1In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel, beheld, a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed,—then, the dream, he wrote, the sum of the matters, he told.
2Daniel spake and said, I was looking, in my vision [which came] with the night,—when, lo! the four winds of the heavens, bursting forth upon the great sea;
3and four large wild beasts, coming up out of the sea,—diverse, one from another:—
4The foremost, like a lion, having, the wings of an eagle,—I looked until the wings thereof, were torn out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and, upon its feet, like a man, was it caused to stand, and, the heart of a man, was given to it.
5And, lo! another wild beast, a second, resembling a bear, and, on one side, was it raised up, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth,—and, thus, were they saying to it, Rise! devour much flesh.
6After that, I was looking, and lo! another like a leopard, and it, had four wings of a bird upon its back,—and four heads, had the wild beast, and dominion, was given to it,
7After that, I was looking in the visions of the night, when lo! a fourth wild beast, terrible and well-hipped and exceeding strong, and it had, large teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and, the residue—with its feet, it trampled down,—and, it, was diverse from all the wild beasts that were before it, and it had, ten horns.
8I was considering the horns, when lo! another horn, a little one, came up among them, and, three of the former horns, were uprooted from before it,—and lo! eyes, like the eyes of a man, in this horn, and, a mouth, speaking great things.
9I continued looking, until that, thrones, were placed, and, the Ancient of days, took his seat,—whose, garment, like snow, was white, and, the hair of his head, like pure wool, his throne, was flames of fire, his wheels, a burning fire.
10A stream of fire, was flowing on and issuing forth from before him, a thousand thousand, waited upon him and, ten thousand times ten thousand, before him, stood up,—Judgment, took its seat, and, books, were opened.
11I continued looking, then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking, I continued looking, until that the wild beast, was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning of the fire.
12As concerning the rest of the beasts, their dominion, was taken away,—but, a lengthening of life, was given to them, until time and season.
13I continued looking in the visions of the night, when lo! with the clouds of the heavens, one like a son of man, was coming,—and, unto the Ancient of days, he approached, and, before him, they brought him near;
14and, unto him, were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races and tongues, unto him, should do service,—his dominion, was an age-abiding dominion, which should not pass away, and, his kingdom, that which should not be destroyed.
15The spirit of, me, Daniel, was grieved in the midst of the sheath,—and, the visions of my head, terrified me.
16I drew near unto one of them who stood by, and made exact enquiry of him, concerning all this,—so he told me, and, the interpretation of the things, made he known unto me.
17These great wild beasts, which are four,—are four kings who shall arise out of the earth;
18but the holy ones of the Highest, shall receive the kingdom,—and shall possess the kingdom for the age, yea for the age of ages.
19Then desired I to be sure, concerning the fourth wild beast, which was diverse from all of them,—exceeding terrible, whose, teeth, were iron, and, his claws, of bronze, he devoured, brake in pieces, and, the residue—with his feet, he trampled down;
20also concerning the ten horns, which were in his head, and the other, which came up, and there fell—from among them that were before it—three,—and this horn which had, eyes, and, a mouth, speaking great things, and, his look, was more proud than his fellows:
21I continued looking, when, this horn, made war with the holy ones,—and prevailed against them:
22until that the Ancient of Days, came, and, justice, was granted to the holy ones of the Highest,—and, the time, arrived, that the holy ones should possess, the kingdom.
23Thus, he said, The fourth wild beast, is a fourth kingdom which shall be in the earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms,—and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down, and break it in pieces.
24And, the ten horns of that kingdom, are ten kings who will arise,—and, another, will arise after them, and, he, will be diverse from the former ones, and, three kings, will he cast down;
25and, words against the Most High, will he speak, and, the holy ones of the Highest, will he afflict,—and will hope to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand, for a season and seasons and the dividing of a season,
26but, Judgment, will take its seat,—and, his dominion, will they take away, to destroy and make disappear unto an end.
27And, the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Highest,—his kingdom, is an age-abiding kingdom, and, all the dominions, unto him, will render service, and show themselves obedient.
28Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, greatly did my thoughts terrify me, and, my bright looks, were changed upon me, but, the matter—in mine own heart, I kept.