Daniel - Chapter 7: Verses 1-8

Daniel's Dream Of The Four Beasts

1. In the first year of Belshazzar King of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and
visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down
the substance of his dream.

2. Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were
the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.

3. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

4. " The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched
until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it
stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.

5. And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It
was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between
its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'

6. After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that
looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a
bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

7. After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a
fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had
large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled
underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former
beasts, and it had ten horns.

8. While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another
horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first
horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of
a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully......
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Holy Bible-New International Version (NIV)