meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Writings/Daniel/English/The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein.txt"}
text: Daniel
  דניאל
  The Rashi Ketuvim by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
  
  
  Daniel
  
  
  
  
  
  In the third year of [the rebellion of] the kingdom of Judah [(against Nevuchadnezzar), viz. II Kings 24:1], Nevuchadnezzar king of Bavel came to Jerusalem, and he besieged it.
  And the L-rd delivered into his hand Yehoyakim king of Judah and some of the vessels of the house of G-d, and he brought them [(the captives and the vessels)] to the land of Shinar to the house of his god [(in celebration of his victory)], and the vessels he [afterwards] brought to the treasure house of his god.
  	And the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring forth from the children of Israel and from the seed of the kingdom and from the nobles,
  	boys without any blemish, and of goodly appearance, and acquainted with all wisdom, and possessing understanding and insight, and having the strength in them to attend [deferentially] in the palace of the king and to be taught the script and the speech of the Kasdim.
  	And the king provided for them daily from the pathbag [(the food)] of the king, and from the wine that he drank, to be reared [on this regimen] for three years, [after which] some would [be selected to] pay attendance upon the king.
  	And there were of them of the sons of Judah — Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah.
  	And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. He called Daniel "Belshazzar"; Chananiah, "Shadrach"; Mishael, "Meshach," and Azaryah, "Aved-nego."
  	And Daniel resolved that he would not sully himself with the pathbag of the king and the wine that he drank. And he besought the chief of the eunuchs that he not [be compelled to] sully himself.
  	And G-d rendered Daniel the object of lovingkindness and mercy before the chief of the eunuchs.
  	And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel: I fear my master, the king, who has provided your food and your drink. Why should he see your faces more haggard than (those of) the (other) boys of your age, whereby you would render my head [i.e., my life] liable to the king.
  	And Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah:
  	Try, I pray you, your servants, for ten days, and let them give us legumes to eat and water to drink.
  	And let there be seen [and compared] before you our appearance and the appearance of the children that eat of the pathbag of the king, and, according to what you see, do with your servants.
  	And he listened to them in this thing, and he tried them for ten days.
  	And, at the end of ten days, their appearance looked better and fuller fleshed than (that of) all of the boys who had eaten the pathbag of the king.
  	And the steward took their pathbag and their wine to drink [for himself] and gave them legumes.
  	And these boys, the four of them, were given understanding and knowledge of all writing and wisdom by G-d, and Daniel understood all visions and dreams.
  	And at the end of the days that the king had said to bring them [before him], the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nevuchadnezzar.
  	And the king spoke with them, and there were not found in all of them [(the other boys)] the likes of Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah. And they stood [in attendance] before the king.
  	And anything requiring the wisdom of understanding which the king asked of them, he found in them ten times as much as in all the bone-conjurers and astrologers in all of his kingdom.
  	And Daniel was [i.e., he officiated in grandeur in Bavel] until the first year of King Koresh.
  
  
  
  	And in the second year of the kingdom of Nevuchadnezzar [i.e., the second year after the destruction of the Temple], Nevuchadnezzar dreamed dreams and his spirit throbbed within him, [(both the dream and its meaning evading him)], and his sleep was broken upon him.
  	And the king bade (them) to call the bone-conjurers, the astrologers, the magicians, and the Kasdim [(diviners)] to tell the king [the import of] his dreams. And they stood before the king.
  	And the king said to them: I dreamed a dream, and my spirit was agitated [in my craving] to know the dream.
  	And the Kasdians spoke to the king in the language of Aram: O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation.
  	The king answered and said to the Kasdians: The thing is gone from me. If you will not make known to me the dream with its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces and your houses will be made dunghills.
  	But if you declare the dream and its meaning, you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor; but, declare to me the dream and its meaning.
  	They answered a second time and said: Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will declare its meaning.
  	The king answered and said: I know for a certainty that this time you are relegated [to death] for you see that the thing has gone forth from me [and yet you ask me a second time.]
  	Now if you will not make known to me the dream [and its interpretation], there is but one law for you [i.e., to die]. And (if) you prepare lying and corrupt words to speak before me, before the time changes [from day to night], you will die. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can declare its interpretation to me.
  	The Kasdians answered and said: There is not a man upon the earth who can declare the king's matter; for no king, lord, nor ruler has asked such things of bone-conjurer, or astrologer, or Kasdian.
  	And it is a hard thing that the king demands, and there is none other that can declare it before the king, except the angels, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
  	This roused the king's ire and wrath, and he commanded to destroy all the wise men of Bavel.
  	And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and Daniel and his companions were sought to be slain.
  	Then Daniel answered with counsel and discretion to Aryoch, the king's chief executioner, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Bavel.
  	He answered and said to Aryoch, the king's captain: Why is the king's decree so severe? Then Aryoch made the thing known to Daniel.
  	Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he give him time to tell the king the interpretation.
  	Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah, his companions.
  	That they beg mercy of the G-d of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions not perish with the rest of the wise men of Bavel.
  	Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the G-d of heaven.
  	Daniel spoke and said: Blessed be the name of G-d for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.
  	And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings [(Daniel understood from the dream that Nevuchadnezzar's kingdom would be superseded by another)]; He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.
  	He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with Him.
  	I thank Thee and praise Thee, O, Thou, G-d of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and has now made known to me what I desired of Thee; for Thou hast made known to me the king's matter.
  	Thereupon, Daniel went in to Aryoch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Bavel. He went and said thus to him: Do not destroy the wise men of Bavel. Bring me in before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.
  	Then Aryoch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus to him: I have found a man of the exiles of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.
  	The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belshazzar: Art thou able to make known unto me the dream that I have seen, and its meaning?
  	Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said: The secret which the king has demanded is one that the wise men, the astrologers, the bone-conjurers, and the snake charmers cannot declare to the king.
  	But there is a G-d in heaven who reveals secret things, and makes known to King Nevuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dreams, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these:
  	As for thee, O king, thy [daytime] thoughts came up to thee upon thy bed, as to what should come to pass hereafter. And He who reveals secret things has made known to thee what shall come to pass.
  	But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living being, but in order that the interpretation shall be made known to the king, and that thou mightest know [the answer to] the [constant] thoughts of thy heart [i.e., Who shall succeed me?]
  	Thou, O king, didst see, and, behold, a great image. An image with a great base and of great radiance stood before thee, and its form was awesome.
  	This image's head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass.
  	Its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
  	As thou didst look, a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
  	Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that no place was found for them [i.e., their original place was devoid of them]. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
  	This is the dream, and we will state its meaning before the king.
  	Thou, O king — The King of Kings, the G-d of heaven, has given kingdom, power, strength, and glory to you.
  	And wherever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, He has given them into thy hand, and has made thee ruler over them all; thou art the head of gold.
  	And after thee [(after your son Belshazzar)] shall arise another kingdom [(Paras and Madai, who shall depose your seed, a kingdom)] inferior to thee [(as silver is inferior to gold)], and another, third, kingdom of brass, [(as powerful as brass. The kingdom of Greece, of Alexander of Macedonia)] which shall bear rule over the earth.
  	And the fourth kingdom [(Rome, the iron legs, which are "fourth" to gold, silver and brass)] shall be strong as iron in that iron [i.e., an iron hammer] crushes and subdues all things. And like iron, that destroys all [(these metals that you saw in the image)], so shall it crush and shatter (them).
  	And whereas thou didst see the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay, and partly of iron, so it shall be a divided kingdom [(of two kings, one strong; the other weak)]; but there shall be in it [(the weaker, the clay)], of the strength of iron [(the stronger, which abets it)], just as thou didst see the iron mixed with miry clay.
  	And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
  	and whereas thou didst see iron mixed with miry clay, so they [i.e., Rome] shall mingle themselves [(by intermarriage)] with the seed of men [i.e., with other nations]; but they shall not cleave one to another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
  	And in the days of these [Roman] kings shall the G-d of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed [(that of the Messiah)]. And the kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
  	Just as thou didst see that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great G-d has made known to the king what shall come to pass after this [i.e., after your kingdom]; and the dream is true, and its interpretation sure.
  	Then the king Nevuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and bowed down to Daniel [(wanting to make him a god)], and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him.
  	The king spoke to Daniel and said: Of a truth it is that your G-d is the G-d of gods, and the L-rd of lords, and a revealer of secrets, seeing that thou couldst reveal this secret.
  	Then the king made Daniel great [(over all the other nobles)] and gave him many costly gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Bavel and the chief prefect over all the wise men of Bavel.
  	Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego over the affairs of the province of Bavel. And Daniel remained in the gate of the king.
  
