1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed : then he wrote the dream , and told the sum of the matters .
2 Daniel spake and said , I saw in my vision by night , and, behold , the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea .
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea , diverse one from another .
4 The first was like a lion , and had eagle's wings : I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked , and it was lifted up from the earth , and made stand upon the feet as a man , and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast , a second , like to a bear , and it raised up itself on one side , and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise , devour much flesh .
6 After this I beheld , and lo another , like a leopard , which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl ; the beast had also four heads ; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions , and behold a fourth 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 ten horns .
8 I considered the horns , and, behold , there came up among them another little horn , before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots : and, behold , in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man , and a mouth speaking great things .
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down , and the Ancient of days did sit , whose garment was white as snow , and the hair of his head like the pure wool : his throne was like the fiery flame , and his wheels as burning fire .
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set , and the books were opened .
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake : I beheld even till the beast was slain , and his body destroyed , and given to the burning flame .
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts , they had their dominion taken away : yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time .
13 I saw in the night visions , and, behold , one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven , and came to the Ancient of days , and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion , and glory , and a kingdom , that all people , nations , and languages , should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion , which shall not pass away , and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed .
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body , and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one 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 .
17 These great beasts , which are four , are four kings , which shall arise out of the earth .
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom , and possess the kingdom for ever , even for ever and ever .
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast , which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful , whose teeth were of iron , and his nails of brass ; which devoured , brake in pieces , and stamped the residue with his feet ;
20 And of the ten horns 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 look was more stout than his fellows .
21 I beheld , and the same horn made war with the saints , and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came , and judgment was given to the saints of the most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom .
23 Thus he said , The fourth 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 .
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise : and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first , and he shall subdue three kings .
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High , and shall wear out the saints of the most High , and think to change times and laws : and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time .
26 But the judgment shall sit , and they shall take away his dominion , to consume and to destroy it unto the end .
27 And the kingdom and 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 kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter . As for me Daniel , my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me : but I kept the matter in my heart .
