ARAMAIC DANIEL
Translation by Marshall H. Lewis
Translator's Note: The following is an attempt to render the Aramaic portions of Daniel into English using Aramaic sentence structure and idiom. It is, therefore, not smooth English, but may be of interest to those familiar with Daniel and unfamiliar with Aramaic.
Chapter 2
4b O king, live to eternity. Tell the dream to your servants and will we show the peshar.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word of mine goes forth: If you do not make known to me the dream and its peshar, limbs will be made and your houses called dunghill.
6 But if the dream and its peshar you show, gifts and reward and much honor you will receive from before me. Therefore, the dream and its peshar show me."
7 They answered a second time saying, "O king, tell the dream to his servants and its peshar we will show."
8 The king answered saying, "For certain I know that you are gaining time because you see that my word has gone forth
9 that if the dream you do not make known to me one and invariable decree is against you, for a lying and corrupt word you have agreed to say before me until the season changes. Therefore, tell me the dream and I will know that its peshar you can show me."
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, "There is not a man on the earth who is able to see the word of the king because any great and powerful king has not asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.
11 For the word that the king asks is difficult and there is not another that can show it before the king except gods but their dwelling-place is not with the flesh."
12 Because of this the king was enraged and very furious and he said to destroy all of the wisemen of Babylon.
13 So the decree went forth that the wisemen were to be slain and they searched for Daniel and his brothers to slay them.
14 Then Daniel returned with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the chief executioner of the king, that had gone out to slay the wisemen of Babylon.
15 He answered and said to Arioch, the official of the king, "Why the decree showing harshness from before the king?" Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel entered and sought from the king that a time he give to him and the peshar he would show to the king.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his brothers, he made the matter known
18 and mercy they sought from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wisemen of Babylon.
19 Then to Daniel in the vision of the night the mystery was revealed. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, "Let the Name of God be blessed for ever and ever, to whom is wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons, removes kings and raises up kings, gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those knowing understanding.
22 He reveals the deep and the mysterious; he knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, God of my fathers, I thank and praise for wisdom and might you have given to me. And now you have made known to me what we asked of you, for the matter of the king you have made known to me."
24 Therefore, Daniel (went) to Arioch whom the king had appointed to destroy the wisemen of Babylon. He went and said this he said to him, "Do not destroy the wisemen of Babylon. Bring me before the king and the peshar I will show to the king."
25 Then Arioch in haste brought Daniel before the king and this he said to him that "I have found a hero from the sons of the exile from Judah who can make known the peshar to the king."
26 Answering, the king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw and its peshar?"
27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "The mystery which the king has asked no wisemen, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers are able to show to the king.
28 Nevertheless, there is a God in heaven revealing mysteries and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head in bed are these:
29 To you, O king, came your thoughts upon your bed concerning what would be after this and, revealing mysteries, made known to you what will be.
30 But I -- not that I have more wisdom than all the living (has) this mystery been revealed to me, but so that the peshar may be made known to the king and the thoughts of your mind you may know.
31 You, O king, were seeing and behold, a certain great image! This image was great and exceedingly bright standing before you and its appearance was frightening.
32 This image...Its head of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
34 You looked as a stone was cut out by no hand and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and shattered them.
35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were shattered as one and they became like chaff from summer threshing-floors and the wind carried them away so no place could be found for them. But the stone that struck the image became a mighty mountain and filled all the earth.
36 This was the dream. And its peshar we will tell before the king:
37 You, O king, are the king of kings (to whom) the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory.
38 And wherever the sons of men dwell, the beasts of the field or the birds of the air, he has given (them) into your hand and you rule over them all. You are the head of gold.
39 After you another kingdom will rise, inferior to you, and another third kingdom of bronze that will rule over all the earth.
40 And a fourth kingdom there will be, strong as iron, because iron shatters and pounds everything and like iron which crushes all these, it will shatter and crush.
41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly clay of a potter and partly iron, it will be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron will be in it because you saw iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And the toes of the feet partly iron and partly clay, so partly the kingdom will be strong and partly it will be brittle.