  
  
  	Nevuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and the breadth of which was six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel.
  	Then Nevuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, and magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image [(the beginning of its worship)] which Nevuchadnezzar the king had set up.
  	Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nevuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nevuchadnezzar had set up.
  	Then a herald cried aloud: To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and tongues,
  	That when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nevuchadnezzar the king has set up.
  	And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast in that same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
  	Therefore, at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and tongues, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nevuchadnezzar the king had set up.
  	And, likewise, at that time, certain Kasdians came near and accused the Jews.
  	They spoke up and said to the king Nevuchadnezzar: O king, live for ever.
  	Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image.
  	And whoever does not fall down and worship, he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
  	There are certain men of Judah whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Bavel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego. These men, O king, have not regarded thee. They do not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
  	Then Nevuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego. Then these men were brought before the king.
  	Nevuchadnezzar spoke and said to them: Is [my decree] vain [in your eyes], Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, that you do not serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
  	Now, you will perforce [accept it upon you] that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you will fall down and worship the image which I have made. And if you do not worship, you shall be cast in that same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, and who is the god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
  	Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego answered and said to the king: O Nevuchadnezzar, we have no need to [take counsel] to answer thee in this matter.
  	Behold, our G-d whom we serve is able to deliver us. He can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and out of thy hand, O king.
  	But if He does not [wish to save us], be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
  	Then was Nevuchadnezzar full of fury, and the expression of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, whereupon he spoke up and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
  	And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
  	Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, and their cloaks, and their (other) garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
  	And, because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who had seized upon Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego.
  	And these three men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the fiery furnace.
  	Then Nevuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said to his counselors: Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king: True, O king.
  	He answered and said: Lo, I see [(from afar)] four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like an angel [(that I saw smiting Sancherev's host [viz. Isaiah 37:36)]
  	Then Nevuchadnezzar came near to the gate [of the court] of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, and said: Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, servants of the most high G-d, come out and come here. Then [(not having come out before receiving the royal bidding)], Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
  	And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors, being gathered together [(viz. 3 above. Four are missing here — the four who were killed by the fire [viz. 22])], saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power; nor was a hair of their head singed; nor were their mantles damaged; nor had the smell of the fire entered them.
  	Then Nevuchadnezzar called out and said: Blessed be the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego, who has sent His angel, and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, turning aside the king's command, and yielding their bodies, that they might not serve or bow down to any god, except their own G-d.
  	Therefore, I let it be decreed that every people, nation, and tongue that speaks anything amiss against the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort.
  	Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Aved-nego in the province of Bavel.
  	[(a letter of Nevuchadnezzar:)] Nevuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and tongues that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
  	It is good to relate the signs and wonders that the supreme G-d has wrought with me.
  	How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.
  
