¶ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel² had³ a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote⁴ the dream, and told the sum of the matters⁵.

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four⁶ winds of the heaven strove upon the great⁷ sea.

And four⁸ great beasts⁹ came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The first was like¹⁰ a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings¹¹ thereof were plucked, and it¹² was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a¹³ man's heart was given to it.

And behold another¹⁴ beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side¹⁵, and it had three ribs¹⁶ in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise¹⁷, devour much flesh.

After this I beheld, and lo¹⁸ another¹⁹, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings²⁰ of a fowl; the beast had also four heads²¹; and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw²² in the night visions, and behold a fourth²³ 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 ten²⁴ horns.

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another²⁵ little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like²⁶ the eyes of man, and a mouth²⁷ speaking great things.

¶ I beheld till²⁸ the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient²⁹ of days did sit, whose³⁰ garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne³¹ was like the fiery flame, and his wheels³² as burning fire.

¶ A fiery³³ stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands³⁴ ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment³⁵ was set, and the books were opened.

I beheld then because of the voice³⁶ of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even³⁷ till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

As concerning the rest³⁸ of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged³⁹ for a season and time.

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like⁴⁰ the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient⁴¹ of days, and they⁴² brought him near before him.

And there was given⁴³ him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all⁴⁴ people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting⁴⁵ dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

¶ I Daniel was grieved⁴⁶ in my spirit in the midst of my body⁴⁷, and the visions⁴⁸ of my head troubled me.

I came near unto one⁴⁹ 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.

These great⁵⁰ beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out⁵¹ of the earth.

But the saints⁵² of the most High⁵³ shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Then I would know the truth of the fourth⁵⁴ beast, which was diverse from all the others,⁵⁵ exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

¶ And of the ten horns⁵⁶ 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 look⁵⁷ was more stout than his fellows.

⁵⁸I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Until the Ancient⁵⁹ of days came, and judgment⁶⁰ was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Thus he said, The fourth⁶¹ 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.

And the ten⁶² horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another⁶³ shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

And he shall speak⁶⁴ great words against the most High, and shall wear out⁶⁵ the saints of the most High, and think⁶⁶ to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time⁶⁷ and times and the dividing of time.

⁶⁸But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

And the kingdom and⁶⁹ 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 kingdom⁷⁰ is an everlasting kingdom, and all⁷¹ dominions⁷² shall serve and obey him.

Hitherto is the end⁷³ of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations⁷⁴ much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but⁷⁵ I kept the matter in my heart.