Daniel 8; Daniel 9; Daniel 10; 3 John 1

1 In Belshazzar's third year as king, I, Daniel, saw a vision. This vision came after the one I saw earlier.

2 In my vision I saw myself in the fortress of Susa in the province of Elam. In my vision I saw myself at Ulai Gate.

3 I looked up and saw a single ram standing beside the gate. The ram had two long horns, one longer than the other, though the longer one had grown up later.

4 I saw the ram charging west, north, and south. No other animal could stand in front of it, and no one could escape from its power. It did anything it pleased and continued to grow.

5 As I was watching closely, I saw a male goat coming from the west. It crossed the whole earth without touching it. This goat had a prominent horn between its eyes.

6 The goat was coming toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the gate. It furiously ran at the ram.

7 I saw it come closer to the ram. The goat was extremely angry with the ram, so it attacked the ram. It broke both of the ram's horns. The ram didn't have the strength to stand up against the goat. So the ram was thrown down on the ground and trampled. No one could rescue the ram from the goat's power.

8 The male goat became very important. But when the goat became powerful, his large horn broke off. In its place grew four horns. They corresponded to the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of the horns came a small horn. It gained power over the south, the east, and the beautiful land.

10 It continued to gain power until it reached the army of heaven. It threw some of the army of heaven, the stars, down on the ground and trampled them.

11 Then it attacked the commander of the army so that it took the daily burnt offering from him and wrecked his holy place.

12 In its rebelliousness it was given an army to put a stop to the daily burnt offering. It threw truth on the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, "How long will the things in this vision--the daily burnt offering, the destructive rebellion, the surrender of the holy place, and the trampling of the army--take place?"

14 He told me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the holy place will be made acceptable to God."

15 Now as I, Daniel, watched the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.

16 I heard a man in Ulai [Gate] call loudly, "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."

17 Gabriel came up beside me, and when he came, I was terrified and immediately knelt down. He said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision is about the end times."

18 As he spoke to me, I fainted facedown on the ground, but he touched me and made me stand up.

19 He said, "I will tell you what will happen in the last days, [the time of God's] anger, because the end time has been determined.

20 "The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia.

21 The hairy male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.

22 The horn broke off, and four horns replaced it. Four kingdoms will come out of that nation, but they won't be as strong as the first king was.

23 "In the last days of those kingdoms, when rebellions are finished, a stern-looking king who understands mysterious things will rise to power.

24 He will become very strong, but not by his own strength. He will cause astounding destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy those who are powerful along with some holy people.

25 He will cleverly use his power to deceive others successfully. He will consider himself to be great and destroy many people when they don't expect it. He will oppose the Commander of Commanders, but he will be defeated, though not by any human power.

26 The vision about the [2,300] evenings and mornings that was explained to you is true. Seal the vision, because it is about things that will happen in the distant future."

27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and worked for the king. The vision horrified me because I couldn't understand it.

1 Xerxes' son Darius, who was a Mede by birth, was made ruler of the kingdom of Babylon.

2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the Scriptures the number of years that Jerusalem would remain in ruins. The LORD had told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would remain in ruins for 70 years.

3 So I turned to the Lord God and looked to him for help. I prayed, pleaded, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes.

4 I prayed to the LORD my God. I confessed and said, "Lord, you are great and deserve respect as the only God. You keep your promise and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments.

5 We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commandments and laws.

6 We haven't listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the common people.

7 You, Lord, are righteous. But we--the men of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far--are still ashamed because we have been unfaithful to you.

8 We, our kings, leaders, and ancestors are ashamed because we have sinned against you, LORD.

9 "But you, Lord our God, are compassionate and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you.

10 We never listened to you or lived by the teachings you gave us through your servants the prophets.

11 All Israel has ignored your teachings and refused to listen to you. So you brought on us the curses you swore in an oath, the curses written in the Teachings of your servant Moses. We sinned against you.

12 So you did what you said you would do to us and our rulers by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem.

13 This entire disaster happened to us, exactly as it was written in Moses' Teachings. LORD our God, we never tried to gain your favor by turning from our wrongs and dedicating ourselves to your truth.

14 So you were prepared to bring this disaster on us. LORD our God, you are righteous in everything you do. But we never listened to you.

15 "Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt with your strong hand and made yourself famous even today. We have sinned and done evil things.

16 Lord, since you are very righteous, turn your anger and fury away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Jerusalem and your people are insulted by everyone around us because of our sins and the wicked things our ancestors did.

17 "Our God, listen to my prayer and request. For your own sake, Lord, look favorably on your holy place, which is lying in ruins.

18 Open your ears and listen, my God. Open your eyes and look at our ruins and at the city called by your name. We are not requesting this from you because we are righteous, but because you are very compassionate.