  
  
  	I, Nevuchadnezzar, was at peace in my house and flourishing in my palace.
  	I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
  Therefore, I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Bavel before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
  	Then came in the magicians, the conjurers, the Kasdians, and the astrologers, and I told the dream before them; but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
  	Until, at last, Daniel was brought in before me, whose name was Belshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and before him I told the dream, saying:
  	O Belshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret is hidden from thee, tell me the vision of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning.
  	Thus were the visions of my head as I lay on my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
  	The tree grew and was strong, and its top reached to the sky, and it was visible to the end of all the earth.
  	Its boughs were fair and its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. The beasts of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its boughs, and all flesh was fed from it.
  	I saw in the visions of my head as I lay upon my bed, and behold, one who is awake [(i.e., an angel, who is eternally awake)] came down from heaven.
  	He cried aloud and said thus: Hew down the tree and cut off its boughs, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its boughs.
  	But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, in a band of iron and brass, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be steeped in the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
  	Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given to him, and let seven years pass over him [(in this decree)].
  	This matter is by the decree of the angels, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets up over it the basest of men.
  	This dream, I, King Nevuchadnezzar, have seen. Now, thou, O Belshazzar, declare its interpretation, seeing that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
  	Then Daniel, whose name was Belshazzar, was silent for one hour, and his thoughts [i.e., fear of revealing the interpretation] confounded him. The king spoke and said: Belshazzar, let not the dream and its interpretation confound thee. Belshazzar answered and said: My lord, the dream be for those who hate thee, and its interpretation for they enemies.
  	The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which was visible to all the earth,
  	the boughs of which were fair, and the fruit of which, abundant, and on it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon the boughs of which the birds of the sky had their habitation,
  	It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown and reaches to heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
  	And whereas the king saw a waker and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying: Hew down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump of its roots in the earth, in a band of iron and brass, amid the tender grass of the field; and let it be steeped in the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field, until seven years pass over it,
  	This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king.
  	That thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass like oxen, and thou shalt be steeped in the dew of heaven, and seven years shall pass over thee [(retribution for his destruction of the Temple, which took seven years to build)],in order that thou mayest know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He pleases.
  	And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall be sure for thee [i.e., it shall return to you], after thou shalt come to know that the heavens do rule.
  	Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and break off [(from your neck)] thy sins by charity, and thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that there may be an extension of thy tranquility [(and the evil not hasten to come)].
  	All of this [(interpretation)] came upon the king Nevuchadnezzar.
  	At the end of twelve months, he was walking in the palace of the kingdom of Bavel.
  	The king spoke and said: Is not this great Bavel, that I have built by the might of my power as a royal residence, and for the honor of my majesty?
  	While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying: O King Nevuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee.
  	And thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven years shall pass over thee, so that thou mayest know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will.
  	The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nevuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was steeped in the dew of heaven, until his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
  	At the end of the days [i.e., the seven years], I, Nevuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored Him who lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.
  	And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as naught and He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay His hand or say to Him: What doest thou?
  At that time, my reason returned to me, and I returned to the glory of my kingdom. And my majesty and splendor returned to me; and my counselors and lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom. And still more greatness was added to me.
  Now I, Nevuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways justice; and He is able to abase those who walk in pride.
  
  
  
  	Belshazzar the king [(Nevuchadnezzar's son)] made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
  	Belshazzar, in his cups, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nevuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his queen and his concubines might drink from them.
  	Then were brought the golden vessels that they had taken out of the Temple of the house of G-d, which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his queen and his concubines, drank from them.
  	They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
  	In the same hour, the fingers of a man's hand went forth [from heaven], and wrote over against the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
  	Then the king's appearance changed, and his thoughts terrified him, so that the belt of his loins was loosed [(his bowels being emptied in his fear)], and his knees smote one against the other.
  	The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Kasdim, and the snake charmers. And the king spoke and said to the wise men of Bavel: Whoever shall read this writing and declare to me the meaning of it shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule over a third of the kingdom.
  	Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the meaning of it.
  	Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his appearance changed, and his lords were confounded.
  	Now the queen, having heard the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said: O king, live for ever. Let not thy thoughts affright thee, nor let thy appearance change.
  	There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the angels was found in him, whom the king Nevuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made chief of the bone-conjurers, astrologers, Kasdim, and snake charmers,
  	seeing that a superflux of spirit, and knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and unravel the hidden, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.
  	Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel: Art thou that Daniel who art of the children of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
  	I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
  	And now, the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its meaning; but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
  	And I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations and solve problems. Now, if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt rule a third of the kingdom.
  	Then Daniel answered and said before the king: Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
  	O thou king, the most high G-d gave Nevuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.
  	And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and tongues trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he slew; and whom he would, he kept alive; and whom he would, he set up; and whom he would, he put down.
  	But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened to do evil, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
  	And he was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was steeped in the dew of heaven; until he came to know that the most high G-d rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He pleases.
  	And thou, his son, O Belshazzar, has not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this; 
  	but thou hast lifted up thyself against the L-rd of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy queen, and thy concubines have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, hear, or know. And the G-d in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
  	Then was the palm of the hand sent from Him, and this writing was written.
  	And this is the writing that was written: Mene Mene Tekel Ufarsin.
  	This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene — G-d has numbered [the years of] thy kingdom and [found them] consummated.
  	Tekel — thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting.
  	Peras — thy kingdom is divided and given to Madai and Paras.
  	Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel in scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should rule a third of the kingdom.
  	In that night, Belshazzar the king of the Kasdians was slain.
  
  
  
