The messenger describes a long series of conflicts between the kings of the north and the south and the rise of a contemptuous ruler who exalts himself. The people who know their God will be strong and do exploits.
1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede , even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
2 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 .
3 And a mighty king shall stand up , that shall rule with great dominion , and do according to his will .
4 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.
5 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 .
6 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 .
7 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 :
8 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 .
9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom , and shall return into his own land .
10 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 .
11 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 .
12 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.
13 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 .
14 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 .
15 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 .
16 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 .
17 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.
18 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.
19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land : but he shall stumble and fall , and not be found .
20 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 .
21 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 .
22 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 .
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully : for he shall come up , and shall become strong with a small people .
24 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 .
25 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.
26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow : and many shall fall down slain .
27 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 .
28 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 .
29 At the time appointed he shall return , and come toward the south ; but it shall not be as the former , or as the latter .
30 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 .
31 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 .
32 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.
33 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 .
34 Now when they shall fall , they shall be holpen with a little help : but many shall cleave to them with flatteries .
35 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 .
36 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 .
37 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.
38 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 .
39 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 .
40 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 .
41 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 .
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries : and the land of Egypt shall not escape .
43 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 .
44 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 .
45 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.