Daniel 8:15-27

¹⁵When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. ¹⁶And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.” ¹⁷So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; and he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”

¹⁸Now while he was talking with me, I was dazed with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand at my place. ¹⁹And he said, “Behold, I am going to inform you of what will occur at the final period of the indignation, because it pertains to the appointed time of the end.

²⁰The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.

²¹The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ²²The broken horn and the four horns that came up in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.

23“And in the latter period of their dominion,

When the wrongdoers have run their course,

A king will arise,

Insolent and skilled in intrigue.

24“And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power,

And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree

And be successful and do as he pleases;

He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

25“And through his shrewdness

He will make deceit a success by his influence;

And he will make himself great in his own mind,

And he will destroy many while they are at ease.

He will even oppose the Prince of princes,

But he will be broken without human agency.

26“And the vision of the evenings and mornings

Which has been told is true;

But as for you, keep the vision secret,

Because it pertains to many days in the future.”

²⁷Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.