43 For you saw the iron mixed with the pottery of clay; they will mix together the seed of man but they will not hold it together (this with this) just as iron does not mix with clay.
44 Then in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will raise a kingdom which will not be destroyed to eternity, and its rulership will not be left to another people. It will shatter and fulfill all these kingdoms and it will stand forever
45 because you saw that a stone was cut by no hand from a mountain and it shattered the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold. A mighty God has made known to the king what will be after this. For the dream is certain and its peshar is firm."
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel and an offering and incense commanded to be offered to him.
47 Answering, the king said to Daniel, "Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48 Then the king made Daniel great and gave to him a great many gifts and made him ruler over all the province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wisemen of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel asked of the king and he appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But Daniel was in the court of the king.
Chapter 3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates and all the officials of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then they stood before the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then the herald called in power (called aloud), "You are commanded, the peoples, the nations, and the languages,
5 in the time that you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, lyre, the trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you will fall and do homage to the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 And whoever does not fall and do homage in that moment will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of burning fire."
7 Therefore, in the time when all the peoples hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, lyre, the trigon, harp, and every king of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell and worshipped the image of gold which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Therefore, at the time, approached heroes, Chaldeans, and they ate to pieces the Jews.
9 They answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever.
10 You, O king, made a decree that every man that hears the sound of the pipe, lyre, the trigon, harp and bagpipe and every kind of music will fall and do homage to the image of gold
11 and whoever does not fall and do homage will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of burning fire.
12 There are heroes, Jews whom you appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon -- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These heroes do not obey you, O king, (or) pay due regard to your gods. They do not revere the image of gold you set up. They do not do homage."
13 Then King Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be brought. Then theses heroes they brought before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "To what purpose, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, do you not serve my god or do not do homage (to) the image of gold which I set up.
15 Now if you will do (so), then in the time that you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, lyre, the trigon, harp and bagpipe and every kind of music, fall and do homage to the image that I made. But if you do not do homage, at that moment you will be thrown into the midst of the furnace of burning fire and who is he, the god that will deliver you out of my hands?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need to reply to you in this matter.
17 If our God that we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of burning fire and from your hand, O king, he will deliver.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and to the image of gold that you have set up we will not do homage.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of rage and the image of his face changed against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Answering, he commanded to heat the furnace seven times more than it was customarily to be heated.
20 And to heroes, heroes of power, that were in his army, he said to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to throw (them) into the furnace of burning fire.
21 Then these heroes were bound in their mantles, their tunics and their caps and their garments and they were thrown into the furnace of burning fire.
22 Because the order of the king was strict and the furnace very hot, those heroes that lifted up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the flame of the fire slew them.
23 And these heroes, three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell into the midst of the furnace of burning fire bound.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was startled and rose up in haste. He answered and said, "Did we not throw three heroes into the midst of fire bound?" They answered and said to the king, "Undoubtedly, O king."
25 He answered and said, "But I see four heroes, loose, walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt and the appearance of the fourth is like to a son of gods.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of burning fire. He answered and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, his servants of the God Most High. Come out and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire.
27 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors and the counselors of the king were assembled (and) saw these heroes, that the fire had no power on their bodies and the hair of their head was not singed and their mantles were not changed and the smell of fire had not come on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be their God, that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him and changed the command of the king and gave their bodies so as not to serve and not to do homage to any god except to their God.
29 So by me is made a decree that all people, nation, or language that speaks easily against their God, that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, limbs will be made and their house called dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."
30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to prosper in the province of Babylon.
31 King Nebuchadnezzar to all the people, the nations and the languages that dwell in all the earth. Peace to you grow great.
32 The signs and the wonders that the God Most High did toward me it seemed good before me to show.
33 His signs -- how great! And his wonders -- how mighty! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and his dominion from generation to generation.
Chapter 4
1 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.
2 I saw a dream and it made me afraid and imaginings in my bed and visions of my head, they alarmed me.
3 From me is made a decree to bring before me all the wisemen of Babylon that the peshar of the dream they might make known to me.