  	And Darius the Madaian received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.
  	It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be over the whole kingdom.
  	And over these were three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to them, so that the king should have no loss.
  	Then this Daniel became distinguished above the presidents and satraps, because a superflux of spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
  	Then the presidents and satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no pretext or fault, seeing that he was faithful; nor was any error or fault to be found in him.
  	Then said these men: We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find it against him in connection with [(refusing to flout)] the law of his G-d.
  	Then these presidents and satraps manipulated the king, and said thus to him: King Darius, live for ever.
  	All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to strengthen the king's ordinance [(since you are newly crowned and from a different land)], and to make a firm decree, that whoever makes petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the lions' den.
  	Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of Madai and Paras, which is unalterable.
  	Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.
  	Now when Daniel came to know that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now he had windows open in his attic towards Jerusalem [(facing the Temple site viz. I Kings 8:48)], and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his G-d, as he did aforetime).
  	Then these men stalked (him) and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his G-d.
  	Then they came near and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree that every man that shall make petition of any god or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the lions' den? The king answered and said: The thing is true according to the law of Madai and Paras, which is unalterable.
  	Then they answered, and said before the king: that Daniel who is of the children of the exiles of Judah, does not regard thee, O king, or the decree that thou hast signed, but makes his petition three times a day.
  	Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed, and postponed [acting on the decree] for Daniel to rescue him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him [(but Daniel was observed praying the evening prayer and the king no longer had a pretext)].
  	Then these men pressed the king, and said to the king: Know, O king, that it is the law of Madai and Paras that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.
  	Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the lions' den. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel: Thy G-d, whom thou servest continually, He will rescue thee.
  	And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
  	Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting. And a table [(with food)] was not brought to him, and his sleep fled from him.
  	And the king rose with the morning star, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den.
  	And when he came to the den, he cried out in a tone of anguish to Daniel. And the king spoke, and said to Daniel: O Daniel, servant of the living G-d, is thy G-d, whom thou servest continually, able to rescue thee from the lions?
  	Then Daniel said to the king: O king, live for ever.
  	My G-d has sent His angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; seeing that I was found innocent before Him, and also before thee, O king, have I done no wrong.
  	Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den; and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his G-d.
  	And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had slandered Daniel, and they cast them into the lions' den; them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overmastered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they reached the bottom of the den.
  	Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth: May your peace increase!
  	I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the G-d of Daniel; for He is the living G-d, and steadfast forever, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion [shall endure] to the end [of time].
  	He delivers, and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
  	So this Daniel prospered in the [(one-year)] reign of Darius and in the reign of Koresh the Parsaian [(who followed him)].
  
  
  
  	In the first year of Belshazzar king of Bavel, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay upon his bed; then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matter.
  	Daniel spoke and said: I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven stirred up the great sea.
  	And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse from one another.
  	The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings [(the kingdom of Bavel [viz. Jeremiah 4:7 and 48:10])]. I beheld until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up [i.e., removed] from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet like a [puny] man, and a man's [puny] heart was given to it.
  	And behold, another beast, a second one [i.e., rising second from the sea], like a bear [(Paras, reigning after Bavel)]. And it raised itself on one side [(Madai reigning for one year immediately after Bavel)], and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth [(an allusion to three kings of Paras: Koresh, Achashverosh and Darius)]. And it was told: Arise, devour much flesh!
  	After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard [(the kingdom of Antiochus)], which had upon the back of it four wings of a bird. The beast had also four heads [(Alexander of Macedonia dividing his kingdom among four rulers at his death)], and dominion was given to it.
  	After this I saw in a night vision [(a different night, this countervailing the other three)], and behold, a fourth beast [(Rome)], dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns [viz. verse 24].
  	I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked by the roots. And, behold, in this horn [(Titus)] were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great [i.e., audacious] things [(Titus cursing and blaspheming and entering the sanctuary with brazenness)].
  	As I looked, thrones were placed [(one for judgment and one for charity for Israel)], and the Ancient of Days did sit [(in judgment against the cruelty of the Roman tyrants)], whose garment was white as snow [(to "whiten" the sins of His people)], and the hair of whose head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, its wheels being burning fire.
  	A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. Judgment began and the books [(of their transgressions and evils)] were opened.
  	I looked then because of the sound of the great words [viz. 8] which the horn spoke; and as I looked, the beast was slain and its body destroyed, and given to the burning flame [(of Jacob viz. Ovadiah 1:18)]
  	And, as for the rest of the beasts [i.e., the kingdoms], their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time [(until the war of Gog and Magog)].
  	I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a son of man [(the Messiah)] came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days [(who was judging the peoples)], and they brought him near before Him.
  	And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and tongues should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
  	As for me, Daniel, my spirit was in turmoil in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head confounded me.
  	I came near to one of them [(one of the angels)] that stood by [the Ancient of Days] and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made known to me the meaning of the things.
  	These great beasts, which are four, are four kingdoms, which shall arise out of the earth.
  	But the holy ones [(Israel)] of the Most High shall take the kingdom [(from the fourth)], and possess the kingdom forever and for all eternity.
  	Then I wished to know the truth of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, the teeth of which were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet.
  	And ["I wished to know, etc."] of the ten horns that were on its head, and of the other horn which came up, and before which three fell; that horn which had eyes, and a mouth that spoke very great things, and which appeared greater than its fellows.
  	I beheld, and the same horn made war with the holy ones [(Israel)], and prevailed against them,
  	until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given [i.e., vengeance was taken] for the holy ones of the Most High; and the time came that the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
  	Thus he [(the angel interpreting the dream)] said: The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
  	And the ten horns [(that I saw)] are ten kings that shall arise out of this kingdom; and another [(Titus)] shall rise after them. And he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue three kings.
  	And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and think to change times and laws [i.e., to make them apostates]; and they shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time [(The "times" are concealed from us)].
  	But judgment was convened, and his dominion shall be removed, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
  	And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, to the holy ones of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
  	Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my cogitations confounded me, and my aspect altered; but I kept the matter in my heart.
  
  
  
