1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision {chazon: supernatural revelation} appeared to me, I, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at the beginning {techillah: starting point}.
2 And I saw in a vision {chazon: prophetic revelation}, and it happened, as I was seeing, that I was in Shushan the citadel {birah: royal fortress}, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was beside the river Ulai.
3 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing before the canal {ubal: man-made waterway}. It had horns {kerenayim: dual horns}, and the horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4 I saw the ram {ayil: powerful animal} butting vigorously westward, northward, and southward. And no animals could stand before him, and there was no deliverer {matsil: rescuer} from his hand, and he did according to his will and became great.
5 And I was watching, and behold, a male goat of the goats came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground; the goat had a prominent horn {keren: symbol of authority} between his eyes {einav: focal point}.
6 And he came up to the ram with the horns I had seen standing before the canal {uval: watercourse}, and he ran toward it in the rage of his strength {kocho: physical might}.
7 And I saw him coming near to the ram {ayil: strong male sheep}, and he was enraged toward him and struck the ram and broke its two horns. And there was no strength {koach: physical/military power} in the ram to stand before him, so he threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no deliverer for the ram from his hand.
8 The he-goat of the goats became exceedingly great; but when he grew strong, the great horn {qeren: symbol of royal authority} was broken, and four conspicuous ones came up in its place toward the four winds {ruchot: realms of direction} of the heavens.
9 And from one of them came out a single horn {keren-achat: symbol of authority}, from being small, and it grew exceedingly {yeter: surpassing measure} great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
10 And it grew until it reached the host{tseva: celestial army} of heaven, and it cast down to the ground some of the host and some of the stars, and it trampled them{tirmesem: crushed underfoot}.
11 It magnified itself even to the Prince of the host {sar-hatsava: commander of the host}, and from him the continual {tamid: regular burnt offering} was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And a host was given over to it together with the continual {tamid: regular burnt offering} because of transgression {pesha: deliberate rebellion}, and it cast down truth to the ground; then it acted and prospered.
13 And I heard one holy one {kadosh: set-apart being} speaking, and another holy one said to the one speaking, “Until when will the vision of the continual sacrifice {tamid: regular offering} and the transgression causing desolation give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?”
14 And he said to me, "Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary {kodesh: holy place} shall be vindicated {nitsdaq: set right}."
15 And it happened, when I, Daniel, saw the vision {chazon: prophetic revelation}, and I sought understanding {binah: analytic insight}, behold, there was one standing before me like a man.
16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called and said, “Gabriel {gavri’el: Divine Envoy}, make this one understand the vision {mar’eh: Prophetic Revelation}.”
17 And he came near to where I was standing, and as he arrived I was terrified {nivati: seized with dread} and I fell on my face. Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end {qets: appointed conclusion}.”
18 And as he spoke to me, I fell into a deep sleep{nirdamti: involuntary trance}, face down on the ground. Then he touched me and made me stand upright{amdi: idiom for upright posture}.
19 And he said, "Behold, I am making known to you what will be at the end of the indignation {hazza'am: intense wrath}, for the end will come at the appointed time {mo’ed: fixed moment}."
20 The ram which you saw possessing the two horns {qeranayim: symbols of authority} represents the kings of Media and Persia {paras: ancient empire to the east}.
21 And the male goat {hatsaphir: rough goat imagery} is the king of Greece, and the great horn {keren: symbol of authority} that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 And the one that was broken {nishberet: ruptured remnant}—when four stood in its place—four kingdoms {malkhuyot: political realms} will arise from that nation, but not by its power.
23 And in the latter part of their kingdom, when the transgressors are completed, a king with a strong face {‘az-panim: unyielding boldness} and understanding of riddles {chidot: enigmatic problems} will arise.
24 And his power shall be strong {atsam: empowered influence}, yet not by his own power; and in astonishing destruction {niflaot: shocking devastation} he will destroy, and he will succeed and act, and he will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.
25 And by his understanding he caused deceit to prosper in his hand, and in his heart he will magnify himself, and in tranquility {shalvah: state of ease or security} he will destroy many; and against the Prince of princes {sar-sarim: highest ruler among rulers} he will stand, but without a hand he will be broken.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning that was revealed is true; and you, seal up {setom: secure confidentially} the vision, for many {rabbim: a long duration ahead} days.
27 And I, Daniel {Daniyyel: God Is My Judge}, became weak and was sick for days. Then I arose and did the work of the king, and I was astonished at the vision {mar’eh: Revelatory Appearance}, and I did not understand it.