Book of Daniel, Chapter 7
Daniel 7 RSV - Revised Standard VersionChapter 7 of Daniel—Revised Standard Version (RSV)
- ¶ In the first year of Belshaz′zar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the sum of the matter.
- Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
- And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
- The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand upon two feet like a man; and the mind of a man was given to it.
- And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’
- After this I looked, and lo, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
- After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
- I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
- As I looked,
¶ thrones were placed
and one that was ancient of days took his seat;
his raiment was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
its wheels were burning fire. - A stream of fire issued
and came forth from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened. - ¶ I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
- As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
- I saw in the night visions,
¶ and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him. - And to him was given dominion
and glory and kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed. - ¶ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me.
- I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
- ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
- But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.’
- ¶ “Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrible, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze; and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
- and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up and before which three of them fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and which seemed greater than its fellows.
- As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them,
- until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom.
- ¶ “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
¶ there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces. - As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom
ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings. - He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, two times, and half a time. - But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end. - And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’ - ¶ “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed; but I kept the matter in my mind.”
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