ואֲנִי בִּשְׁנַת אַחַת לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמָּדִי עָמְדִי למַחֲזִיק וּלְמָעוֹז לוֹ

Gavriel continues: At present Mikhael is aiding me in my war, and I, in the past, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood as a supporter and a bastion for him, Mikhael.

וְעַתָּה אֱמֶת אַגִּיד לָךְ הִנֵּה־עוֹד שְׁלֹשָׁה מְלָכִים עֹמְדִים לְפָרַס וְהָרְבִיעִי יַעֲשִׁיר עֹשֶׁר־גָּדוֹל מִכֹּל וּכְחֶזְקָתוֹ בְעָשְׁרוֹ יָעִיר הַכֹּל אֵת מַלְכוּת יָוָן

Now I will tell you the truth about the future. Behold, three more kings remain for Persia; the fourth king will become wealthy with greater wealth than all. When he grows strong through his wealth, he will goad everyone to fight with the kingdom of Yavan; alternatively: He shall stir up all to fight against him, especially the kingdom of Yavan.

וְעָמַד מֶלֶךְ גִּבּוֹר וּמָשַׁל מִמְשָׁל רַב וְעָשָׂה כִּרְצוֹנוֹ

A mighty king will arise in Yavan, and he will rule with extensive dominion, or over a broad area, and will act as he wills.

וּכְעָמְדוֹ תִּשָּׁבֵר מַלְכוּתוֹ וְתֵחָץ לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמָיִם וְלֹא לְאַחֲרִיתוֹ וְלֹא כְמָשְׁלוֹ אֲשֶׁר מָשָׁל כִּי תִנָּתֵשׁ מַלְכוּתוֹ וְ לאֲחֵרִים מִלְּבַד אֵלֶּה

When he has arisen, at the height of his powers, or: when his life comes to its end, his kingdom will be broken, and will be divided to the four winds of heaven, and his realm will not go to his posterity; it will not be like his dominion with which he ruled so forcefully any longer, as his kingdom will be uprooted and transferred for others, to other kings, beside those divisions into the four winds.

וְיֶחֱזַק מֶלֶךְ־הַנֶּגֶב וּמִן־שָׂרָיו וְיֶחֱזַק עָלָיו וּמָשָׁל מִמְשָׁל רַב מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ

The king of the South will become stronger and more powerful than his rival who will control other areas, and he will be even stronger than one of his rival’s princes, or he will overpower an individual who was one of his princes; and he, the king of the South, will overpower him and rule; his dominion will be a great dominion, powerful and long-lasting.

וּלְקֵץ שָׁנִים יִתְחַבָּרוּ וּבַת מֶלֶךְ־הַנֶּגֶב תָּבוֹא אֶל־מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵישָׁרִים וְלֹא־תַעְצֹר כּוֹחַ הַזְּרוֹעַ וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד וּזְרֹעוֹ וְתִנָּתֵן הִיא וּמְבִיאֶיהָ וְהַיֹּלְדָהּ וּמַחֲזִקָהּ בָּעִתִּים

At the end of years they will join together, try to make peace with each other, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the rival king of the North to bring about reconciliation, in an effort to enact a formal treaty between them; but she will not restrain the strength of her arm, or she will be unable to block their strength of arms; and he and his arm will not endure, as the king of the South will not be strong enough militarily. She, those who brought her, her companions, he who begot her, her father; alternatively, her son; and her supporter in those times, who strengthens her in the difficult times; alternatively, her husband, will be given up. Some explain that she will not endure but will die, as none of these will survive; they will all die or be killed.

וְעָמַד מִנֵּצֶר שָׁרָשֶׁיהָ כַּנּוֹ וְיָבֹא אֶל־הַחַיִל וְיָבֹא בְּמָעוֹז מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן וְעָשָׂה בָהֶם וְהֶחֱזִיק

A shoot, a descendant, from her roots, from the daughter of the king of the South, will stand, sprout, in his own, proper, place; this descendant will recapture the throne and will come to the forces, or the treasury, and enter the stronghold of the king of the North; he will act against them, destroy them, or pressure them, and will take possession of parts of the kingdom.

וְגַם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם עִם־נְסִכֵיהֶם עִם־כְּלֵי חֶמְדָּתָם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב בַּשְּׁבִי יָבִא מִצְרָיִם וְהוּא שָׁנִים יַעֲמֹד מִמֶּלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן

Also their gods, with their cast images, with their precious vessels, silver and gold, he will bring into captivity to Egypt. For years he will remain in the land that he conquered from the king of the North.

