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

1 During the third year of King Belshazzar's rule, I, Daniel, saw another vision, which was like the first one.

2 In this vision I saw myself in the capital city of Susa, in the area of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai Canal

3 when I looked up and saw a male sheep standing beside the canal. It had two long horns, but one horn was longer and newer than the other.

4 I watched the sheep charge to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could save another animal from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became very powerful.

5 While I was watching this, I saw a male goat come from the west. This goat had one large horn between his eyes that was easy to see. He crossed over the whole earth so fast that his feet hardly touched the ground.

6 In his anger the goat charged the sheep with the two horns that I had seen standing by the canal.

7 I watched the angry goat attack the sheep and break the sheep's two horns. The sheep was not strong enough to stop it. The goat knocked the sheep to the ground and then walked all over him. No one was able to save the sheep from the goat,

8 so the male goat became very great. But when he was strong, his big horn broke off and four horns grew in place of the one big horn. Those four horns pointed in four different directions and were easy to see.

9 Then a little horn grew from one of those four horns, and it became very big. It grew to the south, the east, and toward the beautiful land of Judah.

10 That little horn grew until it reached to the sky. It even threw some of the army of heaven to the ground and walked on them!

11 That little horn set itself up as equal to God, the Commander of heaven's armies. It stopped the daily sacrifices that were offered to him, and the Temple, the place where people worshiped him, was pulled down.

12 Because there was a turning away from God, the people stopped the daily sacrifices. Truth was thrown down to the ground, and the horn was successful in everything it did.

13 Then I heard a holy angel speaking. Another holy angel asked the first one, "How long will the things in this vision last -- the daily sacrifices, the turning away from God that brings destruction, the Temple being pulled down, and the army of heaven being walked on?"

14 The angel said to me, "This will happen for twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the holy place will be repaired."

15 I, Daniel, saw this vision and tried to understand what it meant. In it I saw someone who looked like a man standing near me.

16 And I heard a man's voice calling from the Ulai Canal: "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."

17 Gabriel came to where I was standing. When he came close to me, I was very afraid and bowed facedown on the ground. But Gabriel said to me, "Human being, understand that this vision is about the time of the end."

18 While Gabriel was speaking, I fell into a deep sleep with my face on the ground. Then he touched me and lifted me to my feet.

19 He said, "Now, I will explain to you what will happen in the time of God's anger. Your vision was about the set time of the end.

20 "You saw a male sheep with two horns, which are the kings of Media and Persia.

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

22 The four horns that grew in the place of the broken horn are four kingdoms. Those four kingdoms will come from the nation of the first king, but they will not be as strong as the first king.

23 "When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a bold and cruel king who tells lies will come. This will happen when many people have turned against God.

24 This king will be very powerful, but his power will not come from himself. He will cause terrible destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and even God's holy people.

25 This king will succeed by using lies and force. He will think that he is very important. He will destroy many people without warning; he will try to fight even the Prince of princes! But that cruel king will be destroyed, and not by human power.

26 "The vision that has been shown to you about these evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because those things won't happen for a long time."

27 I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for several days after that vision. Then I got up and went back to work for the king, but I was very upset about the vision. I didn't understand what it meant.

1 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Xerxes was king over Babylon. He was a descendant of the Medes.

2 During Darius' first year as king, I, Daniel, was reading the Scriptures. I saw that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years.

3 Then I turned to the Lord God and prayed and asked him for help. I did not eat any food. To show my sadness, I put on rough cloth and sat in ashes.

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and told him about all of our sins. I said, "Lord, you are a great God who causes fear and wonder. You keep your agreement of love with all who love you and obey your commands.

5 "But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and turned against you, your commands, and your laws.

6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke for you to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and all the people of the land.

7 "Lord, you are good and right, but we are full of shame today -- the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you scattered among many nations because they were not loyal to you.

8 Lord, we are all ashamed. Our kings and leaders and our fathers are ashamed, because we have sinned against you.

9 "But, Lord our God, you show us mercy and forgive us even though we have turned against you.

10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God or the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets.

11 All the people of Israel have disobeyed your teachings and have turned away, refusing to obey you. So you brought on us the curses and promises of punishment written in the Teachings of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against you.

12 "You said these things would happen to us and our leaders, and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done on earth like what was done to Jerusalem.

13 All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the Teachings of Moses. But we have not pleaded with the Lord our God. We have not stopped sinning. We have not paid attention to your truth.

14 The Lord was ready to bring the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is right in everything he does. But we still did not obey him.

15 "Lord our God, you used your power and brought us out of Egypt. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and have done wrong.

