Daniel 7:1-8
Expanded Bible
Daniel’s Dream About Four Animals
7 In Belshazzar’s first year as king of Babylon [C perhaps 550 bc], Daniel had a dream. He saw visions [L in his head] as he was lying on his bed, and he wrote ·down what he had dreamed [L the beginning of the words/matter].
2 Daniel said: “I saw my vision at night. In the vision the ·wind was blowing from all four directions, which made the sea very rough [L four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea; C a picture of chaos]. 3 I saw four huge ·animals [beasts] come up from the sea, and each ·animal [beast] was different from the others.
4 “The first ·animal [beast] looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. I watched this ·animal [beast] until its wings were torn off. It was lifted from the ground so that it stood up on two feet like a human, and it was given the ·mind [heart] of a human [C perhaps representing Babylon].
5 “Then I saw a ·second [L another] ·animal [beast] before me that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides and had three ·ribs [or tusks] in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat ·all the meat you want [much flesh; many bodies; C perhaps representing the Medes or the Medes and Persians]!’
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another ·animal [beast]. This ·animal [beast] looked like a leopard with four wings on its back that looked like a bird’s wings. This ·animal [beast] had four heads and was given ·power to rule [authority; C perhaps representing the Persians or the Greeks].
7 “After that, in my vision at night I saw in front of me a fourth ·animal [beast] that was ·cruel [fearsome], ·terrible [terrifying], and very strong [C perhaps the Greeks or Romans]. It had large iron teeth. It crushed and ate what it killed, and then it ·walked on [L stamped with its feet] whatever was left. This fourth ·animal [beast] was different from any ·animal [beast] I had seen before, and it had ten horns [C representing strength and power].
8 “While I was ·thinking about [reflecting on] the horns, another horn grew up among them. It was a little horn with eyes like a human’s eyes. It also had a mouth, and the mouth was bragging. The little horn ·pulled out [uprooted] three of the other horns.
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Daniel 7:1-8
King James Version
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 the heaven strove 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 stand upon the 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 raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; 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, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: 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 little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
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Daniel 7:1-8
New King James Version
Vision of the Four Beasts
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, (A)Daniel [a]had a dream and (B)visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling [b]the main facts.
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts (C)came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was (D)like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a (E)man’s heart was given to it.
5 (F)“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had (G)four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, (H)a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, (I)and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and (J)there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes (K)of a man, (L)and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.
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- Daniel 7:1 Lit. saw
- Daniel 7:1 Lit. the head or chief of the words
- Daniel 7:8 Lit. great things
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
