Daniel 7 - 8 - Legacy Standard Bible

Daniel 7 - 8

The Vision of the Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his head as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and said the following summary of the matter. 2 Daniel answered and said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; and a heart of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one in the likeness of a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, fearsome and terrifying and extraordinarily strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great boasts.

The Ancient of Days

“I kept looking

Until thrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days was seated;

His clothing was like white snow

And the hair of His head like pure wool.

His throne was ablaze with fire,

Its wheels were a burning fire.

A river of fire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The court sat,

And the books were opened.

11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the great boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was given to them for an appointed season of time.

The Son of Man

“I kept looking in the night visions,

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And came near before Him.

And to Him was given dominion,

Glory, and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not be taken away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.

The Vision Interpreted

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions of my head kept alarming me. 16 I came near to one of those who were standing by and began seeking out from him the exact meaning of all this. So he said it to me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ 19 “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, extraordinarily fearsome, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth speaking great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overcoming them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the season arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. 23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will make low three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make changes in seasons and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 Then the reign, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ 28 “At this point the matter of this revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me, and the splendor of my face changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

The Vision of the Ram and Goat

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one which appeared to me previously. 2 And I looked in the vision. And it happened that while I was looking, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision, and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last. 4 I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before it, nor was there anyone to deliver from its power, but it did as it pleased and magnified itself. 5 And while I was considering, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. 6 Then it came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and ran at it in his strong wrath. 7 And I saw it reach the side of the ram, and it was enraged at it; and it struck the ram and broke its two horns in pieces, and the ram had no strength to stand in opposition to it. So it threw it down to the ground and trampled on it, and there was none to deliver the ram from its power. 8 Then the male goat magnified itself exceedingly. But as soon as it was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

The Small Horn

9 And out of one of them came forth a rather small horn. And it grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 Then it grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. 11 And it even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. 12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will throw truth down to the ground and do its will and succeed. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes desolation, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?” 14 He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be made righteous.”

Daniel Seeks to Understand the Vision

15 Now it happened when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who had the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of what has appeared.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was terrified and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” 18 Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. 19 Then he said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will happen at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20 The ram which you saw with the two horns is the kings of Media and Persia. 21 Now the shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 And the broken horn and the four horns that stood in its place are four kingdoms which will take their stand from his nation, although not with his power. 23

In the latter period of their reign,

When the transgressors have run their course,

A king will stand,

Insolent and skilled in intrigue.

His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,

And he will destroy to an astonishing degree

And succeed and do his will;

He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

And through his insight

He will cause deceit to succeed by his hand;

And he will magnify himself in his heart,

And he will destroy many while they are at ease.

He will even stand against the Prince of princes,

But he will be broken without hands.

And what had appeared about the evenings and mornings

Which has been told is true;

But as for you, conceal the vision,

For it pertains to many days in the future.”

27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I rose up again and did the king’s work; but I was appalled at what had appeared, and there was none to make me understand it.

James 2:14 - 3:18

Faith and Works

14 What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

The Tongue Is a Fire

Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the entire body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce fresh.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good conduct his works in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not coming down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without doubting, without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Proverbs 20

Hope in Yahweh and He Will Save You

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,

And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;

He who provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.

It is a glory for a man to cease quarreling,

But any ignorant fool will break out in dispute.

The sluggard does not plow from winter on,

So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.

Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of discernment draws it out.

Many a man will call out his own lovingkindness,

But a faithful man, who can find?

A righteous man who walks in his integrity—

How blessed are his sons after him.

A king who sits on the throne of justice

Disperses all evil with his eyes.

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure,

I am clean from my sin”?

Differing weights and differing measures,

Both of them are an abomination to Yahweh.

It is by his deeds that a young man makes himself known

If his conduct is pure and right.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

Yahweh has made both of them.

Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;

Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.

“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,

But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

There is gold, and an abundance of pearls;

But the lips of knowledge are a more precious vessel.

Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;

And for foreigners, hold him in pledge.

Bread obtained by lying is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

Thoughts are established by counsel,

So make war by guidance.

He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

Therefore do not associate with one of loose lips.

He who curses his father or his mother,

His lamp will go out in the midst of darkness.

An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning

In the end will not be blessed.

Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

Hope in Yahweh, and He will save you.

Differing weights are an abomination to Yahweh,

And a deceitful balance is not good.

The steps of a man are from Yahweh,

How then can man understand his way?

It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”

And after the vows to make inquiry.

A wise king winnows the wicked,

And turns the threshing wheel over them.

The breath of man is the lamp of Yahweh,

Searching all the innermost parts of his body.

Lovingkindness and truth will guard the king,

And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.

The honor of young men is their strength,

And the majesty of old men is their gray hair.

Stripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the innermost parts of the body.