4 Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the astrologers and I told before them the dream but its peshar they could not make known to me.
5 At last came in before me Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, like the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and I told the dream before him.
6 "O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and any mystery is not difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream which I saw and its peshar."
7 I saw visions of my head upon my bed and, behold, a tree in the midst of the land and its height was great.
8 The tree grew and became strong and its top reached to heaven and its height to the end of all the earth.
9 Its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant and food for all was in it. Under it the beasts of the field found shade and in its branches dwelt the birds of the sky and from it was all flesh fed.
10 I was seeing in the visions of my head upon my bed and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.
11 He called in strength and said thus, "Hew down the tree and cut off its boughs; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit; let the beast from under it flee and the birds from its branches.
12 But the stump of its roots leave in the earth with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field and with the dew of heaven let him be wet and with the beast is his lot in the grass of the earth.
13 His mind from a man's be changed and the mind of a beast be given to him and seven times let pass over him.
14 The sentence is by decree of watchers and the affair from a saying of holy ones for the reason that the living may know that the Most High has mastery in the kingdom of men and he gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowest of men."
15 This dream I saw, I, King Nebuchadnezzar, and you, O Belteshazzar, tell the peshar because all the wisemen of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the peshar, but you are able for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
16 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled in the same moment and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream and the peshar alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, the dream to those who hate you and its peshar to your enemies!
17 The tree that you saw, that grew great and became strong and its top reached to the sky and its height to all the earth
18 and its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant and food for all was in it. Under it dwelt the beast of the field and in whose branches dwelt the birds of the sky...
19 It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong and your greatness has grown and reaches to the sky and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
20 And since the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, 'Hew down the tree and destroy it, but the stump of its roots leave in the earth and with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field and with the dew of heaven let him be wet and with the beast of the field his lot until seven times pass over him,'
21 This is the peshar, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High which has come upon my lord the king
22 and you will be driven from men and your dwelling will be with the beast of the field and you will eat the grass like an ox and you will be wet with the dew of heaven and seven times will pass over you until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
23 And since he said to leave the stump of his roots of the tree, your kingdom is enduring to you from the time that you know that dominion is (of) heaven.
24 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you and break off your sin in righteousness and your iniquities by showing favor to the oppressed; perhaps there will be a lengthening of your ease."
25 All this came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king
26 at the end of twelve months (as) he was walking upon the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
27 The king answered and said, "Is this not Babylon the Great which I have built (it) for a house of the king by the power of my might and for the glory of my majesty?"
28 While the word was in the mouth of the king, a voice from heaven fell to you saying, "Nebuchadnezzar the king, the kingdom is departed from you
29 and you will be driven from men and your dwelling is with the beast of the field; you will eat the grass like oxen and seven times will pass over you until you learn that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will."
30 At that moment the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar and he was driven from men and ate the grass like oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until his hair grew long like eagles and his nails like birds.
31 And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason to me returned and I blessed the Most High and I praised and I glorified the One Living Forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom from generation to generation.
32 And all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing and he does as he pleases in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and there is none that can hinder his hand or say to him, "What are you doing?"
33 At the time my reason returned to me and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty and my splendor returned to me and me my counselors and my lords sought (me) and I was established over my kingdom and surpassing greatness was added to me.
34 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the king of heaven for all his works are right and his ways are just and those walking in pride he is able to bring low.
Chapter 5
1 Belshazzar the King made a great feast for his thousand lords and in front of the thousand drank the wine.
2 Belshazzar said in tasting the wine to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and he would drink from them, the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines.
3 Then they brought in the vessels of gold which had been taken from the Temple, from the House of God that was in Jerusalem and they drank from them, the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines.
4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 At that moment, fingers of a hand of a man appeared and they wrote before the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king and the king saw the palm of the hand which wrote.
6 Then the king's color changed and his thoughts alarmed him and the joints of his loins loosened and his knees knocked one to another.
7 The king called in strength to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the astrologers. The king answered and said to the wisemen of Babylon that any man that reads this writing and shows me its peshar, he will be clothed (in) purple and a chain of gold upon his neck and he will rule a third in the kingdom.
8 Then all the wisemen of the king came in and they were not able to read the writing or to make the peshar known to the king.
9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed and his color changed upon him and his lords were perplexed.
10 Because of the words of the king and his lords the queen came to the house of feasting. The queen answered and said, "O king, live forever. Let not your thoughts alarm you and let not your color change.
11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him and King Nebuchadnezzar your father established him (as) chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, astrologers -- your father the king.
12 Because an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams and explain riddles and solve problems were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king set his name Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called and he will show the peshar."
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "Are you he, Daniel, from the sons of the exile of Judah that my father the king brought from Judah?
14 And I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you and light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
15 Now the wisemen, the enchanters were brought before me to read this writing to read and to make known to me its peshar, but they were not able to show the peshar of the matter.
16 But I have heard concerning you that you are able to interpret pesharim and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and to make known to me its peshar, you will be clothed (in) purple and a chain of gold upon your neck and you will rule the third in the kingdom."
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and I will make known to him the peshar.
18 You, O king, the Most High God gave kingship and greatness and exaltation and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
19 And from the greatness that he gave to him, all the peoples, the nations and the languages came to tremble and fear before him so that whom he desired he would slay and whom he desired he would keep alive and whom he desired he would raise up and whom he desired he would put down.
20 But when his mind was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to presumption, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his exaltation was taken from him
21 and he was driven from the sons of men and his mind was made like that of a beast and his dwelling was with the asses. He was fed grass like the oxen and with the dew of heaven his body was wet until he knew that dominion is God Most High in the kingdom of men and he sets over it whom he will.
22 And you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your mind even though you knew all this.
23 But against the Lord of Heaven you have lifted yourself up and the vessels of his house were brought in before you and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk the wine from them and you have praised gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone which do not see and do not hear and do not know. But to the God that in whose hand is your breath and all your ways to him you have not honored.
24 Then the palm of the hand was sent from before him and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, mene, tekel and parsin.
26 This is the peshar of the matter. Mene: the God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.
27 Tekel: You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then Belshazzar commanded and clothed Daniel (with) purple, a chain of gold upon his neck (and) made proclamation concerning him that he is the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night, Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
Chapter 6
1 Then Darius the Mede received the kingdom, a son of sixty-two years.
2 It was acceptable before Darius and he set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps that were in all the kingdom.
3 And over them three chiefs -- of which Daniel was one -- to which these satraps would give an account to them so the king would not suffer loss.
4 Then this Daniel became distinguished over the chiefs and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him and the king planned to set him over all the kingdom.
5 Then the chiefs and the satraps came to seek occasion to find against Daniel regarding the kingdom, but they could not find any occasion or fault because he was trustworthy and no error or fault was found in him.
6 Then these heroes said that we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find against him in the law of his God.
7 Then the chiefs and the satraps these came thronging to the king and said to him, "Darius the king, forever live!
8 All the chiefs of the kingdom took counsel, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict that any who makes request from any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, will be thrown into a den of lions.
9 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the writing so as not to change it according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked."
10 Therefore, King Darius signed the writing and the interdict.
11 Daniel, when he knew that the writing was signed (went) to his house. And he had opened windows in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem and three times in the day he got down on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done from the first.
12 Then these heroes came thronging and found Daniel requesting and imploring favor before his God.
13 Then they approached and said before the king concerning the interdict, "O king, did you not sign an interdict that any man that makes request from any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, will be thrown to a den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The matter is certain according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked."
14 Then they answered and said before the king that Daniel who is from the sons of the exile from Judah does not pay deference to you, O king, or to the interdict that you signed and three times in the day makes petition.
15 Then the king, according to the word he heard, it was very evil to him and he set his mind upon Daniel to deliver him and he strove to rescue him until the sun set.
16 Then these heroes came thronging to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that any interdict or statute that the king establishes cannot be changed."
17 Then the king commanded and Daniel was brought and thrown to the den of lions. The king answered and said to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, may he deliver you."
