Daniel 7

1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions in his head while on his bed; then he wrote the dream and declared the sum of the words.

2Daniel answered and said, "In my vision by night I saw, and behold, the four winds of heaven burst forth upon the great sea."

3Four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

4The first was like a lion with wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were plucked off and it was lifted from the earth, made to stand on two feet like a man, and given a man's heart.

5Look, another beast, a second like a bear, raised up on one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; thus they said to it, “Arise, devour much flesh.”

6After this I looked and saw another like a leopard with four bird wings on its back; that beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

7After this, in night visions, I saw a fourth beast—dreadful, terrifying, and surpassingly mighty, with great iron teeth. It devoured and crushed the rest, trampling them under its feet. It differed from every beast that had come before it, and it had ten horns.

8I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn came up among them, before which three of the former horns were uprooted. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great boasts.

9I kept looking until thrones were positioned, and the Ancient of Days sat down. His robe was white like snow, and the hair of his head resembled pure wool. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels burning fire.

10A river of fire flowed forth from before him. Thousands upon thousands served him, and myriads upon myriads stood before him. Judgment sat, and the books were opened.

11I saw then because of the voice of the great words that the horn was speaking; I saw until the beast was killed, its body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12The rest of the beasts were deprived of their dominion, but granted prolonged lives for a season and a time.

13I was beholding visions in the night, and behold, one like a son of man came with clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.

14He was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom that will not be destroyed.

15I, Daniel, was distressed in my spirit deep within my body, and the visions of my head alarmed me.

16I drew near to one of those standing and asked him the truth about all this. He said to me and made known to me the interpretation of these matters.

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

18The holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.

19Then I desired certainty about the fourth beast, which had become diverse from all of them, all exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and its nails of brass, which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet.

20Concerning the ten horns on its head and the other that arose, before which three fell, that horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, whose appearance was greater than its companions.

21I was beholding that horn making war with the holy ones and prevailing against them.

22Until the Ancient of Days arrived, judgment was granted to the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

23So he said, “The fourth beast will become a fourth kingdom on earth, which will differ from all kingdoms, devour the entire earth, trample it, and shatter it.”

24The ten horns from that kingdom are ten kings who will arise, and another will arise after them; he will differ from the former ones and will humble three kings.

25He will speak words against the Most High and wear out the holy ones of the Most High; he will intend to alter times and law, and they will be given into his hand until a time, times, and half a time.

26The judgment will sit, and they will take away his dominion to consume and destroy until the end.

27The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven, shall be given to the people of the Most High's holy ones, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28To this point is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and a change came over my countenance; I kept the matter in my heart.