Study Desk

Daniel answered the king, "Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.

But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.

The other three beasts had their authority taken from them, but they were allowed to live a while longer.

But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever."

"But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.

That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.

The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn's place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth.

While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.

The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.

He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.

He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.

"This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret."

Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.

But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.

"Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you.

But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.

"O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness.