time .

¹³I saw in the night visions , and behold , with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man , and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

¹⁴And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom , that all peoples , nations , and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , which shall not pass away , and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed .

¹⁵As for me , Daniel , my spirit within me was anxious , and 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 .

¹⁷These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth .

¹⁸But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever , forever and ever .

¹⁹Then I desired to know the truth about 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 ,

²⁰and 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 made war with the saints and prevailed over them,

²²until the Ancient of Days came , and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High , and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom .

²³Thus he said : As for 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 .

²⁵He shall speak words against the Most High , and shall wear out the saints of the Most High , and shall think to change the times and the law ; and they shall be given into his hand for a time , times , and half a time .

²⁶But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away , to be consumed and destroyed to the end .

²⁷And 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 shall be an everlasting kingdom , and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

²⁸Here is the end of the matter . As for me , Daniel , my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed , but I kept the matter in my heart .