11 Also
I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to
strengthen him. 2 And
now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three
kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and
by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm
of Grecia. 3 And
a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and
do according to his will. 4 And
when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided
toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according
to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even
for others beside those. 5 And
the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he
shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a
great dominion. 6 And
in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's
daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement:
but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand,
nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and
he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. 7 But
out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall
come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the
north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: 8 And
shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and
with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue
more years than the king of the north. 9 So
the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into
his own land. 10 But
his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great
forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through:
then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. 11 And
the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth
and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set
forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. 12 And
when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and
he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened
by it. 13 For
the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater
than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great
army and with much riches. 14 And
in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south:
also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the
vision; but they shall fall. 15 So
the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most
fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither
his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. 16 But
he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none
shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which
by his hand shall be consumed. 17 He
shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom,
and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the
daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side,
neither be for him. 18 After
this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a
prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease;
without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. 19 Then
he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble
and fall, and not be found. 20 Then
shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom:
but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. 21 And
in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give
the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain
the kingdom by flatteries. 22 And
with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and
shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23
And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall
come up, and shall become strong with a small people. 24 He
shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and
he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers;
he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he
shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. 25 And
he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south
with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle
with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall
forecast devices against him. 26 Yea,
they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army
shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. 27 And
both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak
lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at
the time appointed. 28 Then
shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be
against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own
land. 29 At
the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall
not be as the former, or as the latter. 30 For
the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved,
and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he
do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the
holy covenant. 31 And
arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength,
and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination
that maketh desolate. 32 And
such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries:
but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And
they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall
fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now
when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many
shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And
some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and
to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a
time appointed. 36 And
the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against
the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished:
for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither
shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard
any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But
in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers
knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones,
and pleasant things. 39 Thus
shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge
and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and
shall divide the land for gain. 40 And
at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the
king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,
and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries,
and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He
shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown:
but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief
of the children of Ammon. 42 He
shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt
shall not escape. 43 But
he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all
the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be
at his steps. 44 But
tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore
he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And
he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.