1“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
2Now I will show you the truth. Look, there will be three more kings in Persia. Then a fourth king will appear, who will be far richer than all of them. When he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
3Then a mighty king will rise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.
4But as soon as he rises to power, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of the sky. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it be as powerful as he ruled it; for his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others, not to these.
5The king of the south will be strong, and one of his commanders will also be strong; he will be stronger than the king of the south and will have a great kingdom.
6After some years, they will form an alliance. The daughter of the king of the south will go to the king of the north to make a treaty, but she will not retain her power, nor will his power last. She will be given up, along with those who brought her, her father, and the one who supported her in those times.
7But a branch from her roots will rise in his place. He will come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north. He will attack them and be victorious.
8He will also carry their gods, their cast images, and their valuable articles of silver and gold into captivity in Egypt. For some years, he will leave the king of the north alone.
9The king of the north will invade the kingdom of the south but then return to his own land.
10His sons will go to war and gather a large army, which will advance, overflow, and pass through. Then they will return and fight their way to his fortress.
11The king of the south will become enraged and march out to fight the king of the north. The king of the north will send out a large army, but that army will be defeated by the king of the south.
12The large army will be carried away, and the king of the south will become proud. He will destroy tens of thousands, but he will not remain victorious for long.
13The king of the north will return and gather an army even larger than the first. After some years, he will come with a great army and much equipment.
14In those times, many will rise up against the king of the south. Also, rebellious elements among your own people will rise up to fulfill the vision, but they will fail.
15The king of the north will come, build a siege ramp, and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not be able to stand, neither their chosen people, nor will they have any strength to resist.
16The one who attacks him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand against him. He will settle in the beautiful land, and destruction will be in his hand.
17He will decide to come with the full strength of his kingdom, and he will make peaceful agreements with them. He will carry out these agreements, and he will give him a young woman in marriage to corrupt her, but she will not succeed or be loyal to him.
18After this, he will turn his attention to the islands and capture many. But a leader will stop the insults he makes, and not only that, but he will turn his insults back on him.
19Then he will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, and will not be found.
20Then, in his place, someone will rise up who will send a tax collector through the kingdom to maintain its splendor. But within a few days he will be destroyed, not in anger or in battle.
21In his place, a contemptible person will rise up, someone who was not given the honor of the kingdom. But he will come in a time of peace and gain the kingdom through deceptive flattery.
22Overwhelming forces will be swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant.
23After making a treaty with him, he will act deceptively. He will rise to power and become strong with only a small number of people.
24In a time of peace, he will attack the richest parts of the province. He will do what neither his ancestors nor his father's fathers ever did: he will distribute plunder, spoil, and wealth among them. He will also plan attacks against strongholds, but only for a certain period.
25He will stir up his power and courage against the king of the south with a large army. The king of the south will fight him with a very large and mighty army, but he will not stand, because they will devise schemes against him.
26Even those who eat his finest food will betray him. His army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.
27Both of these kings, with malicious intentions, will sit at the same table and tell lies to each other, but it will not succeed, because the end is still set for the appointed time.
28Then he will return to his land with great riches, and his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land.
29At the appointed time, he will return and come into the south, but this time it will not be like before.
30For ships from Kittim will come against him. Therefore, he will be disheartened and return, filled with anger against the holy covenant. He will take action, and even return and show favor to those who abandon the holy covenant.
31His forces will take a stand and profane the sanctuary, even the fortress. They will take away the daily burnt offering and set up the abomination that causes desolation.
32He will corrupt with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.
33Those who are wise among the people will instruct many, yet they will fall by sword and fire, by captivity and plunder for many days.
34Now, when they fall, they will receive a little help, but many will join them with flattery.
35Some of those who are wise will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end; because it is yet for the appointed time.
36The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is complete, for what has been decided must take place.
37He will not pay attention to the gods of his ancestors, nor to the desire of women, nor will he regard any god, for he will magnify himself above all.
38Instead, in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses. And a god whom his ancestors did not know he will honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and expensive gifts.
39He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will grant great honor to those who acknowledge him, make them rulers over many, and divide the land among them as a reward.
40In the end times, the king of the south will fight him; and the king of the north will attack him like a whirlwind, with chariots, cavalry, and many ships. He will enter various countries, flooding and passing through them.
41He will also enter the beautiful land, and many countries will be defeated. However, Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will escape from his power.
42He will extend his power over other nations, and even Egypt will not escape.
43He will control the treasures of gold and silver, and all the valuable possessions of Egypt. The Libyans and Ethiopians will follow him.
44But news from the east and north will alarm him. He will go out in a great rage to destroy and completely wipe out many people.
45He will set up his royal tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet, he will come to his end, and no one will help him.