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Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a
dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told
the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold,
the four winds of the heaven strove upon 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 beheld till
the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised
up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the
teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had
upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and
dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and
it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them
another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up
by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days
did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure
wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the
horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and
given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that
all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and
the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the
truth of 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, which shall
arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was
diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and
his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue
with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and
a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his
fellows.
21 I beheld, 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 the fourth kingdom upon
earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole
earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and
they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of
time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most
High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve 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.
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