וּבָא בּמַלְכוּת מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב וְשָׁב אֶל־אַדְמָתוֹ

After a time he will once again come back to the region of the kingdom of the king of the South, and he will return to his own land.

וּבָנָו יִתְגָּרוּ וְאָסְפוּ הֲמוֹן חֲיָלִים רַבִּים וּבָא בוֹא וְשָׁטַף וְעָבָר וְיָשֹׁב וְיִתְגָּרֶה עַד־מָעֻזֹּה

His, the king of the North’s, sons, will make a provocation against him, and will assemble a horde of great forces; it, the army of the North will come, surging and passing through, with his army, he will gallop with force to the south; he will again make a provocation, commence a war, against his, the king of the South’s, stronghold.

וְיִתְמַרְמַר מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב וְיָצָא וְנִלְחַם עִמּוֹ עִם־מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן וְהֶעֱמִיד הָמוֹן רָב וְנִתַּן הֶהָמוֹן בְּיָדוֹ

The king of the South will be galled, be filled with bitterness and anger at the invasion of the king of the North into his territory, and will come out and wage war with him, with the king of the North; he, the king of the South, will mobilize a great horde, and the horde of the king of the North will be delivered into his hand.

וְנִשָּׂא הֶהָמוֹן וְרָם לְבָבוֹ וְהִפִּיל רִבֹּאוֹת וְלֹא יָעוֹז

The horde will be carried away in captivity, and his, the king of the South’s, heart will grow haughty, and he will fell tens of thousands of enemy troops; but even so he will not prevail; despite his successes against the king of the North, the king of the South will not emerge completely victorious or in full control.

וְשָׁב מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן וְהֶעֱמִיד הָמוֹן רַב מִן־הָרִאשׁוֹן וּלְקֵץ הָעִתִּים שָׁנִים יָבוֹא בוֹא בְּחַיִל גָּדוֹל וּבִרְכוּשׁ רָב

The king of the North will again mobilize a horde, a large army, even greater than the first, and at the end of the times, after the passage of years, he will come with a great army and with much military equipment, or he will return from the battle with much plunder.

וּבָעִתִּים הָהֵם רַבִּים יַעַמְדוּ עַל־מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב וּבְנֵי פָּרִיצֵי עַמְּךָ יִנַּשְּׂאוּ לְהַעֲמִיד חָזוֹן וְנִכְשָׁלוּ

In those times, many enemies, or helpers, will stand against the king of the South. The lawless among your people, Daniel, will presume, have pretentions, to establish a vision, their ideal world, but they will fail.

וְיָבֹא מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן וְיִשְׁפֹּךְ סוֹלְלָה וְלָכַד עִיר מִבְצָרוֹת וּזְרֹעוֹת הַנֶּגֶב לֹא יַעֲמֹדוּ וְעַם מִבְחָרָיו וְאֵין כֹּחַ לַעֲמֹד

The king of the North will come to fight, and erect a ramp, a mound of dirt alongside the city wall, and capture many fortified cities, and the armies of the South will not endure the attack, and his choice people, the select soldiers of his army, will have no strength to endure.

וְיַעַשׂ הַבָּא אֵלָיו כִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְאֵין עוֹמֵד לְפָנָיו וְיַעֲמֹד בְּאֶרֶץ־הַצְּבִי וְכָלָה בְיָדוֹ

The one, the king of the North, who comes against him, the king of the South, will act as he wills, and none will stand before him; he will stand triumphant in the magnificent land, the Land of Israel, and extermination will be by his hand; he will cause widespread destruction.

וְיָשֵׂם פָּנָיו לָבוֹא בְּתֹקֶף כָּל־מַלְכוּתוֹ וִישָׁרִים עִמּוֹ וְעָשָׂה וּבַת הַנָּשִׁים יִתֶּן־לוֹ ללְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ וְלֹא תַעֲמֹד וְלֹא־לוֹ תִהְיֶה

He, the king of the North, will direct his attention to come further south with the strength of his entire kingdom, and conciliators, or statements of reconciliation, will be with him, and he will accomplish it, a peace treaty. He will give him, the king of the South, or the king of the North, a daughter from among the women to destroy it, the kingdom, through her, but she will not last as his wife; alternatively, it, the plan, will not last; and she will not be for him. Some explain that this daughter is a metaphor for the people of Israel, which will be subject to decrees of persecution.

