Day 62 of 90

¹Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

²Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.

³Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.

⁴They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

⁶Then the king's face was turned pale, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs gave way, and his knees began knocking together.

⁷The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

⁸Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

⁹Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

¹⁰Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, "O king, live forever; do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.

¹¹There 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, the king, I say, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners;

¹²because an extraordinary spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and explaining riddles, and solving problems, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

¹³Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel, who are of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

¹⁴I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.

¹⁵Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.

¹⁶But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

¹⁷Then Daniel answered before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to another;. Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

¹⁸You king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.

¹⁹And because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.

²⁰But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was removed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.

²¹And he was driven from the sons of men, and his mind was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he wants.

²²You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

²³but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.

²⁴Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

²⁵This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

²⁶This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end;

²⁷TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

²⁸PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

²⁹Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

³¹Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

¹It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;

²and over them three administrators, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to them, and that the king might not suffer loss.

³Then this Daniel was distinguished above the administrators and the satraps, because an extraordinary spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

⁴Then the administrators and the satraps sought to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him.

⁵Then these men said, "We will not find any charge against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

⁶Then these administrators and satraps assembled together to the king, and said this to him, "King Darius, live forever.

⁷All the administrators of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

⁸Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed."

⁹Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

¹⁰When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.

¹¹Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.

¹²Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree. "Haven't you signed a decree, that every man who shall make petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed."

¹³Then they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn't regard you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."

¹⁴Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.

¹⁵Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed."

¹⁶Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you."

¹⁷A stone was brought, and placed on the opening of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him. And his sleep fled from him.

¹⁹Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions.

²⁰When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God. Is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?"

²¹Then said Daniel to the king, "O king, live forever.

²²My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; because before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no wrong."

²³Then was the king exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁴The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

²⁵Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you.

²⁶I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be to the end.

²⁷He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

²⁸So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his mind on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the summary of it.

²Daniel spoke and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke forth on the great sea.

³Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.

⁴The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man's mind was given to it.

⁵And behold, another animal, a second one, like 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 flesh.'

⁶After this I saw, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

⁷After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and extremely strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet. And it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns.

⁸I 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 arrogant things.

⁹I saw until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.

¹⁰A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

¹¹I saw at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I was watching until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and was given to be burned with fire.

¹²As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

¹³I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.

¹⁴There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of my body, and the visions of my mind troubled me.

¹⁶I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the true meaning concerning all this. So he told me, and revealed to me the interpretation of these things.

¹⁷These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth.

¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.

¹⁹Then I desired to know the true meaning concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its claws of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet.

²⁰And concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogant things, whose look was larger than the others.

²¹I saw, and the same horn made war with the holy ones, and prevailed against them,

²²until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came that the holy ones possessed the kingdom.

²³This he said, 'The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

²⁴As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise, and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.

²⁵He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall oppress the holy ones of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given over to him until a time and times and half a time.

²⁶And the court shall sit in judgment, and they shall take away his dominion, consumed and completely destroyed forever.

²⁷The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'

²⁸Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. I kept the matter to myself."

¹In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me previously.

²And I saw in the vision, and when I looked, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.

³Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns. And the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last.

⁴I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

⁵As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and did not touch the ground. And the goat had a prominent horn between his eyes.

⁶He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and rushed at him in the fury of his power.

⁷I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he threw him down to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could deliver the ram from his power.

⁸The male goat became very strong. But when he was strong, the large horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.

⁹Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.

¹⁰It grew so great that it reached to the host of heaven, and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them.

¹¹And it magnified itself, even against the Prince of the host; and it took away from him the daily sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

¹²The host was given over to it together with the daily sacrifice because of transgression. And it cast down truth to the ground, and kept prospering.

¹³Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

¹⁴He said to me, "To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be restored to its rightful state."

¹⁵It came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

¹⁶I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and called out and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

¹⁷So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was frightened, and fell prostrate. But he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision belongs to the time of the end."

