Daniel 7 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream — visions flooding his mind as he lay in bed. He wrote the dream down. Here is how it begins:

Daniel said: In my vision that night, I watched as the four winds of the sky unleashed their fury on the great sea.

And four massive beasts rose up out of the sea, each one different from the others.

The first was like a lion with the wings of an eagle. As I watched, its wings were ripped off. It was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human, and a human mind was given to it.

Then a second beast appeared, looking like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs clenched between its teeth. A voice said to it: 'Get up. Gorge yourself on flesh.'

After that, I looked and saw another beast — this one like a leopard, with four bird wings on its back. The beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

After that, in the night visions, I saw a fourth beast — terrifying, dreadful, and overwhelmingly powerful. It had massive iron teeth. It devoured and crushed everything, then trampled whatever was left under its feet. It was completely different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.

While I was studying the horns, another horn — a little one — pushed up among them. Three of the original horns were ripped out by the roots to make room for it. This horn had eyes like a human's and a mouth that spoke with breathtaking arrogance.

As I watched, thrones were set in place and the Ancient One took his seat. His clothing blazed white as snow, the hair on his head like pure, clean wool. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels a blaze of burning light.

A river of fire poured out, flowing from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; tens of thousands times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.

I kept watching then because of the outrageous, arrogant words the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was killed and its body destroyed, thrown into the blazing fire.

As for the rest of the beasts — their authority to rule was stripped away, but they were allowed to go on living for a set period of time.

In the night visions I kept watching, and there — coming on the clouds of the sky — someone like a son of man. He approached the Ancient One and was brought right into his presence.

He was given authority, glory, and a kingdom. Every people, nation, and language will serve him. His authority is an authority that will never end. His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

As for me, Daniel — my spirit was deeply troubled inside me, and the visions in my mind terrified me.

I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him what all of this really meant. He spoke to me and explained what these things meant:

'These four massive beasts represent four kings who will rise from the earth.'

'But the ones set apart by the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever — yes, forever and ever.'

Then I wanted to know what the fourth beast really was — the one so different from all the others, so extraordinarily terrifying with its iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring and crushing, then trampling whatever was left.

I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head, and about the other horn that came up — the one that knocked three horns out, the horn with eyes and a mouth speaking with breathtaking arrogance, the one that looked bigger than the others.

As I watched, this horn waged war against the ones set apart — and was winning.

Until the Ancient One came and rendered judgment in favor of the ones set apart by the Most High — and the time arrived for them to take possession of the kingdom.

He said: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.'

'The ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them, another king will rise, different from the earlier ones, and he will bring down three kings.'

'He will speak words against the Most High and wear down the ones set apart by the Most High. He will try to change the sacred calendar and the law. They will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.'

'But the court will sit in judgment, and his authority will be stripped away — completely destroyed, wiped out forever.'

'Then the kingdom, the authority, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the sky will be given to the people who are set apart by the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him.'

This is where the account ends. As for me, Daniel — my thoughts deeply terrified me, and my face went pale. But I kept it all to myself.