19 Listen to us, Lord. Forgive us, Lord. Pay attention, and act. Don't delay! Do this for your sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."

20 I continued to pray, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel. I humbly placed my request about my God's holy mountain in front of the LORD my God.

21 While I was praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the first vision, came to me about the time of the evening sacrifice. He was exhausted.

22 He informed me, "Daniel, this time I have come to give you insight.

23 As soon as you began to make your request, a reply was sent. I have come to give you the reply because you are highly respected. So study the message, and understand the vision.

24 "Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. These time periods will serve to bring an end to rebellion, to stop sin, to forgive wrongs, to usher in everlasting righteousness, to put a seal on a prophet's vision, and to anoint the Most Holy One.

25 Learn, then, and understand that from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes, seven sets of seven time periods and sixty-two sets of seven time periods will pass. Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt with a city square and a moat during the troubles of those times.

26 But after the sixty-two sets of seven time periods, the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The city and the holy place will be destroyed with the prince who is to come. His end will come with a flood until the end of the destructive war that has been determined.

27 He will confirm his promise with many for one set of seven time periods. In the middle of the seven time periods, he will stop the sacrifices and food offerings. This will happen along with disgusting things that cause destruction until [those time periods] come to an end. It has been determined that this will happen to those who destroy [the city]."

1 In Cyrus' third year as king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel (who had been renamed Belteshazzar). The message was true. It was about a great war. Daniel understood the message because he was given insight during the vision.

2 During those days I, Daniel, mourned for three whole weeks.

3 I didn't eat any good-tasting food. No meat or wine entered my mouth. I didn't wash myself until the entire three weeks were over.

4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was by the great Tigris River.

5 When I looked up, I saw a man dressed in linen, and he had a belt made of gold from Uphaz around his waist.

6 His body was like beryl. His face looked like lightning. His eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and legs looked like polished bronze. When he spoke, his voice sounded like the roar of a crowd.

7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision. The men with me didn't see the vision. Yet, they started to tremble violently, and they quickly hid themselves.

8 So I was left alone to see this grand vision. I had no strength left in me. My face turned deathly pale, and I was helpless.

9 I heard the man speak, and as I listened to his words, I fainted facedown on the ground.

10 Then a hand touched me and made my hands and knees shake.

11 The man said to me, "Daniel, you are highly respected. Pay attention to my words. Stand up, because I've been sent to you." When he said this to me, I stood up, trembling.

12 He told me, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. God has heard everything that you said ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in front of your God so that you could learn to understand things. I have come in response to your prayer.

13 The commander of the Persian kingdom opposed me for 21 days. But then Michael, one of the chief commanders, came to help me because I was left alone with the kings of Persia.

14 I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the last days, because the vision is about times still to come."

15 When he said this to me, I bowed down with my face touching the ground and was silent.

16 Then someone who looked like a human touched my lips. I opened my mouth and began to talk. I said to the person standing in front of me, "Sir, because of this vision, pain has overwhelmed me, and I'm helpless.

17 How can I talk to you, sir? I have no strength left, and the wind has been knocked out of me."

18 Again, the person who looked like a human touched me, and I became stronger.

19 He said, "Don't be afraid. You are highly respected. Everything is alright! Be strong! Be strong!" As he talked to me, I became stronger. I said, "Sir, tell me what you came to say. You have strengthened me."

20 He asked, "Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight the commander of Persia. When I go, the commander of Greece will come.

21 However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the true writings. No one will support me when I fight these commanders except your commander, Michael.

1 From the church leader. To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love because we share the truth.

2 Dear friend, I know that you are spiritually well. I pray that you're doing well in every other way and that you're healthy.

3 I was very happy when some believers came and told us that you are living according to the truth.

4 Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are showing your faith in whatever you do for other believers, especially when they're your guests.

6 These believers have told the congregation about your love. You will do well to support them on their trip in a way that proves you belong to God.

7 After all, they went on their trip to serve the one named Christ, and they didn't accept any help from the people to whom they went.

8 We must support believers who go on trips like this so that we can work together with them in spreading the truth.

9 I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won't accept us.

10 For this reason, when I come I will bring up what he's doing. He's not satisfied with saying malicious things about us. He also refuses to accept the believers [we send] as guests. He even tries to stop others who want to accept them and attempts to throw those people out of the congregation.

11 Dear friend, never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God.

12 Everyone, including the truth itself, says good things about Demetrius. We also say good things about him, and you know that what we say is true.

13 I have a lot to write to you. However, I would rather not write.

14 I hope to visit you very soon. Then we can talk things over personally.

15 Peace be with you! Your friends here send you their greetings. Greet each of our friends by name.