Berean Study Bible | International Standard Version |
1“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him. | 1In year one of King Darius the Mede, I arose to fortify and strengthen him.'" |
2Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. | 2"'Now I'll tell you the truth: Pay attention! Three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain more than them all. As soon as he gains power by means of his wealth, he'll stir up everyone against the Grecian kingdoms. |
3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. | 3"'A mighty king will come to power, and he'll rule with awesome energy, doing whatever he pleases. |
4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others. | 4However, after he has come to power, his kingdom will be broken and parceled out in all directions. It won't go to his succeeding descendants, nor will its power match how he ruled, because his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to successors besides them. |
5The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority. | 5"'The southern king will become strong, along with one of his officials, who will become stronger than he and rule over his own realm with great power. |
6After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. | 6After a number of years, they'll become allies and the daughter of the southern king will go to the northern king in order to craft alliances. But she won't remain in power, nor will he retain his power. Instead, she'll be surrendered, along with her entourage, the one who fathered her, and the one who supported her at that time. |
7But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing. | 7"'One of her family line will replace him. He'll come against the army and enter the fortress of the northern king, conquering them and becoming victorious. |
8He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, | 8He'll also take their gods, their molten images, and their valuable vessels of silver and gold into Egypt as hostages. He'll avoid the northern king for a number of years. |
9who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land. | 9Then he'll come against the realm of the southern king and then return to his own territory. |
10But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress. | 10His sons will prepare for war, assembling an army of considerable force. One of them will come on forcefully, overflowing, passing through, and waging war up to his own fortress. |
11In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy. | 11"'The southern king will fly into a rage and march out to fight the northern king. He'll gather a large army, but that army will be handed over to him. |
12When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph. | 12When that army has been defeated, he'll become overconfident and slaughter many thousands, but he won't succeed. |
13For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies. | 13The northern king will return and raise a greater army than before. After a few years, he'll advance with a great force and with a vast amount of armaments.'" |
14In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail. | 14"'During those years, many will rebel against the southern king. The more violent ones among your people will rebel in order to fulfill this vision, but they will fail. |
15Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist. | 15Then the northern king will come, erect a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces won't prevail—not even with their best troops—and they'll have no strength to take a stand. |
16The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. | 16"'However, the one who invades him will do whatever he wants to do. No one will oppose him. He'll establish himself in the Beautiful Land, wielding devastating power. |
17He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him. | 17He'll decide to come with the full power of his kingdom, bringing with him an alliance that he'll implement. He'll give him a daughter in marriage to overthrow it, but it won't succeed or work out for him. |
18Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him. | 18Then he'll turn his attention to the coastal lands and will capture many. But a commander will put an end to his insolence, repaying him for his scorn. |
19After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more. | 19He'll turn his attention toward the fortresses in his own territory, but he'll stumble and fall, and won't endure. |
20In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle. | 20His successor will send out a tax collector for royal splendor, but in a short period of time he'll be shattered, though neither in anger nor in battle.'" |
21In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue. | 21"'In his place there will arise a despicable person, upon whom no royal authority has been conferred, but he'll invade in a time of tranquility, taking over the kingdom through deception. |
22Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. | 22Overwhelming forces will be carried away before him, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the covenant. |
23After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. | 23From the time that an alliance is made with him, he'll act deceitfully, and he will go up and take power with only a small group of nations. |
24In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time. | 24He'll invade the most prosperous areas of the province during a time of tranquility, accomplishing what neither his predecessors nor his ancestors ever could. He'll distribute war spoils, booty, and wealth to them, and he'll plot the overthrow of fortresses, though only for a time. |
25And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him. | 25He'll encourage himself against the southern king by raising a large army. As a result, the southern king will mobilize for war with a large and powerful army, but he won't succeed because they will devise elaborate schemes against him. |
26Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. | 26His own security detail will undermine him, his army will be swept away, and many will fall and be killed in battle. |
27And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time. | 27Now as for the two kings, their intentions will be evil, and they'll promote deception at their dinner table, but none of this will succeed, because the end won't have come yet. |
28The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land. | 28Then he'll return to his homeland with great wealth, will focus his attention against the holy covenant, and will take action as he returns to his land.'" |
29At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first. | 29"'At the scheduled time he'll return, moving southward, but the end result won't be as before, |
30Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. | 30because ships will come against him from the Mediterranean islands. Disheartened, he'll return, incited to vehemence against the holy covenant, and he'll take action. As he returns, he'll show deference to those who abandon the holy covenant. |
31His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. | 31Armed forces will arise from his midst, and they'll desecrate the fortified Sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and establish the destructive desecration. |
32With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. | 32Through flattery he'll corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but people who know their God will be strong and take action. |
33Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered. | 33Insightful people will impart understanding to many, though they'll fall by sword, by fire, by captivity, and as war booty for a while. |
34Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. | 34When they fall, they'll be given some relief, but many will join them by pretending to be sympathetic to their cause. |
35Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. | 35Some of the insightful will fall so they may be refined, purged, and purified until the time of the end, since it will surely come about.'" |
36Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. | 36"'The king will do as he pleases. He'll exalt and magnify himself above every god, speaking amazing things against the God of Gods. He'll succeed until the indignation is completed, because what has been determined must be carried out. |
37He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all. | 37He'll recognize neither the gods of his ancestors nor those desired by women—he won't recognize any god, because he'll exalt himself above everything. |
38And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. | 38He'll glorify the god of fortresses, a god whom his ancestors never knew, honoring him with gold, silver, valuable jewels, and treasures. |
39He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price. | 39He'll take action against the strongest fortresses. With the help of a foreign god, he'll recognize those who honor him, making them rule over many, and he'll parcel out the land for a profit. |
40At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. | 40"'At the time of the end, the southern king will oppose him, and the northern king will overrun him with chariots, cavalry, and many ships. He'll invade countries, moving swiftly and sweeping through. |
41He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites. | 41He'll enter the Beautiful Land, and many will fall, even though these will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and certain Ammonite officials. |
42He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. | 42He'll extend his power over other countries, and even the land of Egypt won't escape. |
43He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him. | 43He'll capture treasures of gold, silver, and all the treasures of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites at his feet. |
44But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction. | 44However, reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he'll march out in great anger, intending to destroy and to desolate many. |
45He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him. | 45When he pitches his royal pavilions between the seas facing the mountain of holy Glory, he'll come to his end, and no one will help him.'" |
The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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