11 “In the first year that Darius the Mede was king [^C539 bc; 5:31], I [^Cthe unnamed angel speaking to Daniel; 10:5] stood up to support and strengthen him [^CMichael, in his fight against the prince of Persia].

Kingdoms of the South and North

² “Now then, Daniel, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will ·rule [^Larise] in Persia, and then a fourth king will come. He will be much richer than all ·the kings of Persia before him [^Lof them] and will use his riches to get power [^Cperhaps Darius III, the last king of Persia]. He will stir up everyone against the kingdom of ·Greece [^LJavan]. ³ Then a ·mighty [or warrior] king will ·come [^Larise], who will rule with great power and will do anything he wants [^CAlexander the Great, who defeats Persia]. ⁴ After that king ·has come [^Larises], his kingdom will be broken up and divided out toward the four ·parts of the world [^Lwinds of heaven]. His kingdom will not go to his ·descendants [posterity], and ·it will not have the power that he had [^Lnot according to the dominion of his dominion], because his kingdom will be pulled up and given to other people [^CAlexander’s kingdom was divided among his four most powerful generals, the Diadochoi].

⁵ “The king of the South [^CPtolemy I; the South is the Ptolemaic kingdom with its chief city in Alexandria, Egypt] will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger [^CSeleucus, the founding king of the Seleucid kingdom with its chief city in Antioch, Syria]. He will begin to rule his own kingdom with great power. ⁶ Then ·after a few [^Lat the end of] years, ·a new friendship will develop [they will enter an alliance]. The daughter of the king of the South will ·marry [^Lcome to] the king of the North ·in order to bring peace [^Lto establish an agreement; ^Ca marriage alliance between Berenice, daughter of the Ptolemaic king, and Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucid kingdom]. But she will not ·keep [retain] her power, and his ·family [^Lseed; or power] will not last. She, her husband, her child, and those who ·brought her to that country [supported her] will be ·killed [^Lgiven up; ^Cthey were poisoned in a political intrigue].

⁷ “But a ·person from her family [^Lbranch of her roots] will ·become king of the South [^Larise in his place] and will ·attack [^Lcome against] the armies of the king of the North [^CPtolemy III waged war against Seleucus II]. He will go into that king’s ·strong, walled city [fortress] and will ·fight [act] and win. ⁸ He will take their gods, their metal idols, and their ·valuable [^Lfavored; coveted; desired] things made of silver and gold back to Egypt as plunder. Then he will not bother the king of the North for a few years. ⁹ Next, ·the king of the North [^Lhe] will ·attack [^Lcome against] the king of the South, but he will ·be beaten back [return] to his own ·country [land; ^Cthe battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies would continue].

¹⁰ “His [^Cthe king of the North] sons [^CSeleucus III and Antiochus III the Great] will prepare for war. They will get a large ·army [multitude; horde] together that will move through the land, like a flood [^Cpowerfully and quickly]. Later, that army will come back and fight all the way to the ·strong, walled city [fortress; ^Cof the king of the South, Ptolemy IV; the fortress may refer to Gaza]. ¹¹ Then the king of the South will become very angry and will march out to fight against the king of the North [^Cthe battle of Raphia between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III in 217 bc]. The king of the North will ·have [raise] a large ·army [multitude; horde], but he will ·lose the battle [^Lbe delivered into his hand], ¹² and the ·soldiers [multitude; horde] will be carried away. ·The king of the South will then be very proud [^LHis heart will be lifted up] and will ·kill [^Lfell] ·thousands of soldiers [^Lmyriads; tens of thousands] from the northern army, but he will not ·continue to be successful [prevail; be victorious]. ¹³ The king of the North will gather another ·army [multitude; horde], larger than the first one. After ·several [a period of] years he will attack with a large ·army [force] and many ·weapons [or supplies].