וְיָשֵׂם פָּנָיו לְאִיִּים וְלָכַד רַבִּים וְהִשְׁבִּית קָצִין חֶרְפָּתוֹ לוֹ בִּלְתִּי חֶרְפָּתוֹ יָשִׁיב לוֹ

He, the king of the North, will turn his attention to the coastlands, and he will capture many, but a commander will put an end to his, the king of the North’s, affront. A military officer who is not a king will arise against the king of the North and cause his reproaches to cease. He will pay back his affront to him, but he will not vanquish the king.

וְיָשֵׁב פָּנָיו לְמָעוּזֵּי אַרְצוֹ וְנִכְשַׁל וְנָפַל וְלֹא יִמָּצֵא

He, the king of the North, will redirect his attention to the strongholds of his own land, and he will stumble and fall, and not be found, as he will be destroyed.

וְעָמַד עַל־כַּנּוֹ מַעֲבִיר נוֹגֵשׂ הֶדֶר מַלְכוּת ובְיָמִים אֲחָדִים יִשָּׁבֵר וְלֹא בְאַפַּיִם וְלֹא בְמִלְחָמָה

As the internal upheavals in the two kingdoms continue, in his place, taking over the king of the North’s throne, will stand one who will depose the oppressor [ma’avir nogeis], one with the glory of royalty; one who will remove the governor from his post, and that king will possess the glory of the kingdom. However, he will not last long, as within a few days he will be broken, but not in wrath, in a powerful uprising, and not in war. Some interpret the phrase ma’avir nogeis to mean that the new king will transfer oppressors from one place to another in an effort to plunder the glory of the kingdom.

וְעָמַד עַל־כַּנּוֹ נִבְזֶה וְלֹא־נָתְנוּ עָלָיו הוֹד מַלְכוּת וּבָא בְשַׁלְוָה וְהֶחֱזִיק מַלְכוּת בַּחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת

In his place will stand a despicable one, upon whom the glory of royalty was not bestowed, as he will not have the appearance of a king, and will have no royal ties; he will come in serenity and will seize the kingdom with smooth talk. He will claim the throne and seize it through deceitful, underhanded means.

וּזְרֹעוֹת הַשֶּׁטֶף יִשָּׁטְפוּ מִלְּפָנָיו וְיִשָּׁבֵרוּ וְגַם נְגִיד בְּרִית

The surging enemy armies will be swept away from before him and will be broken, and the ruler of the covenant as well, the ruler in the Land of Israel, will also be swept away by him.

וּמִן הִתְחַבְּרוּת אֵלָיו יַעֲשֶׂה מִרְמָה וְעָלָה וְעָצַם בִּמְעַט־גּוֹי

In his making alliances, with the strength this connection grants him, he will engage in deceit, and he will ascend and become mighty, he will grow increasingly powerful, even though he is with but a small nation, as few men will be on his side.

בְּשַׁלְוָה וּבְמִשְׁמַנֵּי מְדִינָה יָבוֹא וְעָשָׂה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו וַאֲבוֹת אֲבֹתָיו בִּזָּה וְשָׁלָל וּרְכוּשׁ לָהֶם יִבְזוֹר וְעַל מִבְצָרִים יְחַשֵּׁב מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו וְעַד־עֵת

With serenity and with the riches of the province, the treasuries of the land, he will come, and he will do that which his fathers and the fathers of his fathers did not do. He will distribute spoils, and loot, and property to them, the residents of the country. He will think his thoughts about fortresses, he will plan to establish and populate new fortresses, but only until the right time comes to set out and conquer.

וְיָעֵר כֹּחוֹ וּלְבָבוֹ עַל־מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב בְּחַיִל גָּדוֹל וּמֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב יִתְגָּרֶה לַמִּלְחָמָה בְּחַיִל־גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם עַד־מְאֹד וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד כִּי יַחְשְׁבוּ עָלָיו מַחֲשָׁבוֹת

He will rouse his strength and his heart against the king of the South with a great force, and the king of the South will be provoked against him and set out to war with an extremely great and mighty force, but he will not be able to stand up to him, the king of the North, as they, the king of the South’s own men, will plot against him, will use ploys to revolt against him.

