HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1154
D A N IEL 1 1
page 784
form an alliance with the king of the south. He
will give him a daughter in marriage in order
to overthrow the kingdom from within, but his
plan will fail.
— promises —
from God
“Those who are wise will
shine as bright as the sky,
and those who lead many
to righteousness will shine
like the stars forever.”
DA N I E L 1 2:3
18 “After this, he will turn his attention to the
coastland and conquer many cities. But a commander from another land will put an end to
his insolence and cause him to retreat in shame.
19 He will take refuge in his own fortresses but
will stumble and fall and be seen no more.
20 “His successor will send out a tax collector
to maintain the royal splendor. But after a very
brief reign, he will die, though not from anger
or in battle.
21 “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and
take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue.
22 Before him great armies will be swept away,
including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances.
He will become strong despite having only a
handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will
enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will
distribute among his followers the plunder and
wealth of the rich—something his predecessors
had never done. He will plot the overthrow of
strongholds, but this will last for only a short
while.
25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise
a great army against the king of the south. The
king of the south will go to battle with a mighty
army, but to no avail, for there will be plots
against him. 26 His own household will cause
his downfall. His army will be swept away, and
many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each
other’s harm, these kings will plot against each
other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference,
for the end will come at the appointed time.
28 “The king of the north will then return
home with great riches. On the way he will
set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing
his journey.
29 “Then at the appointed time he will once
again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from
western coastlands* will scare him off, and
he will withdraw and return home. But he will
vent his anger against the people of the holy
covenant and reward those who forsake the
covenant.
31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the
daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious
object that causes desecration.* 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the
covenant. But the people who know their God
will be strong and will resist him.
33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many,
but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or
they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these
persecutions, little help will arrive, and many
who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some
of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In
this way, they will be refined and cleansed and
made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting
himself and claiming to be greater than every
god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He
will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is
completed. For what has been determined will
surely take place. 37 He will have no respect for
the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by
women, or for any other god, for he will boast
that he is greater than them all. 38 Instead of
these, he will worship the god of fortresses—
a god his ancestors never knew—and lavish on
him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive
gifts. 39 Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will
attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor
those who submit to him, appointing them to
positions of authority and dividing the land
among them as their reward.*
40 “Then at the time of the end, the king of the
south will attack the king of the north. The king
of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various
lands and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He
will enter the glorious land of Israel,* and many
nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best
part of Ammon will escape. 42 He will conquer
many countries, and even Egypt will not escape.
43 He will gain control over the gold, silver, and
treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians* will be his servants.
44 “But then news from the east and the north
will alarm him, and he will set out in great
anger to destroy and obliterate many. 45 He will
stop between the glorious holy mountain and
the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while
11:30 Hebrew from Kittim. 11:31 Hebrew the abomination of
desolation. 11:39 Or at a price. 11:41 Hebrew the glorious
land. 11:43 Hebrew Cushites.