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¹ I, therefore, in the first year of Darius the Mede, was at my station to strengthen and embolden him;² and, now, the truth, I will tell thee: - Lo! there are, yet three kings, to arise - belonging to Persia, and, the fourth, will amass greater riches than they all, and, when he hath strengthened himself in his riches, the whole, will stir up, the kingdom of Greece.³ And so a hero king, will arise, - and wield great authority, and do according to his own pleasure;⁴ but, when he hath arisen, his kingdom, shall be broken in pieces, and be divided, toward the four winds of the heavens, - but not to his own posterity, nor according to his own authority which he wielded, for his kingdom, shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

⁵ But a king of the south, will become strong, even from among his rulers, - and will prevail against him, and have authority, a great authority, shall his authority be.⁶ And, at the end of years, they will league together, yea, the daughter of the king of the south, will go in unto the king of the north, to make peace, but she shall not retain strength of arm, neither shall he stand, nor his arm, but she shall be delivered up - she herself, and they who brought her in, and he who begat her, and he that strengthened her in the times.⁷ But one will stand up from the sprout of her roots, in his stead, - and he will enter the army, and enter into a fortress of the king of the north, and deal with them and shew himself strong;⁸ yea, even their gods, with their molten images, with their delightful vessels of silver and gold, with a host of captives, will he bring into Egypt, - and, he, will stand more, years, than the king of the north;⁹ so will the king of the south, enter into the kingdom, and then return unto his own soil.¹⁰ But, his sons, will rouse themselves to war, and gather together a multitude of large armies, but he will come on and on, and overflow and pass through, - and will return and wage war, up to his fortress.¹¹ Then will the king of the south, be enraged, and go forth and fight with him, with the king of the north, - and will raise a great multitude, but the multitude, will be delivered, into his hand.¹² And, when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart, will he uplifted, - and he will cause tens of thousands to fall, but will not conquer.¹³ Then will the king of the north again raise a multitude, greater than the first, - and, at the end of the times - some years, he will come on and on with a great army, and with great substance.¹⁴ And, in those times, many, will rise against the king of the south, - and, the sons of the oppressors of thy people, will exalt themselves to confirm the vision, but will be overthrown.¹⁵ Then will come in the king of the north, and cast up a rampart, and capture a city of strongholds, - and, the arms of the south, will not rise, nor the people of his chosen ones, and there shall be no strength to rise.¹⁶ So shall he that cometh against him do according to his own pleasure, and, none, shall stand before him, - therefore will he take his stand in the beautiful land, and it will languish and be exhausted in his hand.¹⁷ Then will he set his face to enter, with the might of all his kingdom, and, equitable terms with him, will make, - and, a daughter of women, will he give him to corrupt her, but she will not remain, nor, his, shall she become.¹⁸ Then will he turn his face to the Coastlands, and will capture many, - but a commander, will bring to an end, his reproach against himself, that, his reproach, return not unto him.¹⁹ Therefore will he turn his face towards the fortresses of his land, - but he shall stagger and fall, and shall not be found.²⁰ Then will rise up in his stead, one causing an exactor to pass through the ornament of the kingdom, - but, in a few days, shall he be broken in pieces, not with anger, nor in battle.

²¹ Then will rise up in his stead, one despised, and they will not lay upon him the dignity of the kingdom, - but he will come in unexpectedly, and strengthen the kingdom by flatteries;²² and, the arms of an overflowing flood, will sweep all before him, and they shall be broken in pieces, - moreover also, the prince of a covenant;²³ and, by reason of the leaguing against him, he will work deceitfully, and will come up and become strong, with a small nation.²⁴ Unexpectedly, even into the rich places of the province, will he enter, and will do what neither his fathers nor his father's fathers had done, prey and spoil and substance - among them, will he scatter, - and, against strongholds, will he devise plots even until a (convenient) time.²⁵ Then will he stir up his strength and his heart, against the king of the south, with a great army, and, the king of the south, will wage war, with a great and exceedingly mighty army, - but will make no stand, for they will devise against him plots;²⁶ and, they who have been eating his delicacies, will break him in pieces, and, his army, will he overwhelm like a flood, - and many wounded, will fall.²⁷ Now, as for the two kings, their heart, will be set on acting wickedly, and, at one table, will they speak, falsehood, - but it shall not succeed, for yet is the end for an appointed time.²⁸ So then he will return to his own land, with great substance, with, his heart, set upon a holy covenant; yea he will act with effect, and return to his own land.²⁹ At the appointed time, will he again enter the south, - but it shall not be like the former, nor like the latter.³⁰ Then will come in against him the ships of Cyprus, and he will be disheartened, and again have indignation against a holy covenant, and will act with effect, - and again gain intelligence, concerning them who are forsaking a holy covenant.³¹ And, arms, from him, will arise, - and will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and will set aside the continual ascending-sacrifice , and place the horrid abomination that astoundeth.³² And, them who are ready to deal lawlessly with a covenant, will he make impious by flatteries, - but, the people who know their God, will be strong and act with effect.³³ And, they who make the people wise, will impart understanding to the many, - yet shall they be brought low, by sword and by flame, by captivity and by prey, for some days;³⁴ but, when they are brought low, they shall be helped with a little help, - and many, will join themselves unto them, by flatteries;³⁵ and, of them who make wise, some shall be brought low, to refine them, and to purify and make white, up to the time of the end, - for yet is it for an appointed time.³⁶ And the king, will do according to his own pleasure, and will exalt himself, and magnify himself against every GOD, yea, against the GOD of GODS, will he speak wonderful things, - and will succeed, until exhausted is the indignation, for, what is decreed, must be done;³⁷ and, for the god of his fathers, will he have no regard, nor, for the delight of women, nor for any god, will he have regard, - for, against all, will he magnify himself.³⁸ Howbeit, to the god of the fortresses, in his place, will he give honour, - even to a god whom his fathers, knew not, will he give honour, with gold and with silver and with precious stones and with articles of delight. ³⁹ And he will prepare, for the strongholds of the fortress of the sea, the people of an alien god, whom he will acknowledge - will greatly honour, - and will give them authority over the many, and, the soil, will he apportion for a price.⁴⁰ And, in the time of the end, will the king of the south, push at him, and the king of the north, will rush against him, with chariots and with horsemen, and with many ships, - and he will enter the lands, and overwhelm and pass over;⁴¹ yea he will enter the beautiful land, and, many lands , shall be laid low, - but, these, shall be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the first portion of the sons of Ammon;⁴² yea he will thrust forth his hand against the lands, - and, the land of Egypt, shall have no deliverance;⁴³ and he will have authority over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the delightful things of Egypt, - with Libyans and Ethiopians among his followers;⁴⁴ but, tidings, will terrify him, out of the east, and out of the north, - therefore will he go forth with great fury, to destroy and to devote many;⁴⁵ and will plant his palace-home between the seas, towards the beautiful holy mountain, but shall come to his end, with none to help him.