¹⁸Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

¹⁹He said, "Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of wrath, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.

²⁰The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.

²¹The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

²²As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation, but not with his power.

²³In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their full measure, a rash and deceitful king shall arise.

²⁴His power shall be great, but not by his own strength; and he shall cause terrible destruction, and shall succeed in whatever he does. And he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

²⁵Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper by his influence, and he shall be great in his own mind, and without warning he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be shattered, but not by human hands.

²⁶The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision because it refers to many days from now."

²⁷I, Daniel, was overcome, and was ill for days. Then I rose up, and carried out the king's business. And I was astonished by the vision, but there was no one to explain it.

¹In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--

²in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of the years about which the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the completion of the desolation of Jerusalem, seventy years.

³And I turned to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

⁴I prayed to the Lord my God, and made this confession, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments.

⁵We have sinned, and have done what is wrong and wicked, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your commandments and from your ordinances.

⁶Neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds that they have committed against you.

⁸Lord, to us belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

⁹To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.

¹⁰And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

¹¹Yes, all Israel has transgressed your law, and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. Therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.

¹²He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing on us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven such has not been done as has been done on Jerusalem.

¹³As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us. Yet have we not tried to gain the favor of the Lord our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

¹⁴Therefore has the Lord watched over the calamity, and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

¹⁵"And now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, even to this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

¹⁶Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

¹⁷Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

¹⁸My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our desolation, and the city which is called by your name. For we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercy.

¹⁹Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."

²⁰While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God,

²¹while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came to me in my weariness about the time of the evening sacrifice.

²²He instructed me, and talked with me, and said, "Daniel, I have now come forth to give you wisdom and understanding.

²³At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

²⁴Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to put an end to the transgression, and to make an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.

²⁵Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with open spaces and a moat, but in times of distress.

²⁶After the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and his end shall come with a flood, and until the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed.

²⁷He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who destroys, and even until a complete destruction, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."

¹In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the word was true: a great war. And he understood the word, and had understanding of the vision.

²In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three whole weeks.

³I had no pleasing food, neither meat nor wine came into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴In the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is the Tigris,

⁵I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, around his waist a belt made of pure gold from Uphaz.

⁶His body was like beryl, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

⁷I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great trembling fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.

⁸So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my natural appearance grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength.

⁹Yet I heard the sound of his words, and when I heard the sound of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

¹⁰Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

¹¹He said to me, "Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright; for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹²Then said he to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. And I have come because of your words.

¹³But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia.

¹⁴Now I have come to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the latter days; for the vision refers to future days."

¹⁵And when he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground, and could not speak.

¹⁶And behold, one in the likeness of a human touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, "My lord, it is because of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have no strength.

¹⁷For how can this servant of my lord talk with my lord? As for me, no strength remains, and I am breathless."

¹⁸Then one like the appearance of a man touched me again and strengthened me.

¹⁹And he said, "Greatly loved man, do not be afraid, peace be to you; be strong, be strong!" When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."

²⁰Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go forth, behold, the prince of Greece shall come.

²¹But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the Book of Truth. And there is no one who contends with me against them except Michael, your prince."

¹"And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to support and strengthen him.

²And now what I show you is true. Behold, there shall arise three more kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than all of them; and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.

³And a powerful king shall arise, who shall rule an extensive empire, and do as he pleases.

⁴When he shall arise, his kingdom shall be broken up, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to his authority with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, and will go to others besides these.

⁵The king of the south shall grow strong, and one of his officers shall grow more powerful, and shall have a greater kingdom than his.

⁶At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain her power; neither shall his strength endure; but she shall be surrendered, and her attendants, and he who became the father of her, and he who supported her in those times.

⁷But out of a shoot from her roots shall arise in his place, who shall come against the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

⁸Also their gods, with their molten images, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall withdraw for some years from the king of the north.

