³⁵ Some of the ·wise [^Linsightful] ones will ·be killed [^Lstumble]. ·But the hard times must come so they can be made stronger and purer and without faults [^L…in order to refine, to purify, and to cleanse them] until the time of the end comes. Then, at the right time, the end will come.

The King Who Praises Himself

³⁶ “·The king of the North [^LThe king] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases; desires]. He will ·brag about [exalt] himself and praise himself and think he is even better than a god. He will say ·things [fantastic/horrendous things] against the God of gods that no one has ever heard. And he will be successful until ·all the bad things have happened [^Lrage is completed]. Then what ·God has planned to happen [^Lis determined] will happen. ³⁷ ·The king of the North [^LHe] will ·not care about [pay no attention to] the gods ·his ancestors worshiped [^Lof his ancestors/fathers; ^Che replaced the worship of Apollos with that of Zeus] or the god ·that women worship [^Ldesired/coveted/favored by women; ^Cperhaps Adonis or Dionysius]. He won’t ·care about [pay attention to] any god. Instead, he will ·make himself more important than any god [^Lexalt himself above all].