The invading king of Syria will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to resist him. He will occupy the land of splendor, and all of it will be under his control.
From one of them, a small horn emerged. It eventually grew to be very big, and its power extended toward the south, the east, and toward the beautiful land.
“The king will grow more and more arrogant and do whatever he pleases. He will exalt himself above every other god, and utter horrendous blasphemies against the God of all gods. He will be successful until God’s wrath reaches the boiling point, for what God has decreed will certainly be fulfilled.
Then I saw him reach the ram and attack it with furious blows. He smashed it so hard that it broke off its two horns, for the ram had no power to withstand it. The goat knocked the ram to the ground and trampled it down. And there was no one to rescue the ram from his power.
I watched as the ram charged toward the west, then the north, and then the south. With each conquest, it became even more powerful. No beast could withstand it or be rescued from its power; it did whatever it pleased.
He will pitch his lavish royal tents between the sea and the beautiful mountain of the holy temple. Yet he will come to his end all alone, with no one to stand with him.”
“I, Yahweh, said: “ ‘What bliss would fill my heart to treat you like an honored son! What joy would fill my heart to give you a land of delights, the most glorious and beautiful inheritance among the nations.’ I longed for the day when you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from me.
God made him so great that people everywhere—people from every nation, tribe, and language group—trembled with fear and dread of him. He killed or spared whomever he pleased, and he exalted or humbled whomever he wished.