And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.

Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

Now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than all of them. By his wealth, he will gather strength and stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

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.

Then a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.

And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

But as soon as he has risen, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants and will not have the same authority he ruled with, for his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

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.

Then the king of the South will grow strong, but one of his officials will become even stronger than him and will rule with great power over his own dominion.

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.

After some years, they will form an alliance. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, and neither will the king nor his power endure. She, her escort, her child, and the one who supported her will all be surrendered during those times.

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.

Out of her family line, someone will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces and enter the stronghold of the king of the North. He will fight against them and prevail.

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:

He will also carry off their gods, their metal images, and their precious articles of silver and gold into Egypt. For some years, he will refrain from attacking the king of the North.

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.

Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will return to his own land.

So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army. They will sweep through, overflow, and pass on to launch attacks and stir up conflicts as far as the enemy's fortress.

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.

Then the king of the South will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the North. The king of the North will raise a large army, but it will be handed over to the king of the South.

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.

When the army is captured, the king's heart will become proud. Though he will overthrow tens of thousands, he will not remain strong.

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.

The king of the North will return and raise a greater army than before. After several years, he will come again with a large army and much equipment.

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.

During those times, many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent men among your own people will rise up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall.

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.

So the king of the North will come and build siege ramps and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will have no strength to resist.

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.

The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him. He will establish himself in the Glorious Land, and it will be completely under his control.

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.

He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, making agreements, and will give a daughter of women in marriage to destroy it. But his plan will not succeed or help him.

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.

Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will capture many. However, a commander will put an end to his arrogance and will repay him for his scorn.

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.

Afterward, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found again.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

In his place, one will arise who will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a short time, he will be destroyed, though not by anger or in battle.

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.

Another will arise in his place, a contemptible man who has not been given royal honor. He will seize the kingdom through intrigue and deceit.

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.

Then the armed forces shall be swept away before him and broken, including the prince of the covenant.

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.

After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully. He will rise to power with only a few people.

And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

Entering peacefully into the richest parts of the province, he will do what neither his ancestors nor their ancestors ever did: he will distribute plunder, loot, and wealth among his followers. He will devise plans against strongholds but only for a time.

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.

He will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army. The king of the South will prepare for battle with a great and mighty army, but he will not stand, for plots will be devised against him.

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.

Those who eat from his provisions will destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.

Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.

Both kings, with their hearts set on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but their plans will not succeed, for the end will still come at the appointed time.

And both 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.

The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action and then return to his own land.

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.

At the appointed time, he will invade the South again, but this time it will not be as it was before.

At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

Ships from the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his anger against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

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.

Forces from him will rise up and desecrate the sanctuary fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.

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.

Those who act wickedly against the covenant will be corrupted by flattery, but the people who know their God will stand firm and take action.

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.

Those who are wise among the people will instruct many, yet they will fall by the sword, flame, captivity, and plunder for some time.

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.

When they stumble, they will receive some help, but many who join them will do so with hypocrisy.

Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white until the time of the end, for it is still to come at the appointed time.

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.

The king will do as he pleases; he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak astonishing words against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is completed, for what has been decreed will be accomplished.

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.

He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors, the desire of women, or any other god, for he will magnify himself above them all.

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.

Instead, he will honor the god of fortresses in his place; a god unknown to his ancestors. He will honor it with gold, silver, precious stones, and costly gifts.

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.

He will deal with strongholds using a foreign god. He will honor those who acknowledge him, giving them authority over many people and distributing land for a price.

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.

At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries, sweeping through them like a flood.

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.

He will also enter the Glorious Land, and many will fall, but Edom, Moab, and the leaders of Ammon will escape from his hand.

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.

He will extend his power over many lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape.

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

He will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will follow in his steps.

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.

But reports from the east and the north will trouble him, and he will set out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

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.

He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet, he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

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.