7 ¶ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and penned the sum of the matters.

² Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven fought the great sea.

³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, different one from another.

⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings; I beheld until the its wings were plucked off, and it was removed from the earth, and it stood up on its feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

⁵ And behold the second beast, like unto a bear, which went off to one side, and it had three ribs between its teeth; and thus was said unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

⁶ After this I beheld, and behold another, like a tiger, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; this beast also had four heads; and power was given to it.

⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold the fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and trod down that which was left with its feet; and it was very different from all the beasts that had been before her; and it had ten horns.

⁸ As I was considering the horns, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking grand things.

⁹ ¶ I beheld until thrones were placed, and an Elder of great age did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne a flame of fire, his wheels burning fire.

¹⁰ A river of fire issued and came forth from before him; thousands of thousands served him, and ten thousands of ten thousands stood before him; the Judge sat down, and the books were opened.

¹¹ I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I beheld even until the beast was slain and its body was undone and given over to be burned in the fire.

¹² They had also taken from the other beasts their rule because their lives had been prolonged until a certain time.

¹³ I saw in the vision of the night, and, behold, in the clouds of heaven like a Son of man that came and drew near unto the Elder of great age, and they brought him near before him.

¹⁴ And he gave him dominion and glory and kingdom; and all the peoples, nations, and tongues served him: his dominion is an eternal dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom such that it shall never be corrupted.

¹⁵ ¶ My spirit was troubled, I Daniel, in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head astonished me.

¹⁶ I came near unto one of those 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 in the earth.

¹⁸ And they shall take the kingdom of the Holy One who is most High and possess the kingdom until the age and until the age of the ages.

¹⁹ Then I had the desire to know the truth regarding the fourth beast, which was so different from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured and broke in pieces and trod down that which was left with its feet;

²⁰ also regarding the ten horns that were in its head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; and that same horn had eyes and a mouth that spoke very grand things, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

²¹ I saw that this horn made war against the saints and overcame them;

²² until such time as the Elder of great age came, and the judgment was given unto the saints of the most High; and the time came, and the saints possessed the kingdom.

²³ Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth king in earth, which shall be greater than all the other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

²⁴ And the ten horns signify that of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall rise after them; and he shall be greater than the first kings, and he shall bring down three kings.

²⁵ And he shall speak great words against the most High and shall break down the saints of the most High and think to move the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the half or dividing of a time.

²⁶ And the Judge shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to destroy and to cast out unto the end;

²⁷ and that the kingdom and the dominion, and the majesty of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, be given to the holy people of the most High, His kingdom shall be an eternal kingdom, and all the dominions shall serve him and hear him.

²⁸ Up unto here was the end of the word. I, Daniel, was very troubled in my thoughts, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the word in my heart.