The overthrow of Persia by the king of Grecia.

1 ¶ Also I² in the firstº yearº of Dariusº the Mede,º [even] I, stood¹² to confirmºª and to strengthenº him. 2 And now² will I shewºª thee the truth.º Behold,² there shall stand upºª yet² threeº kingsº in Persia;º and the fourthº shall be far¹ richerºª²² than [they] all:¹²² and by his strengthº through his richesº he shall stir upºª all² against² the realmº of Grecia.º 3 And a mightyº kingº shall stand up,ºª that shall ruleºª with greatº dominion,º and doºª according to his will.º 4 And when he shall stand up,ºª his kingdomº shall be broken,ºª and shall be dividedºª toward the fourº windsº of heaven;º and not² to his posterity,º nor² according to his dominionº which² he ruled:ºª for² his kingdomº shall be plucked up,ºª even for othersº beside²² those.²

Leagues and conflicts between the kings of the south and the north.

5 ¶ And the kingº of the southº shall be strong,ºª and [one] of² his princes;º and he shall be strongºª above² him, and have dominion;ºª his dominion¹² [shall be] a greatº dominion.º 6 And in the endº of yearsº they shall join themselves together;ºª for the king'sº daughterº of the southº shall comeºª to² the kingº of the northº to makeºª an agreement:º but she shall not² retainºª the powerº of the arm;º neither² shall he stand,ºª nor his arm:º but she² shall be given up,ºª and they that broughtºª her, and he that begatºª her, and he that strengthenedºª her in [these] times.º 7 But out of a branchº² of her rootsº shall [one] stand upºª in his estate,º which shall comeºª with² an army,º and shall enterºª into the fortressº of the kingº of the north,º and shall dealºª against them, and shall prevail:ºª 8 And shall also² carryºª captivesº into Egyptº their gods,º with² their princes,º [and] with² their preciousº vesselsº of silverº and of gold;º and he² shall continueºª [more] yearsº than the kingº² of the north.º 9 So the kingº of the southº shall comeºª into [his] kingdom,º and shall returnºª into² his own land.º 10 But his sonsº shall be stirred up,ºª and shall assembleºª a multitudeº of greatº forces:º and [one] shall certainly¹ª come,ºª and overflow,ºª and pass through:ºª then shall he return,ºª and be stirred up,ºª [even] to² his fortress.º 11 And the kingº of the southº shall be moved with choler,ºª and shall come forthºª and fightºª with² him, [even] with² the kingº of the north:º and he shall set forthºª a greatº multitude;º but the multitudeº shall be givenºª into his hand.º 12 [And] when he hath taken awayºª the multitude,º his heartº shall be lifted up;ºªªª and he shall cast downºª [many] ten thousands:º but he shall not² be strengthenedºª [by it]. 13 For the kingº of the northº shall return,ºª and shall set forthºª a multitudeº greaterº than² the former,º and shall certainly¹ª comeºª afterº certainº yearsº with a greatº armyº and with muchº riches.º 14 And in those² timesº there shall manyº stand upºª against² the kingº of the south:º also the robbersºº of thy peopleº shall exalt¹ª themselves² to establishºª the vision;º but they shall fall.ºª 15 So the kingº of the northº shall come,ºª and cast upºª a mount,º and takeºª the most fencedº cities:º and the armsº of the southº shall not² withstand,ºª neither his chosenº people,º neither² [shall there be any] strengthº to withstand.ºª 16 But he that comethºª against² him shall doºª according to his own will,º and none² shall standºª beforeº him: and he shall standºª in the gloriousº land,º which by his handº shall be consumed.¹² 17 He shall also setºª his faceº to enterºª with the strengthº of his whole² kingdom,º and upright onesº with² him; thus shall he do:ºª and he shall giveºª him the daughterº of women,º corruptingºª her: but she shall not² standºª [on his side], neither² be² for him. 18 After this shall he turnº¹ªªª his faceº unto the isles,º and shall takeºª many:º but a princeº for his own behalf shall cause the reproachº offered by him to cease;ºª withoutº his own reproachº he shall cause [it] to turnºª upon him. 19 Then he shall turnºª his faceº toward the fortº of his own land:º but he shall stumbleºª and fall,ºª and not² be found.ºª 20 Then shall stand upºª in² his estateº a raiserºª of taxesºª [in] the gloryº of the kingdom:º but within fewº daysº he shall be destroyed,ºª neither² in anger,º nor² in battle.º 21 And in² his estateº shall stand upºª a vile person,ºª to² whom they shall not² giveºª the honourº of the kingdom:º but he shall come¹ª in² peaceably,º and obtainºª the kingdomº by flatteries.º 22 And with the armsº of a floodº shall they be overflownºª from beforeº² him, and shall be broken;ºª yea, also² the princeº of the covenant.º 23 And after² the leagueºª [made] with² him he shall workºª deceitfully:º for he shall come up,ºª and shall become strongºª with a smallº people.º 24 He shall enterºª peaceablyº even upon the fattest placesº of the province;º and he shall doºª [that] which² his fathersº have not² done,ºª nor his fathers'º fathers;º he shall scatterºª among them the prey,º and spoil,º and riches:º [yea], and he shall forecastºª his devicesº against² the strong holds,º even for² a time.º 25 And he shall stir upºª his powerº and his courageº against² the kingº of the southº with a greatº army;º and the kingº of the southº shall be stirred upºª to battleº with a veryº² greatº and mightyº army;º but he shall not² stand:ºª for² they shall forecastºª devicesº against² him. 26 Yea, they that feedºª of the portion of his meatº shall destroyºª him, and his armyº shall overflow:ºª and manyº shall fall¹ª down² slain.º 27 And bothº these kings'º heartsº [shall be] to do mischief,ºª¹ and they shall speakºª liesº at² oneº table;º but it shall not² prosper:ºª for² yet² the endº [shall be] at the time appointed.º 28 Then shall he returnºª into his landº with greatº riches;º and his heartº [shall be] against² the holyº covenant;º and he shall doºª [exploits], and returnºª to his own land.º 29 At the time appointedº he shall return,ºª and comeºª toward the south;º but it shall not² be² as the former,º or as the latter.º

