| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1“Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) | 1“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him. |
| 2And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. | 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. |
| 3Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. | 3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. |
| 4And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these. | 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. |
| 5“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. | 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. |
| 6And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. | 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. |
| 7But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. | 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. |
| 8And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North. | 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, |
| 9“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. | 9who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land. |
| 10However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife. | 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. |
| 11“And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. | 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. |
| 12When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. | 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. |
| 13For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment. | 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. |
| 14“Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. | 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. |
| 15So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. | 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. |
| 16But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power. | 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. |
| 17“He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. | 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. |
| 18After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on 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. |
| 19Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. | 19After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more. |
| 20“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or 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 destroyed, though not in anger or in battle. |
| 21And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. | 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. |
| 22With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. | 22Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. |
| 23And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. | 23After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people. |
| 24He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. | 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. |
| 25“He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. | 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. |
| 26Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. | 26Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. |
| 27Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. | 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. |
| 28While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land. | 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. |
| 29“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. | 29At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first. |
| 30For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. “So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. | 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. |
| 31And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. | 31His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. |
| 32Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. | 32With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. |
| 33And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. | 33Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered. |
| 34Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. | 34Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. |
| 35And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. | 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. |
| 36“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. | 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. |
| 37He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. | 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. |
| 38But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. | 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. |
| 39Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. | 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. |
| 40“At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass 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 out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood. |
| 41He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. | 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. |
| 42He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. | 42He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. |
| 43He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. | 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. |
| 44But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. | 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. |
| 45And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall 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. |
|