  	In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me — I, Daniel — (after the vision that had appeared to me in the beginning), [(in the first year of Belshazzar's reign].
  	And I saw in the vision. And it was, when I saw, I was in Shushan, the capital, in the province of Eilam. And I saw in the vision that I was on the river Ulai.
  	And I lifted my eyes, and I saw, and, behold, a two-horned ram [(the kingdoms of Paras, and Madai)] standing before the river. The horns were high, and one [(Paras)] was higher than the other, [(Madai reigning only one year)]; and the higher rose afterwards [(after the one-year kingdom of Madai)].
  	I saw the ram butting: west, north, and south. And all the animals could not withstand him, and there was no deliverance from him, and he did as he willed and grew great.
  	And I observed, and, behold, a he-goat coming from the west over all the earth and not touching the earth [(seeming to be skipping in the air)]. And the he-goat had a highly prominent horn between his eyes.
  	And he came to the two-horned ram that I saw standing before the river and he charged him furiously.
  	And I saw him reaching the ram and battling with him. And he smote the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had not strength to withstand him. And he thrust him to the earth and trod him down, and there was no saving the ram from him.
  	And the he-goat grew very great, and at the height of his power, the great horn broke, and there appeared four (horns) rising in its place to the four sides of heaven.
  	And from one of them [i.e., from one of these kingdoms, Edom,] there came forth a diminutive horn [(Titus)] [viz. Ovadiah 1:2], and he grew exceedingly great: to the south [(Egypt)], to the east, and to the Tzevi [(Eretz Yisrael)].
  	And he grew until the host of the heavens [(Israel)]. And he toppled to the ground (some) of the host and of the stars, and he trod them down.
  	And until [the abode (i.e., the Temple) of] the Chief of the Host did he grow, and by him [(and his troops)] was the continual [burnt-offering] abolished, and His holy abode cast [to the ground].
  	And a time will be set for the [abolition of] the continual [burnt-offering] by [displacement with] the "offense" [i.e., idolatry.] And it [(idolatry)] shall cast truth [(Torah)] to the ground; and it has wrought and prospered.
  	And I heard a holy one [(one of the angels)] speaking. And the holy one said to the one speaking: Until when will this vision (last) the [displacement of the] continual [burnt-offering] by "the mute offense" [(idolatry)], the relegating of the holy [abode] and the host [of heaven] to be trodden underfoot?
  	And he said to me: Until "evening-morning" [(erev-boker - 574 in gematria)] (and) two thousand and three hundred [i.e., after 2,874 years]; and [then] the holy [people, Israel,] will be found righteous.
  	And it was when I saw — I, Daniel — the vision, that I asked for understanding (of it); and, behold, there stood opposite me (a form) like the appearance of a man.
  	And I heard the voice of a man in the midst of [the river] Ulai. And he called and said: "Gabriel, explain the vision to this one."
  	And he [(Gabriel)] came near where I stood. And when he came, I was confounded, and I fell on my face. And he said to me: Understand, son of man, that the vision [will materialize] at the end of a [long] time.
  	And when he spoke with me, I foundered on my face to the ground. And he touched me, and he stood me up where I had stood.
  	And he said: Behold, I shall apprise you of what will transpire at the termination of the wrath; for it shall be at the end of a [long] time.
  	The two-horned ram that you saw are the kings of Madai and Paras [viz. verse 2, etc.].
  	And the he-goat is the king of Yavan [(Greece)], and the great horn between his eyes is the first king [(Alexander of Macedonia, who killed Darius, the son of Esther)].
  	And its being broken, and four (horns rising) in its place — Four kings will arise from the nation [(divided by Alexander at his death)], and will not [attain to] his [(the first king's)] power.
  	And in the end of their kingdom, when the [time comes for] the offenders [(the evildoers of Israel in the second Temple)] to be eliminated, there will arise a king [(Titus)], brazen-faced and wily.
  	And his power will grow, but not through his strength [(but through his canniness)]. And he will destroy [(the idolators)] wondrously; and he will prosper and do [his will]. And he will destroy [many] powerful [nations], and the holy people [(Israel, who believe in the Torah)].
  	And because he prospers and succeeds [in everything he does], he will [cling to] his craftiness, and grow haughty of heart, and will destroy many [(of his allies)] with equanimity. And against the Chief of chiefs will he rise [viz. verse 11], and by a powerless one [(a mosquito [viz. Gittin 56b])] will he be broken.
  	And the vision of "erev-boker" [viz. 14], which was stated (to you) is true. And you, seal up [(the vision in your heart and do not elucidate it)], for [it will materialize only after] many days.
  	And I, Daniel, was broken [(by what I had seen in the vision)], and I took ill for days; but I arose and did the work of the king [viz. 2:48]. And I was confounded over the vision, but [(I dissembled and)] none perceived (it).
  
  
  
  	In the first year of Darius the son of Achashverosh of the seed of Madai, who was crowned over the kingdom of the Kasdim [(at the death of Belshazzar [viz. 6:1],
  	in the first year of his reign, I Daniel, considered the accounts of the number of years [(for the redemption from the Babylonian exile)], of which the L-rd spoke to Jeremiah the prophet [viz. Jeremiah 29:10], [(that redemption to take place)] upon the completion of seventy years of [the ascendancy of Bavel] over the ruins of Jerusalem.
  	And I set my face to the L-rd G-d to seek [to intercede with] prayer and supplications; with fasting, sack, and ashes.
  	And I prayed to the L-rd my G-d, and I made confession [(over the sin of my people)]. And I said: I beseech You, My L-rd, the great and awesome G-d, keeper of the covenant and of the lovingkindness to His lovers and to the keepers of His mitzvoth.
  	We have sinned and transgressed and done evil and rebelled and turned away from Your mitzvoth and from Your judgments.
  	And we did not pay heed to Your servants, the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
  	Yours, O L-rd, is the righteousness [i.e., You are right in the judgments and the punishments that You have brought upon us], and ours is the shame-facedness [i.e., it is fitting that we be ashamed over what is happening to us], as [we see] this day — [(what is happening)] to the men of Judah and the dwellers of Jerusalem and to all of Israel, the near and the far, in all the lands where You cast them for their faithlessness to You.
  	O L-rd, ours is the shame-facedness, for our kings, for our leaders, and for our fathers, (for) what we have sinned against You.
  	The mercies and the pardons are to be ascribed to the L-rd our G-d [(for not having destroyed us)], for we have rebelled against Him.
  	And we did not pay heed to the voice of the L-rd our G-d to walk in His teachings that He placed before us by the hand of His servants, the prophets.
  	And all of Israel transgressed Your Torah and turned away, not to heed Your voice, and there overtook us the curse and the oath written in the Torah of Moses, the servant of G-d [viz. Leviticus 26:14, etc.]
  	And He fulfilled His word which He spoke concerning us and concerning our judges who judged us, to bring upon us a great evil, which had not been wrought under all the heavens, as has been wrought in Jerusalem.
  	As written in the Torah of Moses, all this evil has come upon us. And we did not entreat the L-rd to [help us] to repent of our transgressions and to grow wise in Your truth.
  	And the L-rd hastened with the evil and He brought it upon us. For the L-rd our G-d is righteous in all of His acts which He performs — but we did not heed His voice.
  	And now, O L-rd, our G-d, who took out Your people from the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and made for Yourself a [great] name as of this day, [we confess that] we have sinned [and] done evil.
  	O L-rd, in all of Your righteousness, let Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city, Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For in our sins and in the transgressions of our father, Jerusalem and Your people have become a [target of] insult to all who are around us.
  	And now, hear our G-d, the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate Temple, for the sake of [the name of] "the L-rd," [(which is linked with Your Temple, viz. [Exodus 15:17])].
  	Incline, O G-d, Your ear, and hear; open Your eyes and see, our desolation and the city upon which Your name is called. For not upon our righteousness do we cast our supplications before You, but upon Your many mercies.
  	O L-rd, hear [our supplications]; O L-rd, forgive [our sins]; O L-rd, listen [to our cries], and do [what we request of You]; do not delay. For You, my G-d. for Your name is called upon Your city and upon Your people.
  	And while I was yet speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and casting my plaint before the L-rd my G-d for the mountain of the Temple of my G-d,
  	And while I was yet speaking in prayer, the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision in the beginning [(in the days of Belshazzar)], came flying (and) touched me at the time of the evening offering.
  	And he made me understand, and he spoke with me. And he said: I have now gone forth to teach you understanding.
  	In the beginning of your supplications the word [of truth] went forth [from the L-rd], and I have come to tell (it to you), for you are desirable [to the L-rd]. And consider the thing and understand the vision.
  	Seventy sevens [i.e., 490 years] have been decreed upon your people and upon your holy city [(from the destruction of the first Temple in the days of Tzidkiyahu until the destruction of the second Temple — seventy years in the Babylonian exile and four hundred twenty in the second Temple —)], to consummate [purging of] the offense and to end and atone [their] transgressions [(in the exile of Titus and in subjugation)], in order to bring eternal righteousness and to consummate [the burdens of] vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies [(the ark, the altars, and the holy vessels, which will be brought to them by the king, Messiah.)]
  	And know and understand from this word that has gone forth, to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. [From the destruction of the first Temple] until [the coming of the anointed prince [(Koresh, king of Paras [viz. Isaiah 45:1])] seven sevens [i.e., seven shemitah periods will elapse]. And for sixty-two sevens [(434 years)], [the city] will be restored and rebuilt, with its streets and its entrenchments. And they will be troubled times [(in subservience to the kings of Paras)].
  	And after the sixty-two sevens, the anointed one [(Agrippas, king of Judah, who reigned at the time of the destruction)] will be cut off and not be. And the city and the Temple will be destroyed by the people [i.e., the legions] of the prince [(Titus)] who comes [against them]. And his end [will be] to be swept away [(by the Messiah)], and until the end of the war [(of Gog and Magog, the city will be a trench of desolation)].
  	And he [(Titus)] shall forge a covenant [of peace] with the chiefs [of Israel] for one seven-year period]; but in half of that seven he will abolish sacrifice and meal-offering [viz. 8:25]. And on the height of abominations, [he shall place] "the mute [offense" (idolatry, viz. 8:13)]. And it, [(the dominion of abomination, shall endure)] until [the days of the Messiah, when] complete destruction will descend upon "the mute" [i.e., upon idolatry and its worshippers].
  
  
  
  	In the third year of Koresh, king of Paras, a thing was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belshazzar. And the thing is true, and in a long time [(it will materialize)]. And to understand the thing [(the vision was revealed to me)], to understand it through the vision.
  	In those days, I, Daniel, was in mourning [(over the cessation of the rebuilding of the Temple, viz. Ezra 4:24)], twenty-one years.
  	Clean bread I did not eat, and meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and I did not anoint myself until the completion of twenty-three years.
  	And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was near the great river, Chidekel.
  	And I lifted my eyes and I saw, and, behold, a certain man dressed in linen, and his thighs were girded with [a belt of] fine gold.
  	And his body was as [vast as the sea of] Tarshish, and his face (was) like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like torches of fire, and his arms and feet like burnished brass, and the sound of his words like the sound of a [distant] multitude.
  	And I saw — I, Daniel, alone — the vision. And the men who were with me [(Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah)] did not see the vision; but a great fear fell upon them and they fled to hiding.
  	And I remained alone, and I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me, and my beauty turned to ruin, and I could not summon strength.
  	And I heard the sound of his words. And when I heard the sound of his words, I foundered on my face with my face to the ground.
  	And, behold, a hand touched me and roused me to my knees and the palms of my hands.
  	And he said to me: Daniel, man of purity, understand the things that I speak to you and stand in your place, for I have now been sent to you [by G-d]. And when he spoke this thing to me, I stood up trembling.
  	And he said to me: Do not fear, Daniel. For from the first day that you set your heart upon understanding and fasting before your G-d, your words have been heard [and accepted], and I have come [(on this embassy)] because of your words.
  	And the prince [(the tutelary angel)] of the kingdom of Paras stood against me for twenty-one days [(seeking to extend the reign of Paras over Israel)], and, behold, Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to my aid, and I remained there against the kings of Paras [(to silence the heavenly prince of Paras)].
  	And I have come to make you understand what will transpire with your people in the end of days, for there is yet a vision [(to tell you what you have not yet been told, and it will materialize)] within the [many] days [foretold for the appointed time].
  	And when he spoke such words to me, I turned my face to the ground and I was mute.
  	And, behold, a human likeness touching my lips. And I opened my mouth and spoke, and I said to the one [(the angel)] standing before me: My lord, in the vision, my limb-tips overturned upon me, and I could not summon up strength.
  	And how could [I,] the servant of this, my lord [i.e., you,] speak with this, my lord, when [even] now [(when you have assumed human form)] no strength remains in me and my soul is not left in me!
  	And he touched me again, while [yet] in human form, and he strengthened me.
  	And he said: Do not fear, man of purity — Peace unto you! Strengthen and strengthen yourself! And when he spoke with me, I strengthened myself, and I said: Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.
  	And he said: [Now] do you know why I have come to you? And now, I shall return to war against the prince of Paras [and I shall prevail], but I shall leave [(when the time for the reign of Antiochus arrives)], and, behold, the prince of Greece shall come [(and the subjugation of Israel by Greece will be far more severe than their subjugation by Paras had been)].
  	But I shall tell you what is written in the [irrevocable] writing of truth. And no one [(among all the heavenly princes)] strengthened himself with me against these except Michael, your prince.
  
  
  
  	And I, [(Gabriel)] in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up as a strengthener and a stronghold for him [(Michael)]. [(With the fall of the kingdom of Bavel, when the kingdom of Madai and Paras petitioned on high to strengthen their yoke over you, I, Gabriel came to the assistance of Michael, your heavenly intercessor)].
  	And now, I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings will arise for Paras [(Koresh, Achashverosh, and the Darius who built the Temple)], and the fourth [(the latter Darius, fourth in the succession of Madai)], will accumulate great wealth, more than all [the others], and, growing strong in his wealth, he will rouse all [his kingdom to war] with the kingdom of Yavan (Greece).
  	And there will arise a strong king [(Alexander)], whose dominion will be great, and he will do as he desires [(with Darius, king of Paras. He will kill him and take his kingdom, and Paras will become subservient to Yavan)].
  	And when he rises [i.e., at the height of his power], his kingdom will be broken, and it will be divided to the four ends of heaven, but not to his sons, and not in [the strength of] the reign wherein he reigned. For his kingdom will be uprooted [into four parts], and to others aside from these [four].
  	And the king of the south will grow stronger [than the king of the north] and than his chiefs, and he will overpower him and rule. And he will exercise great sway in his dominion.
  	And after many years, they will unite, and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make peace [(between him and her father.)] And they [(her attendants)] will not be able to summon up strength [(to oppose him)]. Nor will he [(her father)] nor his warriors [(be able to oppose him)]. And she will be delivered — she, her attendants and her begetter [i.e., her father] and her supporter [i.e., her counselor] for the times [i.e., for contingencies].
  	And there shall arise from the branch of her roots [a son] sitting on his [(her father's)] throne, and he shall come against the army [(of the king of the north)], and he will enter the stronghold of the king of the north, and he will succeed against them, and he will vanquish (them).
  	And also their gods and their princes and their precious vessels of silver and gold will he bring in captivity to Egypt, and he will reign more years [in that kingdom] than did the king of the north.
  	And he will come through the kingdom of the king of the south [(her father's father)], and he will return to his land [(Egypt)].
  	And his [(the northern king's)] son will rise up and gather a multitude of great armies and he will come sweeping through [to the land of the south], and he will penetrate until his [(the southern king's)] stronghold.
  	And the king of the south will be embittered, and he will go out and war with him, with the king of the north, and he will mass a great multitude against him, and the multitude will be delivered into his [(the southern king's)] hand.
  	And the northern multitude will rouse themselves in pride of heart and overthrow tens of thousands [of the southern king's army], but [still] they will not prevail.
  	And the king of the north shall return and mass a multitude greater than the first, and after many years, he will come with a vast army, heavily supplied.
  	And in those times, many will rise up against the king of the south, and the sons of the rebels of your people will aspire to establish the vision [(according to their interpretation)], and they will fail.
  	And the king of the north will come and spill out a siege-mound and take a fortified city. And the southern strength will fail. And [though] his chosen men [be with the kings of the south], he will be unable to withstand [the forces of the north.]
  	And he [(the king of the north)] who comes against him will do [with him] as he wills, and none will stand against him, and he will stand in Eretz Hatzvi [(Eretz Yisrael)], and he will destroy (it) with his forces.
  	And he will set his face to come against the strength of his entire kingdom, and (against) the just [(those of Israel)] who are with him, and he will prevail. And he [(the king of the north, Antiochus)] will give to him [(his commander in chief, Polypus)] the daughter of women [i.e., "the choicest of women," the congregation of Israel] to destroy her; but it [(his counsel)] will not prevail, and she will not be his [(for Matithyahu the son of Yochanan will rescue her.)]
  	And he will turn his face to the isles, and he will take many. And the Chief will end his blasphemies against Him [and Israel]. He will requite unto him more than his blasphemies.
  	And he will turn his face to [return to] the strongholds of his land, and he will stumble and fall and no longer be found [on earth].
  	And there will rise on his base the caster-out of the oppressor, the glory of kingdom [(the Hasmonean dynasty)]. But in a short time it will be broken — and not by the wrath [of another nation], and not by war, [(but by the contention of the brothers Aristobulus and Hyrcanus for the succession)].
  	And there will rise on his place the despised one [(Esav [Rome, viz. Ovadiah 1:2])], upon whom the majesty of kingdom was not conferred. But he will come quietly and hold the kingdom with subtlety.
  	And those who swept [all before them] by force of arms [i.e., the Greeks] will be swept away before him, as will the maker of the covenant [i.e., the king of Israel who made a covenant with the Romans, which they broke].
  	And from this alliance with him [(the king of Israel)] he will weave deceit [(concealing evil designs)], and he will come up [from his place] and with scant forces overcome [(his enemies around the land of Judah — Edom, Ammon, and Moav — the king of Judah assisting him)].
  	Quietly [(and deceitfully)] and into the fats of the land shall he come, and he will do what his fathers and his fathers' fathers had not done. And spoils and wealth shall he spread among them [(among all who would take his yoke upon them)]. And over fortresses will he plot his designs [(placing his commanders over them)] until the time [(when all is under his domination)].
  	And he will rouse up his strength and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south will wage war with a great and extremely powerful army, but he will not prevail. For they will have plotted designs against him [(by bribing his retainers)].
  	And the eaters of his pathbag [viz. 1:5] will break him, and he [(the king of the north)] will sweep away his army, and many slain will fall.
  	And the two kings [(the Roman king and the "maker of the covenant," Hyrcanus, who joined him in order to receive his aid against his brother Aristobulus, reigning in Jerusalem)] — their hearts will be [joined] to do evil [against your people, Judah]. And against one "table" [(the kingdom of Aristobulus)] will they speak deceit. But it [(their counsel)] will not prevail, for there is yet [time remaining] for the end [i.e., the destruction] appointed [for them (viz. 9:25)].
  	And he [(the king of Rome)] will return to his land [(from his campaign against the king of the south)] with great wealth. And his heart will [plot to break] the sacred covenant [with Israel]. And he will prevail and return to his land.
  	After some time, he will return and come to the south, but [his coming] will not be [as successful] as the first [viz. 11:7] or the last [28].
  	And there will come against him factions and troops [(of rebellious Romans)], and he will be weakened, and he will return [to his land] in wrath over the sacred covenant [(that he made with Israel, resolved to break it)]. And he will prevail and return and reflect upon the forsakers of the sacred covenant [(between themselves and the L-rd, and take heart therefrom that he will succeed in breaking his covenant with them.)]
  	And forces will arise from him [(He will send his chiefs and warriors to Jerusalem)], and they will desecrate the abode of the sanctuary. And they will abolish the continual [burnt-offering], and they will install "the mute abomination."
  	And the forsakers of the covenant [(with their fellow-Jews)] he will flatter with smoothness; but the people who know their G-d will persist [(in their belief)] and carry on.
  	And the enlighteners of the people [i.e., the Torah sages] will propound (it) to the many, and they will "stumble" [(in their exile)] by sword, flame, captivity, and plunder for [many] days.
  	And in their stumbling, they will be assisted somewhat [(by bribing the foe)], but many will join them because of their "smoothnesses."
  	And [some] of the enlightened ones will stumble [in attempting] to decipher them [(the times given for the redemption)] and to clarify and elucidate [them], until the time of the end [of the exile]; for [much time] yet remains until the appointed time.
  	And the king [of Rome] will do as he wills, and he will be exalted and aggrandized over all the mighty ones. And against the Mighty of the mighty he will "speak wonders" [i.e., he will spout blasphemies.] And he will succeed until the wrath [of the L-rd against Israel] ends, when His decree has been executed.
  	And to the G-d of his [(Israel's)] fathers [(Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)] he [(the king of Rome)] will not pay heed. And to "the beauteous among the women" [(the congregation of Israel)] and to any god he will not pay heed, for he will exalt himself above all.
  	And the god of the stronghold [(cities which make a covenant with him)] he will honor [while it stands] on its base, [(flattering those who subject themselves to him)]. And a god that his fathers did not know he will honor with gold and silver and precious stones and beautiful objects.
  	And he will make [buildings] for stronghold cities with [i.e., in honor of] foreign gods. [And to those] chiefs whom he recognizes [and would flatter], he will accord much honor, and he will give them dominion over the many and will apportion land [to them] at a [token] price.
  	And towards the end [(when our redemption draws near)], the king of the south will battle with him, and the king of the north will assault him with chariots and cavalry and many ships; and he will come into [his] lands and sweep [all before him] and pass on.
  	And he will come into Eretz Hatzvi [(Eretz Yisrael)], and many will stumble [(and be lost)]; and these will escape him: Edom and Moav and the first [cities] of the children of Ammon.
  	And he will send his hand against [many] lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape.
  	And he will command the caches of gold and silver and all the precious things of Egypt, and he will tread Lubites and Cushites underfoot.
  	And reports [of uprisings] will confound him from the east and from the north, and he will leave in great wrath to destroy and to lay waste many.
  	And he will pitch the tents of his pavilions between the seas and the mountain of the holy land, and he will come to his end with none to help him.
  
