Bible Gateway passage: Daniel 8 - New King James Version (2024)

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8In^[a] the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me ^(A)the first time. ²I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in ^(B)Shushan,^[b] the ^[c]citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. ³Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was ^(C)higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. ⁴I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could ^[d]withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, ^(D)but he did according to his will and became great.

⁵And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable ^(E)horn between his eyes. ⁶Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. ⁷And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, ^[e]attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

⁸Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it ^(F)four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. ^9(G)And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, ^(H)toward the east, and toward the ^(I)Glorious Land. ^10(J)And it grew up to ^(K)the host of heaven; and ^(L)it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. ^11(M)He even exalted himself as high as ^(N)the Prince of the host; ^(O)and by him ^(P)the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of ^[f]His sanctuary was cast down. ¹²Because of transgression, ^(Q)an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast ^(R)truth down to the ground. He ^(S)did all this and prospered.

¹³Then I heard ^(T)a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression ^[g]of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

¹⁴And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred ^[h]days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

¹⁵Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and ^(U)was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me ^(V)one having the appearance of a man. ¹⁶And I heard a man’s voice ^(W)between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, ^(X)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” ¹⁷So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and ^(Y)fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

^18(Z)Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; ^(AA)but he touched me, and stood me upright. ¹⁹And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; ^(AB)for at the appointed time the end shall be. ²⁰The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹And the ^[i]male goat is the ^[j]kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes ^(AC)is the first king. ^22(AD)As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

²³“And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
^(AE)Having fierce ^[k]features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
²⁴His power shall be mighty, ^(AF)but not by his own power;
He shall destroy ^[l]fearfully,
^(AG)And shall prosper and thrive;
^(AH)He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

²⁵“Through^(AI) his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his ^[m]rule;
^(AJ)And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
^(AK)He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be ^(AL)broken without human ^[n]means.

²⁶“And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
^(AM)Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”

^27(AN)And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was ^[o]astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.