“Three 1 more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth 2 king will be unusually rich, 3 more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against 4 the kingdom of Greece. 11:3 Then a powerful king 5 will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, 6 his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky 7 – but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.
11:5 “Then the king of the south 8 and one of his subordinates 9 will grow strong. His subordinate 10 will resist 11 him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. 12 11:6 After some years have passed, they 13 will form an alliance. Then the daughter 14 of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, 15 nor will he continue 16 in his strength. 17 She, together with the one who brought her, her child, 18 and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time. 19
11:7 “There will arise in his 20 place one from her family line 21 who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. 22 11:8 He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from 23 the king of the north. 11:9 Then the king of the north 24 will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. 11:10 His sons 25 will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy’s 26 fortress. 27
11:11 “Then the king of the south 28 will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. 11:12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. 29 He will be responsible for the death 30 of thousands and thousands of people, 31 but he will not continue to prevail. 11:13 For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.
11:14 “In those times many will oppose 32 the king of the south. 33 Those who are violent 34 among your own people will rise up in confirmation of 35 the vision, but they will falter. 11:15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. 36 The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. 37 They will have no strength to prevail. 11:16 The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power. 38 11:17 His intention 39 will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. 40 He will give the king of the south 41 a daughter 42 in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. 11:18 Then he will turn his attention 43 to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander 44 will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, 45 he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. 46 11:19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 11:20 There will arise after him 47 one 48 who will send out an exactor 49 of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, 50 though not in anger or battle.
11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person 51 to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 11:22 Armies 52 will be suddenly 53 swept away in defeat 54 before him; both they and a covenant leader 55 will be destroyed. 56 11:23 After 57 entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. 58 11:24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. 59 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm 60 against the king of the south 61 with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. 11:26 Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; 62 many will be killed in battle. 11:27 These two kings, their minds 63 filled with evil intentions, will trade 64 lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. 11:28 Then the king of the north 65 will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. 11:29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. 11:30 The ships of Kittim 66 will come against him, leaving him disheartened. 67 He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor 68 those who forsake the holy covenant. 11:31 His forces 69 will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, 70 stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up 71 the abomination that causes desolation. 11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile 72 those who have rejected 73 the covenant. But the people who are loyal to 74 their God will act valiantly. 75 11:33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. 76 However, they will fall 77 by the sword and by the flame, 78 and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. 79 11:34 When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. 11:35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.