Self-interpreting Bible

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Daniel 7

1Daniel's vision of the four beasts, 9and of God's kingdom. 15The interpretation thereof.

1 IN the first year of aBelshazzar king of Babylon bDaniel 1had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he cwrote the dream, and told the sum of the 2matters.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the dfour winds of the heaven strove upon the egreat sea.

3 And ffour great gbeasts came hup from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 The first was ilike a lion, and had jeagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof kwere plucked, 3and it lwas 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 manother beast, a second, like to a bear, and 4it raised up itself on one side, and it had nthree 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 oanother, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it pfour 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 qa 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 rwas 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 sanother little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were teyes like the eyes of man, and ua mouth speaking great things.

9 ¶I beheld till vthe thrones were wcast down, and the xAncient of days did sit, whose ygarment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: zhis throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A afiery stream issued and came forth from before him: bthousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: cthe judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of dthe voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till ethe beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning fthe rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet 5their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, gone like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the hAncient of days, and ithey brought him near before him.

14 And there jwas given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is kan everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 ¶I Daniel lwas grieved in my spirit in the midst of my 6body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto mone of them that stood by, and nasked 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 ofour kings, which shall arise pout of the earth.

18 But the saints of the 7most High qshall 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 8from 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;

  • 8: Chald. from all those.

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of rthe other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, swhose look was more *stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn tmade war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 uUntil the Ancient of days came, and vjudgment was given to the saints of the most High; and wthe time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be xthe 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 yten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and zanother shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall aspeak great words against the most High, and shall bwear out the saints of the most High, and think cto change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until da time and times and the dividing of time.

26 eBut the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27 And fthe 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 gall 9dominions shall serve and obey him.

28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations hmuch troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but iI kept the matter in my heart.