16 Lord, you do what is right, but please do not be angry with Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill. Because of our sins and the evil things done by our ancestors, people all around insult and make fun of Jerusalem and your people.

17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my prayer for help, and for your sake do good things for your holy place that is in ruins.

18 My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and see all the terrible things that have happened to us. See how our lives have been ruined and what has happened to the city that is called by your name. We do not ask these things because we are good; instead, we ask because of your mercy.

19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear us and do something! For your sake, don't wait, because your city and your people are called by your name."

20 While I was saying these things in my prayer to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and praying for God's holy hill,

21 Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my last vision.) He came flying quickly to me about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying.

22 He taught me and said to me, "Daniel, I have come to give you wisdom and to help you understand.

23 When you first started praying, an answer was given, and I came to tell you, because God loves you very much. So think about the message and understand the vision.

24 "God has ordered four hundred ninety years for your people and your holy city for these reasons: to stop people from turning against God; to put an end to sin; to take away evil; to bring in goodness that continues forever; to bring about the vision and prophecy; and to appoint a most holy place.

25 "Learn and understand these things. A command will come to rebuild Jerusalem. The time from this command until the appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundred thirty-four years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench filled with water around it, but it will be built in times of trouble.

26 After the four hundred thirty-four years the appointed leader will be killed; he will have nothing. The people of the leader who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of the city will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed.

27 That leader will make firm an agreement with many people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do terrible things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city."

1 During Cyrus' third year as king of Persia, Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, received a vision about a great war. It was a true message that Daniel understood.

2 At that time I, Daniel, had been very sad for three weeks.

3 I did not eat any fancy food or meat, or drink any wine, or use any perfumed oil for three weeks.

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

5 While standing there, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothes with a belt of fine gold wrapped around his waist.

6 His body was like shiny yellow quartz. His face was bright like lightning, and his eyes were like fire. His arms and legs were shiny like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a crowd.

7 I, Daniel, was the only person who saw the vision. The men with me did not see it, because they were so frightened that they ran away and hid.

8 So I was left alone, watching this great vision. I lost my strength, my face turned white like a dead person, and I was helpless.

9 Then I heard the man in the vision speaking. As I listened, I fell into a deep sleep with my face on the ground.

10 Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. I was so afraid that I was shaking.

11 The man in the vision said to me, "Daniel, God loves you very much. Think carefully about the words I will speak to you, and stand up, because I have been sent to you." When he said this, I stood up, but I was still shaking.

12 Then the man said to me, "Daniel, do not be afraid. Some time ago you decided to get understanding and to humble yourself before your God. Since that time God has listened to you, and I have come because of your prayers.

13 But the prince of Persia has been fighting against me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the most important angels, came to help me, because I had been left there with the king of Persia.

14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people, because the vision is about a time in the future."

15 While he was speaking to me, I bowed facedown and could not speak.

16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, so I opened my mouth and started to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "Master, I am upset and afraid because of what I saw in the vision. I feel helpless.

17 Master, how can I, your servant, talk with you? My strength is gone, and it is hard for me to breathe."

18 The one who looked like a man touched me again and gave me strength.

19 He said, "Daniel, don't be afraid. God loves you very much. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous." When he spoke to me, I became stronger and said, "Master, speak, since you have given me strength."

20 Then he said, "Daniel, do you know why I have come to you? Soon I must go back to fight against the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece will come,

21 but I must first tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. No one stands with me against these enemies except Michael, the angel ruling over your people.

1 From the Elder. To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth:

2 My dear friend, I know your soul is doing fine, and I pray that you are doing well in every way and that your health is good.

3 I was very happy when some brothers and sistersn came and told me about the truth in your life and how you are following the way of truth.

4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are following the way of truth.

5 My dear friend, it is good that you help the brothers and sisters, even those you do not know.

6 They told the church about your love. Please help them to continue their trip in a way worthy of God.

7 They started out in service to Christ, and they have been accepting nothing from nonbelievers.

8 So we should help such people; when we do, we share in their work for the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be their leader, will not listen to us.

10 So if I come, I will talk about what Diotrephes is doing, about how he lies and says evil things about us. But more than that, he refuses to accept the other brothers and sisters; he even stops those who do want to accept them and puts them out of the church.

11 My dear friend, do not follow what is bad; follow what is good. The one who does good belongs to God. But the one who does evil has never known God.

12 Everyone says good things about Demetrius, and the truth agrees with what they say. We also speak well of him, and you know what we say is true.

13 I have many things I want to write you, but I do not want to use pen and ink.

14 I hope to see you soon and talk face to face.

15 Peace to you. The friends here greet you. Please greet each friend there by name.