  
  
  	And at that time Michael, the great prince who stands [up] for the children of Your people, will stand [mute, seeing the Holy One Blessed be He "contending" with Himself, saying: "How shall I destroy such a great nation for the sake of Israel?"] And there will be a time of turmoil [(in the heavenly synod and denunciation of Torah scholars)], the likes of which had never been, from [the time Israel] had become a nation until that time. And at that time your people will be delivered, according to all that is written in this book [viz. 7:11, 18].
  	And many of those who sleep in the earth will wake [(at the resurrection)] — these for eternal life and these for shamings and eternal mortification.
  	And the enlightened [(who occupied themselves with Torah and mitzvoth)] will shine like the splendor of the firmament, and the turners of the many to righteousness [will shine] like the stars for all eternity.
  	And you, Daniel, conceal [i.e., shroud] the words and seal the book until the time of the end [i.e., towards the advent of the redemption], when many will aspire [to unravel the secrets of the time of the redemption] and knowledge will increase.
  	And I saw — I, Daniel — and, behold, two other [angels] standing; one on one bank of the river [(Chidekel)], one on the other.
  	And he [(one of them)] said to the man clothed in linen [(the angel who spoke with me)], who [stood] above the waters of the river: Until when will the hidden end delay [(in coming)]?
  	And I heard the man clothed in linen above the waters of the river. And he lifted his right hand and his left hand heavenwards, and he swore by the Life of the World that at a time of two times and half a time, and at the end of the quashing of the strength of the holy people [viz. Deuteronomy 32:36], all of these shall come to an end.
  	And I heard, but I did not understand. And I said: My master, what shall be the end of these [computations]?
  	And he said: Go, Daniel, for the things are concealed and sealed until the time of the end [i.e., towards the advent of the redemption].
  	[These computations] will be clarified and elucidated and deciphered by many, but the wicked will distort [(them, and when their "times" have come and gone, they will deny the redemption)]. And all the wicked will not understand (them), but the enlightened [(the Torah sages)] will understand [(when the time arrives)].
  	And from the time of the abolition of the continual [burnt-offering] and its displacement by "the mute abomination" [until its return in the days of the Messiah], one thousand and two hundred and ninety years [shall elapse].
  	Happy is he who waits [(forty-five years beyond this sum)] and attains to one thousand and three hundred and thirty-five years [(the Messiah being destined to be concealed for forty-five years after he is revealed.)]
  	And you, go to the end [i.e., to your grave]; and you shall rest and arise to your lot [with the righteous] at the end of days.