18 And one stone was brought and it was laid upon the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his signet and with the signets of his lords that nothing concerning Daniel would be changed.
19 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting and diversions were not brought to him and his sleep fled from him.
20 Then at dawn the king arose in brightness and went in haste to the den of lions.
21 And he approached the den of Daniel. In a voice of pain he cried out. The king answered and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve continually, has he been able to deliver you from the lions?"
22 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!
23 My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions and they have not hurt me because innocence was found in me before him and also before you, O king, I have not done wrong.
24 Then the king exceedingly was good (glad) to himself and commanded that Daniel be taken up from the den. And Daniel was taken up from the den and no hurt was found upon him for he trusted in his God.
25 And the king commanded and those heroes were brought who had eaten the pieces of Daniel and they were thrown to a den of lions, they, their children and their wives and they did not reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and all their bones were shattered.
26 Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, the nations and the languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace to you grow great.
27 From before me is made a decree that all in the dominion of my kingdom (should) tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and his kingdom is established forever and shall not be destroyed and his dominion is to the end.
28 He delivers and rescues and works signs and wonders in the sky and on the earth; who has saved Daniel from the hand of the lions."
29 And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Chapter 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream, the sum of the matter he told.
2 Daniel answered and said, "I was seeing in my vision by night and behold, four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another (this from this).
4 The first was like a lion and had wings of an eagle. I was seeing until its wings were plucked and it was lifted up from the earth and was made to stand upon feet like a man and the mind of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one was like a bear and on one side was raised up three ribs in its mouth between its teeth and thus it was told, "Arise, consume much flesh."
6 After this I was seeing and behold, another like a leopard and to it four wings of a bird on its back and four heads. To it was given the beast and dominion.
7 After this I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong and it had great teeth of iron. It ate and shattered and the remainder it stamped with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that were before it. And it had ten horns.
8 I was considering the horns and behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them and three from the horns the first plucked up from before them. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were on this horn and a mouth saying great things.
9 I was seeing until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat. His garment was white as snow and the hair of his head as pure wool. His throne was flames of fire; its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire flowed and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him and ten thousand ten thousands before him stood. The court sat and the books were opened.
11 I was seeing then because of the sound of the great word which the horn was speaking. I was seeing until the beast was slain and her body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.
12 And the dominion of the rest of the beasts was taken away, but a prolonging of their lives was given to them for a season and a time.
13 I was seeing in the visions of the night and behold, with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man came to be and he came to the Ancient of Days and he was brought near before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom and all the peoples, the nations and the languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.
15 Distressed was my spirit, I, Daniel, within its sheath and the visions of my head alarmed me.
16 I approached one of those who were standing and I asked the truth of him concerning all this. And he spoke to me and he made known to me the peshar of the things.
17 These great beasts of which they were four are four kings who will arise from the earth.
18 But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and they will possess the kingdom for ever and forever and ever.
19 Then I desired to gain certainty concerning the fourth beast which was different from them all, exceedingly terrible with her teeth of iron and her claws of bronze, eating, shattering, and stamping the remainder with her feet.
20 And concerning the ten horns which were on its head and the other horn which came up and three fell from before it. The horn that (had) eyes to it and a mouth speaking great things; its appearance was greater than the others.
21 I was seeing and this horn made war with the holy ones and prevailed against them.
22 Until the Ancient of Days came and the judgment was given to the holy ones of the Most High and the time came and the holy ones received the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, "The fourth beast -- a fourth kingdom there will be on earth which will be different from all the kingdoms. And it will consume all the earth and trample it down and shatter it.
24 And the ten horns from this kingdom are ten kings which will arise and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and three kings he will put down.
25 And he will speak words against the Most High and he will wear out the holy ones of the Most High and he will think to change times and law and they will be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time.
26 But the court will sit and his dominion will be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the sky will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. Their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all the dominions will serve and obey them.
28 Here is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, my thoughts alarmed me greatly and my color changed upon me, but the matter I kept in my mind.
Copyright © 1995-2000 by Marshall H. Lewis