Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied to you.

He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the true meaning concerning all this. So he told me, and revealed to me the interpretation of these things.

These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth.

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he threw him down to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could deliver the ram from his power.

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?"

It came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans?

I prayed to the LORD my God, and made this confession, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments.

Neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds that they have committed against you.

He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing on us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven such has not been done as has been done on Jerusalem.

"And now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, even to this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came to me in my weariness about the time of the evening sacrifice.

After the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and his end shall come with a flood, and until the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed.

He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who destroys, and even until a complete destruction, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."

I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great trembling fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.

And behold, one in the likeness of a human touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, "My lord, it is because of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have no strength.

But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the Book of Truth. And there is no one who contends with me against them except Michael, your prince."

And a powerful king shall arise, who shall rule an extensive empire, and do as he pleases.

At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain her power; neither shall his strength endure; but she shall be surrendered, and her attendants, and he who became the father of her, and he who supported her in those times.

But out of a shoot from her roots shall arise in his place, who shall come against the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

But he who comes against him shall do as he pleases, and no one shall be able to withstand him. And he shall stand in the beautiful land, and destruction will be within his power.

Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, though not in anger nor in battle.

In his place shall arise a despicable person, to whom the honor of kingship had not been given, but he shall come in a time of prosperity, and shall obtain the kingdom through deceit.

Yes, those who eat of his royal food shall seek to destroy him, and his army shall be swept away; and many shall fall slain.

For ships from Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be intimidated, and shall turn back, and be enraged against the holy covenant, and shall take action. He shall turn back, and show regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

And those who act wickedly toward the covenant he shall corrupt by smooth words; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.

And those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for some time.

Some of those who are wise shall fall, to be refined, purified and cleansed until the time of the end; for the appointed time is still to come.

But instead he shall honor the god of fortresses; a god whom his fathers did not know shall he honor with gold and silver, and with valuable stones, and costly gifts.

"At that time shall Michael arise, the great prince who watches over the children of your people. And there shall be a time of distress unparalleled since the beginning of the nation until that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall it be till these wonders take place?"

I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Many shall be purified, cleansed and refined; but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.

For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'

I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; and I will tell those who were not my people, 'You are my people;' and they will say, 'My God.'"

Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who dwells therein will waste away, all living things in her, even the animals of the field and the birds of the sky; yes, the fish of the sea also die.

"Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.

They won't pour out wine offerings to the LORD, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of the LORD.

The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

The inhabitants of Samaria will be in terror for the calves of Beth Aven; for its people will mourn over it, Along with its priests who rejoiced over it, for its glory, because it has departed from it.

I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love; and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks; and I bent down to him and I fed him.

They will walk after the LORD, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west.

Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes?'

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

The LORD thunders his voice before his army; for his forces are very great; for he is strong who obeys his command; for the day of the LORD is great and very awesome, and who can endure it?

Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to the LORD, your God.

Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of the LORD, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed.

It will happen that whoever will call on the name of the LORD shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the remnant, those whom the LORD calls.

I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land,

"So you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says the LORD.

I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord GOD.

and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

neither shall he stand who handles the bow; and he who is swift of foot won't escape; neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself;

and he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day," says the LORD.

The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

"Indeed they do not know to do right," says the LORD, "Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces."

Thus says the LORD: "As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed."

Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, "Bring us drinks."

For, behold, he who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought; who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: The LORD, the God of Hosts, is his name."

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,

who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins?you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.

Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord: "Wailing will be in all the broad ways; and they will say in all the streets, 'Alas. Alas.' and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

"Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD. Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the foremost of nations, to whom the house of Israel come.

Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.

"When a man's relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, 'Is there yet any with you?' And he says, 'No;' then he will say, 'Hush. Indeed we must not mention the name of the LORD.'

you who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, 'Haven't we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?'

Hear this, you who desire to swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

Won't the land tremble for this, and everyone mourn who dwells in it? Yes, it will rise up wholly like the River; and it will be stirred up and sink again, like the River of Egypt.

Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, 'As your god, Dan, lives;' and, 'As the way of Beersheba lives;' they will fall, and never rise up again."

For the Lord, the LORD of hosts, is he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell in it will mourn; and it will rise up wholly like the River, and will sink again, like the River of Egypt.

It is he who builds his chambers in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth; the LORD is his name.

All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, 'Evil won't overtake nor meet us.'

In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old;

that the rest of mankind, and all the nations upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek me," says the LORD who does this.

"Behold, the days come," says the LORD, "that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and sweet wine will drip from the mountains, and flow from the hills.

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

All the men of your alliance have brought you on your way, even to the border. The men who were at peace with you have deceived you, and prevailed against you. Friends who eat your bread lay a snare under you. There is no understanding in him."

Do not stand in the crossroads to cut off those of his who escape. Do not deliver up those of his who remain in the day of distress.

But in Mount Zion, there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will possess their possessions.