⁹And he shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.

¹⁰And his sons shall wage war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall advance and overflow and pass through, and they shall return and wage war, as far as his fortress.

¹¹The king of the south shall be moved with rage and shall come forth and fight against him, even with the king of the north; and he shall raise a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.

¹²The multitude shall be taken away, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

¹³The king of the north shall return, and shall raise a multitude greater than the former; and he shall advance after some years with a great army and with abundant supplies.

¹⁴And in those times many shall rise up against the king of the south: also the violent ones among your people shall rise up in confirmation of the vision; but they shall fail.

¹⁵So the king of the north shall come, and build up a siege mound and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not prevail, neither his best troops, neither shall there be any strength to resist.

¹⁶But he who comes against him shall do as he pleases, and no one shall be able to withstand him. And he shall stand in the beautiful land, and destruction will be within his power.

¹⁷He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with him which he shall put into effect. And he shall give him a daughter of women to send destruction on him; but it will not last or be to his advantage.

¹⁸After this shall he turn his face to the coastal regions, and shall capture many. But a commander shall bring his insolence to an end. In addition, he shall repay him for his insolence.

¹⁹Then he shall turn his attention toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found again.

²⁰Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, though not in anger nor in battle.

²¹In his place shall arise a despicable person, to whom the honor of kingship had not been given, but he shall come in a time of prosperity, and shall obtain the kingdom through deceit.

²²And large armies shall be swept away and shattered before him, as well as the prince of the covenant.

²³And after an alliance is made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall become strong with a small force.

²⁴In a time of prosperity he shall come even on the richest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor their fathers; he shall distribute among them plunder, and spoil, and property. He shall devise plans against their strongholds, but only for a time.

²⁵And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall wage war in battle with an extremely large and powerful army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise plans against him.

²⁶Yes, those who eat of his royal food shall seek to destroy him, and his army shall be swept away; and many shall fall slain.

²⁷As for both these kings, their minds shall be fixed on evil, and they shall speak lies at the table; but it shall not succeed; for still the end shall be at the appointed time.

²⁸Then shall he return into his land with great property; and his mind shall be against the holy covenant. And he shall take action, and then return to his own land.

²⁹At the appointed time he shall return, and come into the south; but this time the outcome shall not be as it was before.

³⁰For ships from Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be intimidated, and shall turn back, and be enraged against the holy covenant, and shall take action. He shall turn back, and show regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

³¹Forces shall come at his order, and they shall profane the sanctuary and the fortress, and shall take away the daily burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that causes desolation.

³²And those who act wickedly toward the covenant he shall corrupt by smooth words; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.

³³And those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for some time.

³⁴Now when they shall fall, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join with them insincerely.

³⁵Some of those who are wise shall fall, to be refined, purified and cleansed until the time of the end; for the appointed time is still to come.

³⁶And the king shall do as he pleases. And he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak outrageous things against the God of gods. And he shall prosper until the indignation is accomplished; for that which is decreed shall be done.

³⁷Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the one desired by women, nor show regard to any other god, because he shall magnify himself above all.

³⁸But instead he shall honor the god of fortresses; a god whom his fathers did not know shall he honor with gold and silver, and with valuable stones, and costly gifts.

³⁹And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Whoever acknowledges him he shall grant considerable honor; and he shall make them rulers over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

⁴⁰And at the time of the end shall the king of the south attack him. And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall invade countries, and pass through like a flood.

⁴¹He shall enter also into the beautiful land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.

⁴²He shall reach out his hand also on other countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

⁴³But he shall have control over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the riches of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his feet.

⁴⁴But news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go out with tremendous rage to destroy and utterly sweep away many.

⁴⁵And he shall pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.

¹"At that time shall Michael arise, the great prince who watches over the children of your people. And there shall be a time of distress unparalleled since the beginning of the nation until that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.

²Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

⁴But you, Daniel, close up these words, and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall roam here and there, and knowledge shall increase."

