Study Desk

¹In the first year of Darius the Mede,^(a) I stood up to strengthen and protect him.

Now I will tell you the truth.^(b) "Three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than the others. By the power he gains through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.^(c)

Then a warrior king will arise; he will rule a vast realm and do whatever he wants.^(d)

But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and divided to the four winds of heaven,^(e) but not to his descendants; it will not be the same kingdom that he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and will go to others besides them.^(f)

"The king of the South^(g) will grow powerful, but one of his commanders will grow more powerful and will rule a kingdom greater than his.

After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North^(h) to seal the agreement. She will not retain power, and his strength will not endure. She will be given up, together with her entourage, her father,^[a] and the one who supported her during those times.

In the place of the king of the South, one from her family^[b] will rise up, come against the army, and enter the fortress of the king of the North. He will take action against them and triumph.

He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious articles of silver and gold.⁽ⁱ⁾ For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,

who will enter the kingdom of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

"His sons will mobilize for war and assemble a large number of armed forces. They will advance, sweeping through like a flood,^[c](j) and will again wage war as far as his fortress.

Infuriated, the king of the South will march out to fight with the king of the North who will raise a large army but they will be handed over to his enemy.

When the army is carried off, he will become arrogant and cause tens of thousands to fall, but he will not triumph.

The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years^[d](k) he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

"In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will assert themselves to fulfill a vision, but they will fail.

Then the king of the North will come, build up an assault ramp,^(l) and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their select troops will not be able to resist.

The king of the North who comes against him will do whatever he wants,^(m) and no one can oppose him. He will establish himself in the beautiful land^[e](n) with total destruction in his hand.

He will resolve^(o) to come with the force of his whole kingdom and will reach an agreement with him.^[f] He will give him a daughter in marriage^[g] to destroy it,^[h] but she will not stand with him or support him.

Then he will turn his attention to the coasts and islands^[i](p) and capture many. But a commander will put an end to his taunting; instead, he will turn his taunts against him.^(q)

He will turn his attention back to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble, fall,^(r) and be no more.^(s)