Daniel 8
New Catholic Bible
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat[a]
Chapter 8
Vision of the Ram and He-Goat. 1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, I, Daniel, had another vision subsequent to the first vision that I had previously experienced. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa[b] in the province of Elam, standing by the Ulai canal.
3 When I looked up, I saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two horns. Both of the horns were tall, but one was taller than the other, although the other had appeared first. 4 I observed the ram butting toward the west, the north, and the south. No beast could withstand it or escape from its power. It did as it pleased and became very strong.
5 As I was pondering this, a he-goat appeared from the west, skimming over the entire surface of the world without touching the ground, and between its eyes it had one prominent horn. 6 It approached the two-horned ram, which I had seen standing by the river, and charged it with savage fury.
7 I saw it charge the ram in a fit of rage and attack it with the full force of its fury, breaking both of its horns and leaving the ram powerless to withstand the attack. Having thrown the ram to the ground, it trampled it underfoot, and there was no one there to rescue the ram. 8 The he-goat then grew even more powerful but at the height of its strength the great horn shattered, and in its place there came forth four majestic horns pointing toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of these horns sprang forth a small horn which grew ever larger and poured forth its strength toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of heaven, after which it flung down to the earth some of the host as well as some of the stars and trampled on them.
11 It even challenged arrogantly the power of the prince of the host. It abolished his right to offer the daily sacrifice and destroyed his sanctuary. 12 The army, too, was abolished, while the daily sacrifice was replaced by sin. It cast truth to the ground and succeeded in everything it did.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will it be before this vision is fulfilled—the vision of sacrifice, the desolation of transgressions, and daily trampling of the sanctuary and the host?” 14 The first one replied, “Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings have passed. Then the sanctuary will be purified.”
15 Interpretation of the Vision. While I, Daniel, tried to understand the vision that I had seen, I saw someone standing before me who had the appearance of a man. 16 Then I heard a human voice from the Ulai cry out, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he then approached the place where I was standing, I fell prostrate in terror. However, he said to me, “Understand this, son of man. The vision refers to the end time.”
18 As he spoke to me, I fell to the ground in a trance, face downward. However, he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 “I will show you,” he said, “what will take place later in the period of wrath, for at the appointed time there will be an end.
20 “The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes represents the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken and replaced by four other horns, four kingdoms shall rise from his nation but be lacking his power.
23 “At the end of their reign,
when their sins have reached their zenith,
a king will arise,
bold in countenance and skilled in intrigue.
24 His strength will continually increase,
but not by any power of his own.
He will wreak untold havoc
and succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy mighty nations
as well as the holy ones, God’s people.
25 “By cunning and deceit,
he will succeed in his treacherous plans.
He will devise great schemes
and wreak havoc on unsuspecting people.
He will finally challenge the power
of the Prince of princes,
but he will be broken
without any human intervention.
26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings
that has been revealed is true.
However, you must keep this vision secret,
because it points to times far ahead.”
27 Then I, Daniel, was overcome by exhaustion, and I lay sick for several days. After that I arose and attended to the king’s business. But I was perplexed by the vision, which I was unable to understand.
Footnotes
- Daniel 8:1 Daniel has a new vision. First, there is a ram with two horns of unequal length (that is, of unequal power): the Medes and the Persians. Then a goat comes from the West, a king of Greece, to snatch them from their place: Alexander the Great. When the latter dies, in 323 B.C., his successors, or Diadochi, will argue over the empire: the Lagids, the Seleucids, the Antigonids, and later the Attalids. Finally, the beautiful land, Jerusalem, falls into the power of Antiochus (v. 9), who attempts to subdue the soul of Israel by violence (v. 10). He identifies himself with God, suppresses the daily sacrifice (in 167 B.C.), and erects an altar for Zeus over the altar in the temple. But the days of the persecutor are numbered.
- Daniel 8:2 Susa, the capital of Elam, was the summer residence of the Persian kings.
Daniel 8
Revised Geneva Translation
8 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me Daniel, after that which appeared to me at first.
2 And I saw in a vision. And when I saw it, I was in the palace of Shushan, which is in the province of Elam. And in the vision, I thought I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I looked up, and saw. And behold, there stood before the river, a ram, which had two horns. And these two horns were high. But one was higher than the other. And the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing against the West, and against the North, and against the South; so that no beasts might stand before him, nor could deliver out of his hand. But he did as he pleased, and became great.
5 And as I considered, behold, a goat came from the West, over the whole earth, and did not touch the ground. And this goat had a horn that appeared between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing by the river, and ran to him in his fierce rage.
7 And I saw him come to the ram. And being angry with him, he struck the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand against him. But he cast him down to the ground, and stomped on him. And there was no one who could deliver the ram out of his power.
8 Therefore, the goat grew exceedingly great. And when he was at his strongest, his great horn was broken. And four, who appeared toward the four winds of the heaven, came up for it.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew very great toward the South, and toward the East, and toward the beautiful land.
10 Yea, it grew up to the host of heaven. And it cast down some of the host, and some of the stars to the ground, and tread upon them;
11 And extolled himself against the prince of the host, from whom the daily sacrifice was taken away. And the place of his Sanctuary was cast down.
12 And a time shall be given to him over the daily sacrifice for the iniquity. And it shall cast down the truth to the ground. And thus shall it do, and prosper.
13 Then I heard one of the Saints speaking. And one of the Saints spoke to a certain one, saying, “How long shall the vision of the daily sacrifice endure, and the iniquity of the desolation tread underfoot both the Sanctuary and the army?”
14 And he answered me, “Until the evening and the morning have passed two thousand three hundred times. Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.”
15 Now, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17 So he came where I stood. And when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man. For in the last time, shall be the vision.”
18 Now as he was speaking to me, I ,being asleep, had my face to the ground. But he touched me, and set me up in my place.
19 And he said, “Behold, I will show you what shall be in the last wrath. For at the end of the time appointed, it shall come.
20 “The ram, which you saw, having two horns, are the kings of the Medes and Persians.
21 “And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn that is between his eyes, is the first king.
22 “And that which was broken, and for which four stood up, are four kingdoms of that nation which shall stand up, but not in his strength.
23 “And in the end of their kingdom, when the rebellious shall be consumed, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 “And his power shall be mighty, but not in his strength. And he shall destroy wonderfully; and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 “And also by his influence, he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand. And he shall exalt himself in his heart. And by peace, he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the prince of princes, but he shall be broken down without hand.
26 “And the vision of the evening and the morning, which is declared, is true. Therefore, seal up the vision, for it shall happen after many days.”
27 And I, Daniel, was stricken and sick for some days. But when I rose up, I did the king’s business. And I was astonished at the vision. But no one understood it.
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