וְאֹכְלֵי פַת־בָּגוֹ יִשְׁבְּרוּהוּ וְחֵילוֹ יִשְׁטוֹף וְנָפְלוּ חֲלָלִים רַבִּים

Those who eat his food, or his mercenaries, will destroy him, and his, the king of the North’s, forces will sweep away, will attack, and many of them, the soldiers of the king of the South, will fall slain.

וּשְׁנֵיהֶם הַמְּלָכִים לְבָבָם לְמֵרָע וְעַל־שֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד כָּזָב יְדַבֵּרוּ וְלֹא תִצְלָח כִּי־עוֹד קֵץ לַמּוֹעֵד

Both of them, the kings, the king of the North and the king of the South, their hearts will be planning for evil, and at one table they will speak falsehood. They will sit at the same table as though there is no quarrel between them, and yet they will deceive each other; but it will not succeed, they will not achieve anything, and ultimately both will return home, as there is yet an end for the appointed time. The time for their downfall will not yet have arrived.

וְיָשֹׁב אַרְצוֹ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל וּלְבָבוֹ עַל־בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ וְעָשָׂה וְשָׁב לְאַרְצוֹ

He, the king of the North, will return to his land with a great deal of property, and his heart, his desire and thoughts, will be against the holy covenant, the holy people, to act wickedly against them; and he will take action and return to his land.

לַמּוֹעֵד יָשׁוּב וּבָא בַנֶּגֶב וְלֹא־תִהְיֶה כָרִאשֹׁנָה וְכָאַחֲרוֹנָה

At the appointed time, at a later stage, he, the king of the North, will return and come into the South, and it will not be like the first time or like the last time. This attempt will neither be as successful as the first effort nor as the last, which is either the last attack mentioned above or the one described below.

וּבָאוּ בוֹ צִיִּים כִּתִּים וְנִכְאָה ושָׁב וְזָעַם עַל בְּרִית־קוֹדֶשׁ וְעָשָׂה וְשָׁב וְיָבֵן עַל־עֹזְבֵי בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ

Ships of Kitim will come against him, and he will be cowed and broken, and he will return from his painful failure in the south, and rage against the holy covenant, he will take out his anger upon the people of Israel, and he will take evil action against them, or gather an army against them, or pressure them; and he will again attend to the forsakers of the holy covenant. He will attempt to establish a relationship with those who leave the holy covenant.

וּזְרֹעִים מִמֶּנּוּ יַעֲמֹדוּ וְחִלְּלוּ הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַמָּעוֹז וְהֵסִירוּ הַתָּמִיד וְנָתְנוּ הַשִּׁקּוּץ מְשֹׁמֵם

Armies of his will rise up and profane the Temple, which is the stronghold, and will abolish the continual burnt offering, they will annul the daily offering, and they will set up in the Temple the desolating detestable thing, an idolatrous image (see commentary on 9:27).

וּמַרְשִׁיעֵי בְרִית יַחֲנִיף בַּחֲלַקּוֹת וְעַם יֹדְעֵי אֱלֹהָיו יַחֲזִקוּ וְעָשׂוּ

He, the king, will flatter with smooth talk those who act wickedly against the covenant, as he will seek to maintain good relationships with them, but the people that knows its God will maintain the covenant and perform it, God’s commandments.

וּמַשְׂכִּילֵי עָם יָבִינוּ לָרַבִּים וְנִכְשְׁלוּ בְּחֶרֶב וּבְלֶהָבָה בִּשְׁבִי וּבְבִזָּה יָמִים

The wise of the people will explain matters to the multitudes, yet they will fall by sword, by flame, by captivity, and by plunder, for days.

וּבְהִכָּשְׁלָם יֵעָזְרוּ עֵזֶר מְעָט וְנִלְווּ עֲלֵיהֶם רַבִּים בַּחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת

When they fall, they will receive little help; they will not have many who remain loyal to them; and many will join them with smooth talk.

וּמִן־הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ לִצְרוֹף בָּהֶם וּלְבָרֵר וְלַלְבֵּן עַד־עֵת קֵץ כִּי־עוֹד לַמּוֹעֵד

Among the wise, some will fall, in their attempts to refine them, to clarify, and to make clear, until the end time; they will fail, as it is not yet the appointed time. The time will not yet have arrived.

