7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel ^‍had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. ² Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven brake forth upon the great sea. ³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. ⁴ The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it. ⁵ And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and ^‍it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. ⁶ After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and ^‍powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. ⁸ I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

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⁹ I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. ¹⁰ A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. ¹¹ I beheld at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. ¹² And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

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¹³ I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. ¹⁴ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

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¹⁵ As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of ^‍my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶ I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. ¹⁷ These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. ¹⁹ Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; ²⁰ and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. ²¹ I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; ²² until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given ^‍to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

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²³ Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. ²⁴ And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. ²⁵ And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. ²⁶ But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. ²⁷ And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. ²⁸ Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life ² (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); ³ that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: ⁴ and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.

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⁵ And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

ר Resh.

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¹⁵³ Consider mine affliction, and deliver me;
For I do not forget thy law.
¹⁵⁴ Plead thou my cause, and redeem me:
Quicken me according to thy word.
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked;
For they seek not thy statutes.
¹⁵⁶ Great are thy tender mercies, O Jehovah:
Quicken me according to thine ordinances.
¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and mine adversaries;
Yet have I not swerved from thy testimonies.
¹⁵⁸ I beheld the treacherous, and was grieved,
Because they observe not thy word.
¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love thy precepts:
Quicken me, O Jehovah, according to thy lovingkindness.
¹⁶⁰ The sum of thy word is truth;
And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.

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ש Shin.

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¹⁶¹ Princes have persecuted me without a cause;
But my heart standeth in awe of thy words.
¹⁶² I rejoice at thy word,
As one that findeth great spoil.
¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood;
But thy law do I love.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day do I praise thee,
Because of thy righteous ordinances.
¹⁶⁵ Great peace have they that love thy law;
And they have no occasion of stumbling.
¹⁶⁶ I have hoped for thy salvation, O Jehovah,
And have done thy commandments.
¹⁶⁷ My soul hath observed thy testimonies;
And I love them exceedingly.
¹⁶⁸ I have observed thy precepts and thy testimonies;
For all my ways are before thee.

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ת Tav.

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¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come near before thee, O Jehovah:
Give me understanding according to thy word.
¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before thee:
Deliver me according to thy word.
¹⁷¹ Let my lips utter praise;
For thou teachest me thy statutes.
¹⁷² Let my tongue sing of thy word;
For all thy commandments are righteousness.
¹⁷³ Let thy hand be ready to help me;
For I have chosen thy precepts.
¹⁷⁴ I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah;
And thy law is my delight.
¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee;
And let thine ordinances help me.
¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
seek thy servant;
For I do not forget thy commandments.

²³ He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor
Than he that flattereth with the tongue.
²⁴ Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression,
The same is the companion of a destroyer.