1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream, giving the main points of the matter.
2 Daniel said: "I was watching in my vision during the night, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea.
3 Four huge beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others.
4 The first was like a lion, with an eagle's wings. As I watched, its wings were torn off; it was lifted from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.
5 Then I saw another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. It was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and it was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
6 After that I looked, and there was another beast, like a leopard, with four bird's wings on its back. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 After that, as I watched in the night visions, there was a fourth beast, terrifying, frightening and enormously strong. It had huge iron teeth; it devoured and crushed, and stamped on whatever was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.
8 While I was studying the horns, another horn, a small one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were torn out by the roots before it. This horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 As I watched, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was as white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels blazing fire.
10 A river of fire was streaming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood in attendance before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
11 Then I kept watching because of the noise of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and handed over to be burned with fire.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their authority was taken away, but they were allowed to live on for a season and a time.
13 I kept looking in the visions of the night, and there, with the clouds of heaven, came one like a son of man. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.
14 To him were given dominion, glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages would serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions that passed through my head terrified me.
16 I went up to one of those standing there and asked him what all this really meant. So he told me and explained to me what these things meant:
17 'These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth.
18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess the kingdom forever, for ever and ever.'
19 Then I wanted to know the real meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest and utterly terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws, which devoured and crushed and stamped on whatever was left with its feet;
20 and of the ten horns on its head, and of the other horn that came up, before which three fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully and looked bigger than the others.
21 As I watched, this horn waged war against the saints and was overpowering them,
22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time arrived for the saints to take possession of the kingdom.
23 This is what he said: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms; it will devour the whole earth, trample it and crush it.
24 The ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another will rise, different from the earlier ones, and he will put down three kings.
25 He will speak words against the Most High and wear out the saints of the Most High; he will try to change the set times and the law, and they will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
26 But the court will be seated, and his dominion will be taken away, to be destroyed and wiped out for good.
27 Then the kingdom, the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.'
28 This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts terrified me greatly and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."