CHAPTER 8
1 In the third year of the realm of Belshazzar, the king, a vision appeared to me. I, Daniel, after that thing that I had seen in the beginning,
2 saw in my vision, when I was in the castle of Susa, which is in the country of Elam; soothly I saw in the vision that I was on the gate of Ulai.
3 And I raised mine eyes, and I saw; and lo! one ram stood before the marsh, and had high horns, and one higher than the other, and under-waxing.
4 Afterward I saw the ram winnow-ing with his horns against the east, and against the west, and against the north, and against the south; and all beasts might not against-stand it, neither be delivered from the hands of it. And it did by his will, and was magnified.
5 And I understood. Lo! forsooth a buck of goats came from the west on the face of all earth, and touched not the earth; forsooth the buck of goats had a noble horn betwixt his eyes;
6 and he came till to that horned ram, which I had seen standing before the gate, and he ran in the fierceness of his strength to that ram.
7 And when he had nighed nigh the ram, he hurtled fiercely on him, and he smote the ram, and all-brake twain [or two] horns of him, and the ram might not against-stand him. And when he had sent that ram into [the] earth, he defouled [him]; and no man might deliver the ram from his hand.
8 Forsooth the buck of goats was made full great; and when he had increased, the great horn was broken, and four horns rised under it, by four winds of heaven.
9 Forsooth of one of them went out one little horn, and it was made great against the south, and against the east, and against the strength.
10 And it was magnified till to the strength of heaven, and it casted down of the strength and of stars, and defouled those [or them].
11 And he was magnified till to the prince of the strength, and he took away from him the continual sacrifice, and casted down the place of his hallowing.
12 Forsooth strength was given to him against the continual sacrifice for sins, and truth shall be cast down in earth; and he shall have prosperity, and shall do.
13 And I heard one of [the] holy angels speaking; and one holy angel said to another, I know not to whom speaking, How long the vision, and the continual sacrifice, and the sin of desolation, [or discomfort], which is made, and the saintuary, and the host, shall be defouled?
14 And he said to him, Till to the eventide and morrowtide, two thousand days and three hundred; and the saintuary shall be cleansed.
15 Forsooth it was done, when I, Daniel, saw the vision, and asked the understanding, lo! as the likeness of a man stood in my sight.
16 And I heard the voice of a man betwixt the banks of the Ulai, and he cried, and said, Gabriel, make thou Daniel to understand this vision.
17 And he came, and stood beside where I stood; and when he was come, I dreaded, and fell on my face. And he said to me, Thou, son of man, understand, for the vision shall be [ful] filled in the time of end.
18 And when he spake to me, I slid down groveling, either flat to the earth. And he touched me, and setted me in my degree.
19 And he said to me, I shall show to thee what things shall come in the last of cursing, for the time hath his end.
20 The ram, whom thou sawest have horns, is the king of Medes and of Persians.
21 Forsooth the buck of goats is the king of Greeks; and the great horn that was betwixt his eyes, he is the first king.
22 Forsooth that when that horn was broken, four horns rised for it, four kings shall rise of the folk of him, but not in the strength of him.
23 And after the realm of them, when wickednesses have increased, a king shall rise unshamefast in face, and understanding propositions, either reasons set forth;
24 and his strength shall be made stalworthy, but not in his [own] strengths. And more than it may be believed, he shall waste all things, and he shall have prosperity, and shall do. And he shall slay strong men, and the people of saints,
25 by his will, and guile shall be addressed in his hand. And he shall magnify his heart, and in abundance of all things, he shall slay full many men. And he shall rise against the prince of princes, and without hand he shall be all-broken.
26 And the vision, which is said in the morrowtide and eventide, is true. Therefore seal thou the vision, for it shall be after many days.
27 And I, Daniel, was astonied, and was sick by full many days; and when I had risen, I did the works of the king; and I was astonied at the vision, and none was, that interpreted, either expounded.