⁵Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the river, and one on the other bank of the river.

⁶And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall it be till these wonders take place?"

⁷I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

⁸And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?"

⁹And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.

¹⁰Many shall be purified, cleansed and refined; but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

¹¹From the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days.

¹²Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.

¹³But go your way until the end. For you shall rest, and shall rise to receive your reward at the end of the days.

¹The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

²When the Lord spoke at the first by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking the Lord."

³So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.

⁴The Lord said to him, "Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

⁵It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

⁶She conceived again, and bore a daughter. Then he said to him, "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah; for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them.

⁷But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen."

⁸Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

⁹He said, "Call his name Lo-Ammi; for you are not my people, and I will not be yours.

¹⁰Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can't be measured nor numbered; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'

¹¹The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.

¹"Say to your brothers, 'My people!' and to your sisters, 'My loved one!'

²Contend with your mother! Contend, for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her prostitution from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

³Lest I strip her naked, and make her bare as in the day that she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and kill her with thirst.

⁴Indeed, on her children I will have no mercy; for they are children of unfaithfulness;

⁵For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'

⁶Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, that she can't find her way.

⁷She will follow after her lovers, but she won't overtake them; and she will seek them, but won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.'

⁸For she did not know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.

⁹Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my new wine in its season, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.

¹⁰Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of my hand.

¹¹I will also cause all her celebrations to cease: her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.

¹²I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, 'These are my wages that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest,' and the animals of the field shall eat them.

¹³I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me," says the Lord.

¹⁴"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

¹⁵I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁶It will be in that day," says the Lord, "that you will call me 'my husband,' and no longer call me 'my master.'

¹⁷For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.

¹⁸In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely.

¹⁹I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.

²⁰I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

²¹It will happen in that day, I will respond," says the Lord, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

²²and the earth will respond to the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they will respond to Jezreel.

²³I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; and I will tell those who were not my people, 'You are my people;' and they will say, 'My God!'"

¹The Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins."

²So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.

³I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you."

⁴For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.

⁵Afterward the children of Israel shall return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

¹Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel; for the Lord has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

²There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed.

³Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells therein will waste away, all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.

⁴"Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

⁵You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will also stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother.

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God's law, I will also forget your children.

⁷As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

⁸They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

⁹It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to the Lord.

¹¹Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

¹²My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

¹³They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.

¹⁵"Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet do not let Judah offend; and do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, 'As the Lord lives.'

¹⁶For Israel has behaved extremely stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Then how will the Lord feed them like a lamb in a meadow.

¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!

¹⁸Their drink has become sour. They play the prostitute continually. Her rulers dearly love their shameful way.

¹⁹The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.

¹"Listen to this, you priests! Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king! For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

²The rebels are deep in slaughter; but I discipline all of them.

³I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute. Israel is defiled.

⁴Their deeds won't allow them to turn to their God; for the spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the Lord.

⁵The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity. Judah also will stumble with them.

⁶They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they won't find him. He has withdrawn himself from them.

⁷They are unfaithful to the Lord; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their fields.

⁸"Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah! Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin!

⁹Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel, I have made known that which will surely be.

¹⁰The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

¹¹Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; Because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

¹²Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness.

¹³"When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound.

¹⁴For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear in pieces and go away. I will carry off, and there will be no one to deliver.

¹⁵I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly."

¹"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds.

²After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up, and we will live before him.

³Let us acknowledge the Lord. Let us press on to know the Lord. As surely as the sun rises, The Lord will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth."

⁴"Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.

⁵Therefore I have cut them to pieces with the prophets; I killed them with the words of my mouth. Your judgments are like a flash of lightning.

⁶For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

⁷But they, like Adam, have broken the covenant. They were unfaithful to me, there.

⁸Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

⁹As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

¹⁰In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing. There is prostitution in Ephraim. Israel is defiled.

¹¹"Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.