Dan 8 | NASB1995 | STEP | In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel , subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously .

‏ Daniel 8

Vision of the Ram and Goat

1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, ^{▼▼ Lit I, Daniel}Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me ^{▼▼ Lit at the beginning}previously. 2 I ^clooked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of ^dSusa, which is in the province of ^eElam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai ^{▼▼ Or river}Canal. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ^gram which had two horns was standing in front of the ^{▼▼ Or river}canal. Now the two horns were ^{▼▼ Lit high(er)}long, but one was ^{▼▼ Lit high(er)}longer than the other, with the ^{▼▼ Lit high(er)}longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram ^lbutting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his ^{▼▼ Lit hand}power, but ⁿhe did as he pleased and magnified himself.

5 While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the ^{▼▼ Lit buck}goat had a ^pconspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the ^{▼▼ Or river}canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath. 7 I saw him come beside the ram, and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his ^{▼▼ Lit hand}power. 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as ^she was mighty, the ^tlarge horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the ^ufour winds of heaven.

The Little Horn

9 Out of one of them came forth a rather ^vsmall horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the ^{▼▼ I.e. Palestine
,} ^xBeautiful Land. 10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the ^ystars to fall to the earth, and it ^ztrampled them down. 11 It even ^aamagnified itself ^{▼▼ Lit up to the}to be equal with the ^{▼▼ Or Prince}Commander of the host; and it removed the ^adregular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. 12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will ^aefling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. 13 Then I heard a ^afholy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, ^ag“How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, ^{▼▼ Or possibly and the transgression that horrifies}while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host ^{▼▼ Lit as a trampling}to be ^ajtrampled?” 14 He said to me, “For ^ak2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be ^{▼▼ Lit vindicated}properly restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

15 When ^amI, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought ^{▼▼ Lit understanding}to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one ^{▼▼ Lit like the appearance of a man}who looked like a ^apman. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, ^aq“Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and ^arfell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the ^astime of the end.”

18 Now while he was talking with me, I ^atsank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he ^autouched me and made me stand ^{▼▼ Lit on my standing}upright. 19 He said, “Behold, I am going to ^awlet you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.

The Ram’s Identity

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

The Goat

21 “The shaggy ^{▼▼ Lit buck}goat represents the ^{▼▼ Lit king}kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 “The ^babroken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power. 23 “In the latter period of their ^{▼▼ Or kingdom}rule,
When the transgressors have ^{▼▼ Lit finished}run their course,
A king will arise,
^{▼▼ Lit Strong of face}Insolent and skilled in ^{▼▼ Or ambiguous speech}intrigue.
24 “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will ^{▼▼ Or corrupt
,} ^bgdestroy to an extraordinary degree
And prosper and perform his will;
He will ^{▼▼ Or corrupt}destroy mighty men and ^{▼▼ Lit people of the saints}the holy people.
25 “And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his ^{▼▼ Lit hand}influence;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will ^{▼▼ Or corrupt}destroy many while they are ^{▼▼ Or secure}at ease.
He will even ^{▼▼ Lit stand against
,} ^bnoppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken ^bowithout ^{▼▼ Lit hand}human agency.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings
Which has been told is ^bqtrue;
But ^brkeep the vision secret,
For it pertains to many ^bsdays in the future.”

27 Then I, Daniel, was ^{▼▼ Or done in
,} ^buexhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and ^bvcarried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to ^{▼▼ Lit make me understand}explain it.