The invasion and tyranny of the Romans.

30 ¶ For the shipsº of Chittimº shall comeºª against him: therefore he shall be grieved,ºª and return,ºª and have indignationºª against² the holyº covenant:º so shall he do;ºª he shall even return,ºª and have intelligenceºª with² them that forsakeºª the holyº covenant.º 31 And armsº shall standºª on his part,² and they shall polluteºª the sanctuaryº of strength,º and shall take awayºª the dailyº [sacrifice], and they shall placeºª the abominationº that maketh desolate.ºª 32 And such as do wickedly¹ª against² the covenantº shall he corruptºª by flatteries:º but the peopleº that do knowºª their Godº shall be strong,ºª and doºª [exploits]. 33 And they that understandºª among the peopleº shall instructºª many:º yet they shall fallºª by the sword,º and by flame,º by captivity,º and by spoil,º [many] days.º 34 Now when they shall fall,ºª they shall be holpenºª with a littleº help:º but manyº shall cleaveºª to² them with flatteries.º 35 And [some] of² them of understandingºª shall fall,ºª to tryºª them, and to purge,ºª and to make [them] white,ºª [even] to² the timeº of the end:º because² [it is] yet² for a time appointed.º 36 And the kingº shall doºª according to his will;º and he shall exalt¹ª himself,² and magnify¹ª himself² above² every² god,º and shall speakºª marvellous thingsºª against² the Godº of gods,º and shall prosperºª till² the indignationº be accomplished:ºª for² that that is determinedºª shall be done.ºª 37 Neither shall he regardºª²² the Godº of his fathers,º nor the desireº of women,º nor regard¹ª any²²² god:º for² he shall magnify¹ª himself² above² all.² 38 But in² his estateº shall he honourºª the Godº of forces:º and a godº whom² his fathersº knewºª not² shall he honourºª with gold,º and silver,º and with preciousº stones,º and pleasant things.¹² 39 Thus shall he doºª in the most strong¹ holdsº² with² a strangeº god,º whom² he shall acknowledgeºªªª [and] increaseºª with glory:º and he shall cause them to ruleºª over many,º and shall divideºª the landº for gain.º 40 And at the timeº of the endº shall the kingº of the southº pushºª at² him: and the kingº of the northº shall come against him like a whirlwind,ºª² with chariots,º and with horsemen,º and with manyº ships;º and he shall enterºª into the countries,º and shall overflowºª and pass over.ºª 41 He shall enterºª also into the gloriousº land,º and manyº [countries] shall be overthrown:ºª but these² shall escapeºª out of his hand,º² [even] Edom,º and Moab,º and the chiefº of the childrenº of Ammon.º 42 He shall stretch forthºª his handº also upon the countries:º and the landº of Egyptº shall not² escape.º² 43 But he shall have powerºª over the treasuresº of goldº and of silver,º and over all² the precious¹ things² of Egypt:º and the Libyansº and the Ethiopiansº [shall be] at his steps.º 44 But tidingsº out of the eastº² and out of the northº² shall troubleºª him: therefore he shall go forthºª with greatº furyº to destroy,ºª and utterly to make awayºª many.º 45 And he shall plantºª the tabernaclesº of his palaceº between² the seasº in the gloriousº holyº mountain;º yet he shall comeºª to² his end,º and none² shall helpºª him.