| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1In year one of King Darius the Mede, I arose to fortify and strengthen him.'" | 1In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him. |
| 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. | 2Now I will tell you the truth." Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. |
| 3"'A mighty king will come to power, and he'll rule with awesome energy, doing whatever he pleases. | 3Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants. |
| 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. | 4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven, but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them." |
| 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. | 5The king of the South will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his. |
| 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. | 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. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father, and the one who supported her during those times. |
| 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. | 7In the place of the king of the South, one from her family will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph. |
| 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. | 8He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North, |
| 9Then he'll come against the realm of the southern king and then return to his own territory. | 9who will enter the kingdom of the king of the South and then return to his own land." |
| 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. | 10His sons will mobilize for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood, and will again wage war as far as his fortress. |
| 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. | 11Infuriated, the king of the South will march out to fight with the king of the North who will raise a large army but they will be handed over to his enemy. |
| 12When that army has been defeated, he'll become overconfident and slaughter many thousands, but he won't succeed. | 12When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph. |
| 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.'" | 13The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies." |
| 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. | 14In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will assert themselves to fulfill a vision, but they will fail. |
| 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. | 15Then the king of the North will come, build up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their select troops will not be able to resist. |
| 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. | 16The king of the North who comes against him will do whatever he wants, and no one can oppose him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land with total destruction in his hand. |
| 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. | 17He will resolve to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with him. He will give him a daughter in marriage to destroy it, but she will not stand with him or support 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. | 18Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him. |
| 19He'll turn his attention toward the fortresses in his own territory, but he'll stumble and fall, and won't endure. | 19He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble, fall, and be no more." |
| 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.'" | 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 shattered, though not in anger or in battle." |
| 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. | 21In his place a despised person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come during a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue. |
| 22Overwhelming forces will be carried away before him, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the covenant. | 22A flood of forces will be swept away before him; they will be shattered, as well as the covenant prince. |
| 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. | 23After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully. He will rise to power with a small nation. |
| 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. | 24During a time of peace, he will come into the richest parts of the province and do what his fathers and predecessors never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will make plans against fortified cities, but only for a time." |
| 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. | 25With a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will prepare for battle with an extremely large and powerful army, but he will not succeed, because plots will be made against him. |
| 26His own security detail will undermine him, his army will be swept away, and many will fall and be killed in battle. | 26Those who eat his provisions will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. |
| 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. | 27The two kings, whose hearts are bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time. |
| 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.'" | 28The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; he will take action, then return to his own land." |
| 29"'At the scheduled time he'll return, moving southward, but the end result won't be as before, | 29At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time will not be like the first. |
| 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. | 30Ships of Kittim will come against him, and being intimidated, he will withdraw. Then he will rage against the holy covenant and take action. On his return, he will favor those who abandon the holy covenant. |
| 31Armed forces will arise from his midst, and they'll desecrate the fortified Sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and establish the destructive desecration. | 31His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. |
| 32Through flattery he'll corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but people who know their God will be strong and take action. | 32With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. |
| 33Insightful people will impart understanding to many, though they'll fall by sword, by fire, by captivity, and as war booty for a while. | 33Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many, yet they will die by sword and flame, and be captured and plundered for a time. |
| 34When they fall, they'll be given some relief, but many will join them by pretending to be sympathetic to their cause. | 34When defeated, they will be helped by some, but many others will join them insincerely. |
| 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.'" | 35Some of the wise will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." |
| 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. | 36Then the king will do whatever he wants. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, because what has been decreed will be accomplished. |
| 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. | 37He will not show regard for the gods of his fathers, the god longed for by women, or for any other god, because he will magnify himself above all. |
| 38He'll glorify the god of fortresses, a god whom his ancestors never knew, honoring him with gold, silver, valuable jewels, and treasures. | 38Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses--a god his fathers did not know--with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. |
| 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. | 39He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing land as a reward." |
| 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. | 40At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood. |
| 41He'll enter the Beautiful Land, and many will fall, even though these will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and certain Ammonite officials. | 41He will also invade the beautiful land, and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of the Ammonites. |
| 42He'll extend his power over other countries, and even the land of Egypt won't escape. | 42He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. |
| 43He'll capture treasures of gold, silver, and all the treasures of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites at his feet. | 43He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission. |
| 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. | 44But reports from the east and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many. |
| 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.'" | 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. |
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