"And nowI will tellyou the truth.Behold,threemorekingsare going to arisein Persia.Then a fourthwill gainfarmorerichesthanall[of them]; as soon as he becomes strongthrough his riches,he will arousethe whole[empire] against the realmof Greece.
Thenworkon the houseof Godin Jerusalemceased,and it was stoppeduntilthe secondyearof the reignof Dariuskingof Persia.
And in the daysof Artaxerxes,Bishlam,Mithredath,Tabeeland the restof his colleagueswroteto Artaxerxeskingof Persia;and the textof the letterwas writtenin Aramaicand translated[from] Aramaic.
Now it tookplacein the daysof Ahasuerus,the Ahasueruswho reignedfrom Indiato Ethiopiaover 127provinces,
To make you knowthe certaintyof the wordsof truthThat you may correctlyanswerhim who sentyou?
In the thirdyearof Cyruskingof Persiaa messagewas revealedto Daniel,whowas namedBelteshazzar;and the messagewas true and [one of] greatconflict,but he understoodthe messageand had an understandingof the vision.
"He will stirup his strengthand courageagainstthe kingof the Southwith a largearmy;so the kingof the Southwill mobilizean extremelylargeand mightyarmyfor war;but he will not stand,for schemeswill be devisedagainsthim.
"And behold,anotherbeast,a secondone, resemblinga bear.And it was raisedup on oneside,and threeribs[were] in its mouthbetweenits teeth;and thusthey saidto it, 'Arise,devourmuchmeat!'
"The shaggygoat[represents] the kingdomof Greece,and the largehornthat is betweenhis eyesis the firstking.
"The visionof the eveningsand morningsWhichhas been toldis true;But keepthe visionsecret,For [it] pertains to manydays[in the future]."
I sawthe rambuttingwestward,northward,and southward,and no[other] beastscould standbeforehim norwas thereanyone to rescuefrom his power,but he didas he pleasedand magnified[himself].
Surelythe LordGODdoesnothingUnlessHe revealsHis secretcounselTo His servantsthe prophets.
"Ifhe calledthem gods,to whomthe wordof Godcame(and the Scripturecannotbe broken),
And He who sitson the thronesaid,"Behold,I am makingall thingsnew."And He said,"Write,for thesewordsare faithfuland true."