¹⁴ “In those times many people will ·be [^Lrise up] against the king of the South. ·Some of your own people who love to fight [Wild/Violent men; ^LSons who make breaches among your people; ^CJewish men] will ·turn [^Llift themselves up] against the king of the South, ·thinking it is time for God’s promises to come true [^Lto fulfill the vision]. But they will ·fail [stumble; falter]. ¹⁵ Then the king of the North will come. He will ·build [throw up] ·ramps to the tops of the city walls [siege engines] and will capture a ·strong, walled [fortified] city. The southern ·army [forces] will not ·have the power to fight back [endure; last]; even their best soldiers will not be strong enough to ·stop the northern army [endure; last]. ¹⁶ So the ·king of the North [^Lone who invades him] will do whatever he ·wants [pleases]; no one will be able to ·stand [endure; last] against him. He will gain power and control in the beautiful land [^Cof Judah; 8:9] and ·will have the power to destroy it [^Lall of it will be in his hand/power]. ¹⁷ The king of the North will ·decide [^Lset his face] to ·use [bring] all his power to fight against the king of the South, but he will make a peace agreement with the king of the South. The king of the North will give one of his daughters as a wife to the king of the South so that he can ·defeat [destroy] him [^CCleopatra was given to Ptolemy V in marriage to serve as a spy]. But those plans will not ·succeed [stand; endure; last] or help him [^CCleopatra changed loyalties]. ¹⁸ Then the king of the North will turn his attention to the coastlines [^Ccities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea; Antiochus was able to take some cities in Asia Minor] and will capture ·them [^Lmany]. But a commander [^Cthe Roman consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio commanded him to cease warfare] will put an end to ·the pride of the king of the North [^Lhis scorn], turning his ·pride [scorn] back on him. ¹⁹ After that happens the king of the North will go back to the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of his own country, but he will ·lose his power [^Lstumble and fall]. ·That will be the end of him [^L…and not be found; ^CAntiochus III died in 187 bc].

²⁰ “·The next king of the North will send out a tax collector so he will have plenty of money [^LThen one will arise in his place who will send out a tax collector/despot/oppressor for/or to enhance the splendor of the kingdom]. In ·a few years [^Llater/after days] that ruler will be ·killed [^Lbroken], ·although he will not die in [^Lnot by] anger or in a battle [^CSeleucus IV died in mysterious circumstances, perhaps killed by his brother Antiochus IV also known as Epiphanes].

²¹ “·That ruler will be followed by [^LThen one will arise in his place who is] ·a very cruel and hated man [^Ldespised], who had not yet been given the honor of royalty [^CAntiochus Epiphanes, who will be the focus of much of the rest of the chapter]. He will attack ·the kingdom when the people feel safe [without warning], and he will take power by ·lying to the people [intrigue]. ²² He will sweep away in defeat ·large and powerful [^Lfloodlike] ·armies [forces] and even a prince who made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. ²³ Many nations will make ·agreements [alliances] with ·that cruel and hated ruler [^Lhim], but he will lie to them. He will gain much power, but only a few people will support him. ²⁴ The richest ·areas [or people of a province] will feel safe, but ·that cruel and hated ruler [^Lhe] will attack them. He will succeed where his ·ancestors [^Lfathers and father’s fathers] did not. He will ·rob the countries he defeats and will give those things to his followers [^Lscatter spoil, plunder, and goods to them]. He will plan ·to defeat and destroy strong cities [^Lagainst strongholds], ·but he will be successful for only a short time [^Luntil a time].

²⁵ “·That very cruel and hated ruler [^LHe] will have a large army that he will use to stir up his strength and ·courage [^Lheart]. He will attack the king of the South [^Cthe Seleucid king Ptolemy VI]. The king of the South will gather a large and very powerful army and prepare for war. But ·the people who are against him will make secret plans, and the king of the South will be defeated [^Lhe will not stand/endure because of the plans they planned against him]. ²⁶ People who ·were supposed to be his good friends [^Leat his royal rations; ^CPtolemy VI’s advisors Eulaeus and Lenaeus] will try to ·destroy [^Lbreak] him. His army will be swept away in defeat; many ·of his soldiers will be killed in battle [^Lcorpses will fall]. ²⁷ Those two kings will ·want to hurt each other [^Lhave their hearts/minds toward evil/harm]. They will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will not ·do either one any good [succeed], because ·God has set a time for their end to come [the appointed time of the end has been set]. ²⁸ ·The king of the North [^LHe; ^CAntiochus] will go back to his own country with much wealth. Then he will decide to go against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; ^Cas Antiochus returned to Syria from Egypt, he took aggressive action against the Jews in Jerusalem]. He will take action and then return to his own country.

