the First Week of Advent
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King James Version (1611 Edition)
Daniel 7
1 In the first yeere of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dreame, and visions of his head vpon his bed: then he wrote the dreame, and tolde the summe of the matters. 2 Daniel spake, and said, I saw in my vision by night, & behold, the foure windes of the heauen stroue vpon the great Sea. 3 And foure great beastes came vp from the sea, diuers one from another. 4 The first was like a Lyon, and had Eagles wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckt, and it was lifted vp from the earth, and made stand vpon the feete as a man, and a mans heart was giuen to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second, like to a Beare, and it raised vp it selfe on one side, and it had three ribbes in the mouth of it betweene the teeth of it, and they said thus vnto it, Arise, deuoure much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and loe, another like a Leopard, which had vpon the backe of it foure wings of a foule, the beast had also foure heads, and dominion was giuen to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadfull and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great yron teeth: it deuoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feete of it, and it was diuers from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten hornes. 8 I considered the hornes, and behold, there came vp among them another little horne, before whom there were three of the first hornes pluckt vp by the roots: and behold, in this horne were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast downe, and the Ancient of dayes did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the haire of his head like the pure wooll: his throne was like the fierie flame, and his wheeles as burning fire. 10 A fierie streame issued, and came foorth from before him: thousand thousands ministred vnto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the iudgement was set, and the bookes were opened. 11 I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horne spake: I beheld euen till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and giuen to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their liues were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the sonne of man, came with the clouds of heauen, and came to the Ancient of daies, and they brought him neere before him. 14 And there was giuen him dominion and glory, and a kingdome, that all people, nations, and languages should serue him: his dominion is an euerlasting dominion, which shall not passe away; and his kingdome that, which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieued in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came neere vnto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this: so he told mee, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are foure, are foure Kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the Saints of the most high shall take the kingdome, & possesse the kingdome for euer, euen for euer & euer. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diuerse from al the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of yron, and his nailes of brasse, which deuoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feete, 20 And of the ten hornes that were in his head, and of the other, which came vp, and before whom three fell, euen of that horne that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose looke was more stout then his fellowes. 21 I beheld, and the same horne made warre with the Saints, and preuailed against them; 22 Untill the Ancient of daies came, and iudgment was giuen to the Saints of the most high: and the time came that the Saints possessed the kingdome. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome vpon earth, which shall be diuerse from all kingdomes, & shall deuoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in pieces. 24 And the tenne hornes out of this kingdome are tenne Kings that shall arise: and an other shall rise after them, and he shall be diuerse from the first, and he shall subdue three Kings. 25 And he shall speake great words against the most high, and shall weare out the Saints of the most high, and thinke to change times, and lawes: and they shall be giuen into his hand, vntill a time and times, & the diuiding of time. 26 But the iudgement shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume, and to destroy it vnto the end. 27 And the kingdome and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdome vnder the whole heauen, shall be giuen to the people of the Saints of the most high, whose kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome, and all dominions shall serue and obey him. 28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.