¶ Also I in the¹ first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm² and to strengthen him.

And now will I³ shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three⁴ kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far⁵ richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir⁶ up all against the realm of Grecia.

And a mighty⁷ king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do⁸ according to his will.

And when he shall stand⁹ up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be¹⁰ divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked¹¹ up, even for others beside those.

¶ And the king¹² of the south shall be strong, and one¹³ of his princes; and he shall¹⁴ be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

And in the end¹⁵ of years they shall join themselves¹⁶ together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king¹⁷ of the north to make an agreement¹⁸: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be¹⁹ given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her,²⁰ and he that strengthened her in these times.

But out of²¹ a branch of her roots shall one stand²² up in his estate²³, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail²⁴:

And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods²⁵, with their princes, and with their precious vessels²⁶ of silver and of gold; and he shall continue²⁷ more years than the king of the north.

So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

¶ But his sons²⁸ shall be stirred up²⁹, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up³⁰, even to his fortress.

And the king of the south³¹ shall be moved³² with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude³³ shall be given into his hand.

And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart³⁴ shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.

For the king³⁵ of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years³⁶ with a great army and with much riches.

And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people³⁷ shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

So the king of the north shall come, and cast up³⁸ a mount, and take the most fenced cities³⁹: and the arms of the south shall not⁴⁰ withstand, neither his chosen people⁴¹, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

But he that cometh against him shall do⁴² according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land⁴³, which by his hand shall be consumed.

He shall also⁴⁵ set⁴⁶ his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones⁴⁷ with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

After this shall he turn⁴⁸ his face unto the isles⁴⁹, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf⁵⁰ shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but⁵¹ he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

¶ Then shall stand up in his estate⁵² a raiser of taxes in the⁵³ glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger⁵⁴, nor in battle.

¶ And in his estate⁵⁵ shall stand⁵⁶ up a vile person⁵⁷, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries⁵⁸.

And with⁵⁹ the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also⁶⁰ the prince of the covenant.

And after the league made with him he shall work⁶¹ deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest⁶² places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices⁶³ against the strong holds, even for a time.

And he shall stir up⁶⁴ his power and his courage against the king of the south with⁶⁵ a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.

Yea, they that feed⁶⁶ of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow⁶⁷: and many shall fall down slain.

And both these kings' hearts⁶⁸ shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies⁶⁹ at one table; but⁷⁰ it shall not prosper: for yet⁷¹ the end shall be at the time appointed.

Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy⁷² covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

At the time⁷³ appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former⁷⁴, or as the latter.

¶ For the ships⁷⁵ of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation⁷⁶ against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence⁷⁷ with them that forsake the holy covenant.

And arms⁷⁸ shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute⁷⁹ the sanctuary of strength, and shall take⁸⁰ away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination⁸¹ that maketh desolate⁸².

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be⁸³ strong, and do exploits.

And they that understand⁸⁷ among the people shall instruct many: yet⁸⁸ they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Now when they shall fall, they shall be⁸⁹ holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave⁹⁰ to them with flatteries.

And some⁹¹ of them of understanding shall fall, to try⁹² them,⁹³ and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

And the king shall do⁹⁴ according to his will; and he⁹⁵ shall exalt⁹⁶ himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak⁹⁷ marvellous things against the God⁹⁸ of gods, and shall prosper till⁹⁹ the indignation be accomplished: for¹⁰⁰ that that is determined shall be done.

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire¹⁰¹ of women, nor regard¹⁰² any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

But in his estate¹⁰³ shall he honour the God of forces¹⁰⁴: and a god¹⁰⁵ whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things¹⁰⁶.

Thus shall he do in the most strong holds¹⁰⁷ with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

¶ And at the¹⁰⁸ time of the end shall the king of the south¹⁰⁹ push at him: and the king of the north¹¹⁰ shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen¹¹¹, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow¹¹² and pass over.

He shall enter¹¹³ also into the glorious land¹¹⁴, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

He shall stretch forth¹¹⁶ his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans¹¹⁷ and the Ethiopians shall be at his¹¹⁸ steps.

But tidings out of the east¹¹⁹ and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between¹²⁰ the seas in the¹²¹ glorious holy mountain¹²²; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.