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¹ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.² Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, look, the four winds of heaven broke forth on the great sea.³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I looked until the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it.⁵ And, look, another beast, a second, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh.⁶ After this I looked, and saw another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.⁷ After this I saw in the night-visions, and, look, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.⁸ I considered the horns, and, look, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, look, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

⁹ I looked until thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days sat: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, [and] the wheels thereof burning fire.¹⁰ A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.¹¹ I looked at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I looked even until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.¹² And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.¹³ I saw in the night-visions, and, look, there came with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.¹⁴ And there was given to 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 [is] that which shall not be destroyed.

¹⁵ As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.¹⁶ I came near to one of those that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.¹⁷ These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth.¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.¹⁹ Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;²⁰ and 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 great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.²¹ I looked, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;²² until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.²³ Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.²⁴ And as 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.²⁵ And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.²⁶ But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end.²⁷ And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.²⁸ Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.