In this vision I saw myself in Susa the citadel, which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal.

Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; deal with us in light of what you see.”

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously.

The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia.

Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide.

At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies.

I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.

It came to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed against it with raging strength.

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision, I sought to understand it. Now one who appeared to be a man was standing before me.

yes, while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, around the time of the evening offering.

I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen; around his waist was a belt made of gold from Upaz.

I, Daniel, watched as two others stood there, one on each side of the river.

But he responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? If that happened, you would endanger my life with the king!”

I looked up and saw a ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one.

I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram and struck it and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. The goat hurled the ram to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power.

Listen attentively, my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins and the city called by your name. For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, but because your compassion is abundant.

I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor disappeared; I was without energy.