²⁹ “At the ·right [appointed] time ·the king of the North [^Lhe] will attack the king of the South again, but this time ·he will not be successful as he was before [^Lit will not be as before]. ³⁰ Ships from ·the west [^LKittim; ^CRome, which made Antiochus stand down from his attack on the South] will come and fight against ·the king of the North [^Lhim], so he will be ·afraid [startled; or dismayed]. Then he will return and show his anger against the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. He will be good to those who have ·stopped obeying [^Labandoned; forsaken] the holy ·agreement [covenant; treaty; ^Cthe pro-Antiochus party among the Jewish people].

³¹ “·The king of the North will send his army [^LForces from him will arise] to ·make the Temple in Jerusalem unclean [^Lprofane the Holy Place and fortress]. They will ·stop the people from offering [^Lturn aside] the ·daily [regular] sacrifice [8:12], and then they will set up a ·blasphemous object that brings destruction [^Labomination of desolation; ^Ca pagan object, perhaps a meteorite dedicated to Zeus, would be placed in the holy place; Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; also 1 Maccabees 1:44–47, 54 in the Apocrypha]. ³² ·The king of the North [^LHe] will tell lies and cause those who have ·not obeyed God [^Ltransgressed the agreement/covenant/treaty] to ·be ruined [^Lbecome godless]. But those who know God and obey him will be strong and fight back.

³³ “Those who are ·wise [^Linsightful among the people] will help ·the others [^Lmany] understand what is happening. But they will ·be killed [^Lstumble] with swords, or ·burned [^Lwith flame], or ·taken captive [^Lby exile], or ·robbed of their homes and possessions [^Lby spoil]. These things will continue for many days. ³⁴ When ·the wise ones are suffering [^Lthey stumble], they will get a little help, but many who join ·the wise ones [^Lthem] will ·not help them in their time of need [^Lbe insincere]. 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]. ³⁸ ·The king of the North [^LHe] will ·worship [glorify] ·power and strength [^La god of fortresses in his place], ·which his ancestors did not worship [^La god his ancestors/fathers did not know]. He will ·honor [glorify] the god of power with gold and silver, ·expensive jewels [precious stones] and ·gifts [^Ldesired/coveted/favored things]. ³⁹ That king will attack ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] with the help of a foreign god. He will give much ·honor [glory; or wealth] to the people who ·join [acknowledge; recognize] him, making them rulers in charge of many other people. And he will ·make them pay him for the land they rule [^Ldistribute the land for a price].

⁴⁰ “At the time of the end, the king of the South will ·fight a battle [^Lbutt] against ·the king of the North [^Lhim]. The king of the North will ·attack [^Lrush in on him] with chariots, soldiers on horses, and many large ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through their lands like a flood. ⁴¹ The king of the North will attack the beautiful land [^CJudah; 8:9]. He will ·defeat many countries [^Lcause many to stumble], but Edom, Moab, and the ·leaders [^Lheads; or main part] of Ammon will be saved from ·him [^Lhis hand]. ⁴² ·The king of the North [^LHe] will ·show his power in [^Lsend his hand against] many countries; Egypt will not escape. ⁴³ ·The king [^LHe] will ·get [^Lrule over the] treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt. The Libyan and ·Nubian [or Ethiopian; ^LCushite] people will ·obey him [^Lfollow in his tracks]. ⁴⁴ But the king of the North will hear ·news [reports] from the east and the north that will make him ·afraid [terrified] and angry. He will go to [^Ldevastate and] destroy completely many. ⁴⁵ He will ·set up [pitch] his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain [^CZion, the location of the Temple]. But, finally, his end will come, and no one will help him.