Daniel Has a Vision of a Goat and a Ram
8:11 In the third year2 of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously.3 8:2 In this vision I saw myself in Susa4 the citadel,5 which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal.6 8:3 I looked up and saw that a7 ram with two horns was standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long,8 but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one. 8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal9 was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It acted as it wished and assumed great airs.10
8:5 While I was contemplating all this, a male goat11 was coming from the west over the surface of all the land12 without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn13 between its eyes. 8:6 It came to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed against it with raging strength. 8:7 I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram and struck it and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. The goat hurled the ram14 to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power.15 8:8 The male goat assumed even greater airs. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns16 in its place,17 extending toward the four winds of the sky.18
8:9 From one of them came a small horn.19 But it grew to be very big, toward the south and the east and the land of beauty.20 8:10 It grew so big it reached the host of heaven, and it brought about the fall of some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, where it trampled them. 8:11 It also assumed great airs even against the Prince of the host,21 from whom22 the daily sacrifice was removed and whose sanctuary23 was thrown down. 8:12 The host was given over,24 along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of transgression.25 It hurled26 truth27 to the ground and proceeded with success.
8:13 Then I heard a holy one28 speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “To what period of time does the vision pertain, concerning the daily sacrifice and the desolating transgression and the giving over of both the sanctuary and host to be trampled?” 8:14 He said to me, “To 2,300 evenings and mornings;29 then the sanctuary will be vindicated.”
An Angel Interprets Daniel’s Vision
8:15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision, I sought to understand it. Now one who appeared to be a man was standing before me. 8:16 Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out, “Gabriel,30 enable this person to understand the vision.” 8:17 So he approached where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground. Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” 8:18 As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright.
8:19 Then he said, “I am going to inform you about what will be in the latter time of wrath, for the vision31 pertains to the appointed time of the end. 8:20 The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 8:21 The male goat32 is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 8:22 The horn that was broken33 and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength. 8:23 Toward the end of their rule, when transgressions34 are complete, a rash and duplicitous king will arise. 8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will be destructive to an extraordinary degree. He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. 8:25 By his skill he will make deceit successful through his influence. In his own mind he will assume great airs, and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. He will rise up against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken apart from human agency. 8:26 The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct. But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now.”
8:27 I, Daniel, was exhausted35 and sick for days. Then I got up and again carried out the king’s business. But I was astonished at the vision, and there was no one to explain it.