וְעָשָׂה כִרְצֹנוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיִתְרוֹמֵם וְיִתְגַּדֵּל עַל־כָּל־אֵל וְעַל אֵל אֵלִים יְדַבֵּר נִפְלָאוֹת וְהִצְלִיחַ עַד־כָּלָה זַעַם כִּי נֶחֱרָצָה נֶעֱשָׂתָה

The king of the North shall do as he wills and will exalt and magnify himself over every god, he will present himself as greater than all the gods, a kind of supreme god, and against the God of gods, he will speak with conceit. He will succeed until the fury is abated, when that which was decreed is accomplished.

וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָיו לֹא יָבִין וְעַל־חֶמְדַּת נָשִׁים וְעַל־כָּל־אֱלוֹהַּ לֹא יָבִין כִּי עַל כֹּל יִתְגַּדָּל

He will pay no regard, will not reflect upon or pay attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the splendor of women, and he will not pay regard to any god; he will be a strange man, detached from women, from his ancestral religion, and from any other religion, as he will magnify himself over all. He will be occupied solely with the lust of honor and self-aggrandizement.

וְלֶאֱלֹהַּ מָעֻזִּים עַל־כַּנּוֹ יְכַבֵּד וְל אֱלוֹהַּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְדָעֻהוּ אֲבֹתָיו יְכַבֵּד בְּזָהָב וּבְכֶסֶף וּבְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וּבַחֲמֻדוֹת

Even so, he will honor the god of strongholdswhen that idol is on its base, he will support some sort of idolatry, and that god, a god whom his fathers did not know, he will honor with gold, with silver, with precious stones, and with valuable ornaments.

וְעָשָׂה לְמִבְצְרֵי מָעֻזִּים עִם־אֱלוֹהַּ נֵכָר אֲשֶׁר יַכִּיר יַרְבֶּה כָבוֹד וְהִמְשִׁילָם בָּרַבִּים וַאֲדָמָה יְחַלֵּק בִּמְחִיר

He will make a fortified stronghold with a foreign god; he will place his foreign god in the strong fortresses; he will greatly honor those he knows, or those who acknowledge his god, and have them rule over the multitudes, and he will distribute land for a small price.

וּבְעֵת קֵץ יִתְנַגַּח עִמּוֹ מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב וְיִשְׂתָּעֵר עָלָיו מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן בְּרֶכֶב וּבְפָרָשִׁים וּבָאֳנִיּוֹת רַבּוֹת וּבָא בַאֲרָצוֹת וְשָׁטַף וְעָבָר

At the end time, the king of the South will lock horns with him, the king of the North, and the king of the North will storm against him in a massive attack, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will come into lands, and his army will surge like a powerful stream of water, and pass through.

וּבָא בְּאֶרֶץ הַצְּבִי וְרַבּוֹת יִכָּשֵׁלוּ וְאֵלֶּה יִמָּלְטוּ מִיָּדוֹ אֱדוֹם וּמוֹאָב וְרֵאשִׁית בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

He will come into the magnificent land, the Land of Israel, and many will fall because of him, either through battle or by him forcing them to abandon their religion. But these lands will flee from his hand: Edom, and Moav, and the finest, the choice, or the edge of the land, of the children of Amon.

וְיִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ בַּאֲרָצוֹת וְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא תִהְיֶה לִפְלֵיטָה

He will extend his hand against the lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape, as he will conquer it as well.

וּמָשַׁל בְּמִכְמַנֵּי הַזָּהָב וְהַכֶּסֶף וּבְכֹל חֲמֻדוֹת מִצְרָיִם וְלֻבִים וְכֻשִׁים בְּמִצְעָדָיו

He will rule over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and all the ornaments of Egypt; even Libyans and Kushites, of neighboring countries, who were subjugated to Egypt, and who have gold and silver mines in their countries, will be under his feet, defeated by him.

וּשְׁמֻעוֹת יְבַהֲלֻהוּ ממִּזְרָח וּמִצָּפוֹן וְיָצָא בְּחֵמָא גְדֹלָה לְהַשְׁמִיד וּלְהַחֲרִים רַבִּים

But bad and threatening reports from the lands of the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will come out with great fury to destroy and obliterate, kill, multitudes.

וְיִטַּע אָהֳלֵי אַפַּדְנוֹ בֵּין יַמִּים לְהַר־צְבִי־קֹדֶשׁ וּבָא עַד־קִצּוֹ וְאֵין עוֹזֵר לוֹ

He will pitch the tents of his temporary abode between seas and the magnificent holy mountain, the hills of the Land of Israel, and he will come to his end, he will ultimately die, and there will be no one to help him.