7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions ①in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and told the ②following summary of ③it.
▷ ①Lit of his head ②Or beginning ③Lit words
7:2 Daniel ①said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
▷ ①Lit began speaking and said
7:3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.
7:4 The first was like a lion but had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and set up on two feet like a man; a human ①mind also was given to it.
▷ ①Lit heart
7:5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and they said this to it: ‘Arise, devour much meat!’
7:6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its ①back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
▷ ①Or sides
7:7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
7:8 While I was thinking about the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the previous horns were plucked out before it; and behold, ①this horn possessed eyes like human eyes, and a mouth uttering great boasts.
▷ ①Lit in this horn were eyes
7:9 “I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ①ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire.
▷ ①Lit flames of fire
7:10 A river of fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were serving Him,
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;
The court ①convened,
And the books were opened.
▷ ①Lit took its place
7:11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the ①boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning ②fire.
▷ ①Lit great ②Lit of the fire
7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.
7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
7:14 And to Him was given dominion,
Honor, and ①a kingdom,
So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ②languages
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
▷ ①Or sovereignty ②Lit tongues
7:15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within ①me, and the visions ②in my mind kept alarming me.
▷ ①Lit its sheath ②Lit of my head
7:16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began requesting of him the ①exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:
▷ ①Lit what was certain
7:17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.
7:18 But the ①saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, ②for all ages to come.’
▷ ①Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people ②Lit and unto the age of the ages
7:19 “Then I desired to know the ①exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all ②the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet,
▷ ①Lit truth concerning ②Lit of them
7:20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of the horns fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and ①which was larger in appearance than its associates.
▷ ①Lit its appearance was larger
7:21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the ①saints and prevailing against them,
▷ ①Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
7:22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was ①passed in favor of the ②saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the ③saints took possession of the kingdom.
▷ ①Lit given for ②Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people ③Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
7:23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth and trample it down and crush it.
7:24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will ①humble three kings.
▷ ①Or humiliate
7:25 And he will ①speak against the Most High and wear down the ②saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and ③they will be handed over to him for a ④time, ⑤times, and half a ⑥time.
▷ ①Lit speak words ②Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people ③I.e., the saints ④I.e., year(s) ⑤I.e., year(s) ⑥I.e., year(s)
7:26 But the court will ①convene for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, ②annihilated and destroyed ③forever.
▷ ①Lit take its place ②Lit to annihilate and to destroy ③Lit to the end
7:27 Then the ①sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the ②saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey Him.’
▷ ①Or kingdom ②Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
7:28 “ ①At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my ②face became pale, but I kept the matter ③to myself.”
▷ ①Lit To here the end of the word ②Lit brightness was changing upon me ③Lit in my heart