11
1 “As
for me, in
the first year of
Darius the Mede,
I stood up
to confirm and
strengthen him.
2 “Now
I will show
you the truth.
Behold, three more
kings will stand
up in Persia.
The fourth will
be far richer
than all of
them. When he
has grown strong
through his riches,
he will stir
up all against
the realm of
Greece.
3 A
mighty king will
stand up, who
will rule with
great dominion,
and do according
to his will.
4 When
he stands up,
his kingdom will
be broken and
will be
divided toward the four
winds of the
sky, but not
to his posterity,
nor according to
his dominion with
which he ruled;
for his kingdom
will be plucked
up, even for others
besides these.
5 “The
king of the
south will be
strong. One of
his princes
will become stronger
than him, and
have dominion. His
dominion will be
a great dominion.
6 At
the end of
years they will
join themselves
together; and the
daughter of the
king of the
south will come
to the king
of the north
to make an
agreement, but she
will not retain
the strength of
her arm. He
will also not
stand, nor will
his arm; but
she will be
given up, with
those who brought
her, and he
who became the
father of her,
and he who
strengthened her
in those times.
7 “But
out of a shoot
from her roots
one will stand
up in his
place, who
will come to the
army and will
enter into the
fortress of the
king of the
north, and will
deal against them
and will prevail.
8 He
will also carry
their gods with
their molten images,
and with their
goodly vessels of
silver and of
gold, captive into
Egypt. He will
refrain some years
from the king
of the north.
9 He
will come into
the realm of
the king of
the south, but
he will return
into his own land.
10 His
sons will wage
war, and
will assemble a
multitude of great
forces which will
come on, and
overflow, and pass
through. They will
return and wage
war, even to
his fortress.
11 “The
king of the
south will be
moved with anger
and will come
out and fight
with him, even
with the king
of the north.
He will send
out a great
multitude, and the
multitude will be
given into his
hand.
12 The
multitude will be
carried off, and
his heart will
be exalted. He
will cast down
tens of thousands,
but he won’t
prevail.
13 The
king of the
north will return,
and will send out
a multitude
greater than the
former. He will
come on at
the end of
the times, even of
years, with a
great army and
with abundant
supplies.
14 “In
those times many
will stand up
against the king
of the south.
Also the children
of the violent
among your people
will lift
themselves up to
establish the
vision, but they
will fall.
15 So
the king of
the north will
come and cast
up a mound, and
take a
well-fortified city.
The forces of
the south won’t
stand, neither
will his select
troops, neither
will there be
any strength to
stand.
16 But he
who comes against
him will do
according to his
own will, and
no one will
stand before him.
He will stand
in the glorious
land, and
destruction will
be in his
hand.
17 He
will set his
face to come
with the strength
of his whole
kingdom, and with
him equitable conditions. He
will perform them.
He will give
him the daughter
of women, to
destroy the
kingdom, but she
will not stand,
and won’t be for
him.
18 After this
he will turn
his face to
the islands, and
will take many,
but a prince
will cause the
reproach offered by
him to cease. Yes,
moreover, he will
cause his reproach
to turn on
him.
19 Then
he will turn
his face toward
the fortresses of
his own land;
but he will
stumble and fall,
and won’t be found.
20 “Then
one who will cause
a tax collector to
pass through the
kingdom to maintain
its glory will
stand up in
his place; but
within few days he
shall be destroyed,
not in anger,
and not in
battle.
21 “In
his place
a contemptible person
will stand up,
to whom they had
not given the
honor of the
kingdom; but he
will come in time
of security, and
will obtain the
kingdom by
flatteries.
22 The
overwhelming forces
will be
overwhelmed from
before him, and
will be broken.
Yes, also the
prince of the
covenant.
23 After
the treaty made
with him he
will work
deceitfully; for
he will come
up and will
become strong with
few people.
24 In
time of security
he will come even
on the fattest
places of the
province. He will
do that which
his fathers have
not done, nor
his fathers’ fathers. He
will scatter among
them prey, plunder,
and wealth. Yes,
he will devise
his plans against
the strongholds,
but only for
a time.
25 “He
will stir up
his power and
his courage
against the king
of the south
with a great
army; and the
king of the
south will wage
war in battle
with an
exceedingly great
and mighty army,
but he won’t stand;
for they will
devise plans
against him.
26 Yes, those
who eat of his
delicacies will
destroy him, and
his army will
be swept away.
Many will fall
down slain.
27 As
for both these
kings, their
hearts will be
to do evil, and
they will speak
lies at one
table; but it won’t
prosper, for the
end will still
be at the
appointed time.
28 Then
he will return
into his land with
great wealth. His
heart will be
against the holy
covenant. He will
take action, and
return to his own
land.
29 “He
will return at
the appointed time
and come into
the south; but
it won’t be in
the latter time as
it was in
the former.
30 For
ships of Kittim
will come against
him. Therefore he
will be grieved,
and will return,
and have
indignation against
the holy covenant,
and will take
action. He will
even return, and
have regard to
those who forsake
the holy covenant.
31 “Forces
from him will
profane the
sanctuary, even the
fortress, and will
take away the
continual burnt
offering. Then
they will set
up the abomination
that makes
desolate.
32 He
will corrupt those
who do wickedly
against the
covenant by
flatteries; but
the people who
know their God
will be strong
and take action.
33 “Those
who are wise
among the people
will instruct many;
yet they will
fall by the
sword and by
flame, by
captivity and
by plunder, many
days.
34 Now
when they fall,
they will be
helped with a
little help; but
many will join
themselves to them
with flatteries.
35 Some
of those who
are wise will
fall—to refine
them, and to
purify, and to
make them white,
even to the
time of the
end, because it
is yet for
the time appointed.
36 “The
king will do
according to his
will. He will
exalt himself and
magnify himself
above every god,
and will speak
marvelous things
against the God
of gods. He will
prosper until the
indignation is
accomplished, for
that which is
determined will be
done.
37 He won’t
regard the gods of
his fathers, or
the desire
of women, or
regard any god;
for he will
magnify himself
above all.
38 But
in their place,
he will honor
the god of
fortresses. He
will honor a
god whom his fathers didn’t
know with gold,
silver, and with
precious stones and
pleasant things.
39 He
will deal with
the strongest
fortresses by the
help of a
foreign god. He
will increase with
glory whoever acknowledges
him. He will
cause them to
rule over many,
and will divide
the land for a
price.
40 “At
the time of
the end the
king of the
south will contend
with him; and
the king of
the north will
come against him
like a whirlwind,
with chariots,
with horsemen, and
with many ships.
He will enter
into the countries,
and will overflow
and pass through.
41 He
will enter also
into the
glorious land, and
many countries will
be overthrown;
but these will be
delivered out of
his hand: Edom,
Moab, and the
chief of the
children of Ammon.
42 He
will also stretch
out his hand
on the countries.
The land of
Egypt won’t escape.
43 But
he will have
power over the
treasures of gold
and of silver,
and over all
the precious
things of Egypt.
The Libyans and
the Ethiopians
will follow his
steps.
44 But
news out of
the east and
out of the
north will trouble
him; and he
will go out
with great fury
to destroy and
utterly to sweep
away many.
45 He
will plant
the tents of
his palace between
the sea and
the glorious holy
mountain; yet he
will come to his
end, and no one
will help him.