Daniel, Chapter 7

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 spoke 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, different 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 to stand upon its feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.    5. And behold another beast, a second, like a bear, and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to 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 bird; 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 exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the remainder with its feet: and it was different 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 three of the first horns were 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 put down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne was like a fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.    10. A fiery stream flowed and came forth from before him: a thousand thousands ministered to 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 spoke: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.    12. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a 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 peoples, 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 to one of those who 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 receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.    19. Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the remainder 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, and a mouth that spoke very great things, whose appearance was greater 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 different 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 different 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 to 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. Thus far is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my appearance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.