Kings of the South and North 1 UDB In the first year of Darius the Mede, I myself came to help and encourage Michael. BSB BSB: “And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him.
2 UDB What I am going to reveal to you now will truly happen. There will be three more kings to rule Persia, one after the other. Then there will be a fourth king, who will be much richer than the others. He will gain his power through money. Then he will incite everyone to fight against the kingdom of Greece. BSB BSB: Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
3 UDB Then a very powerful king will rise up. He will rule over a very large empire, and he will do everything he wants to do. BSB BSB: Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.
4 UDB But when he has become very powerful, his kingdom will be divided into four parts. Kings who are not his descendants will rule, but they will not be as powerful as he was. His kingdom will be torn up and given to others. BSB BSB: But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.
5 UDB Then the king of the South will become very powerful. But one of his army generals will become more powerful than he is and will also become a powerful ruler. BSB BSB: The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.
6 UDB At the right time, they will make an agreement. The daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make the agreement secure. But she will lose her power and will come to nothing—she and all who accompanied her, and her father, as well as the king of the North and his children. BSB BSB: After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.
7 UDB Soon after that, one of her relatives will take power in her place, and his army will attack the army of the king of the North. They will enter the fortress of the soldiers and defeat them. BSB BSB: But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing.
8 UDB They will carry off their idols and gods to Egypt, and they will take their statues (made by casting metal into a form) and many items made of silver and gold. Then for several years his army will not attack the army of the king of the North. BSB BSB: He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,
9 UDB Then the army of the king of the North will invade the kingdom of the king of the South, but he will then return to his own land. BSB BSB: who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.
10 UDB However, his sons will prepare to start a war, and they will gather a large army. That army will march south and spread all over Israel like a huge flood. They will attack a strong fortress in the south of Israel. BSB BSB: But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress.
11 UDB Then the king of the South, having become very angry, will march with his army north and fight against a great army. The king of the North will gather together a very large army, but the army of the king of the South will defeat them. BSB BSB: In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy.
12 UDB The king of the South will become very proud because his army will defeat a very large number of soldiers and will kill many of his enemies. But he will not succeed. BSB BSB: When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph.
13 UDB The king of the North will again gather together an army that will be larger than the one that he had before. After a few years, the king of the North will come again with a large army and much equipment for fighting battles. BSB BSB: For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.
14 UDB At that time, many people will rebel against the king of the South. In order to fulfill a certain vision, some violent people from your country of Israel will also rebel against him, but they will not succeed. BSB BSB: In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.
15 UDB Then the king of the North will come with his army and pile up earth against the walls of a city that is well protected, and they will break through those walls and will capture the city. The soldiers from the South who have come to defend that city, even the best troops, will not be strong enough to continue to fight. BSB BSB: Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist.
16 UDB So the king of the North will do whatever he wants against the king of the South, and no one will be able to oppose him. He will occupy the glorious land of Israel and will have the power to destroy it. BSB BSB: The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.
17 UDB Then the king of the North will decide to march south with all the soldiers from his kingdom. He will make an alliance with the king of the South, and so that his daughter will help him to destroy the kingdom of the South, he will give her to the king of the South to become his wife. But that plan will fail. BSB BSB: He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.
18 UDB After that, the army of the king of the North will attack the regions that are close to the Mediterranean Sea, and his army will conquer many of them. But the army of a leader from another country will defeat him and will stop him from being proud. He will also turn his pride against him. BSB BSB: Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him.
19 UDB Then the king of the North will return to the fortresses in his own land. But he will be defeated, and no one will be able to find him. BSB BSB: After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.
20 UDB Then another man will succeed him. He is one who will force taxes upon the people to supply the beauty of the palace, but that king will die after a short time. However, he will not die as a result of people being angry with him or in a battle. BSB BSB: In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.
22 UDB When his army advances, it will attack any armies that oppose him and their enemies will be swept away before it like a flood. Their enemies and the head of the priests will be swept away. BSB BSB: Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.
23 UDB By making treaties with the rulers of other nations, he will deceive them, and he will become very powerful, even though he rules a nation that does not have many people. BSB BSB: After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people.
24 UDB Suddenly his army will invade a province that is very wealthy, and they will do things that none of his ancestors did: They will capture in battles all kinds of possessions from the people whom they defeat. Then the king will divide those possessions among his friends. He will also plan for his army to attack fortresses, but only for a short time. BSB BSB: In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.
25 UDB The king of the North will gather a large and powerful army to attack the army of the king of the South. The king of the South will meet him in battle with a huge and powerful army. However, he will fail, and his plan will not succeed because of all the plots that are devised against him. BSB BSB: And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him.
26 UDB Even the most trusted advisors of the king of the South will plan to get rid of him. His army will be defeated and many of his soldiers will be killed. BSB BSB: Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.
27 UDB Then the two kings who both want to rule that area will sit down at the same table and talk together, but they will both lie to each other. Neither of them will get what he wants because only God will cause the result of their actions to happen, at the future time that he has determined. BSB BSB: And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.
28 UDB The army of the king of the North will return to its land, taking with it all the valuable things that it will capture. The king will try to make the people stop obeying God's covenant with them. He will do what he wants to in Israel, and then he will return to his own country. BSB BSB: The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.
29 UDB When it is the time that God has decided, the king of the North will invade the South again. But this time he will not be successful as he was before. BSB BSB: At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first.
30 UDB Ships will come from Kittim and oppose his army and cause him to be afraid. So he will be very angry, and with his army he will return to Israel and seek to destroy the worship and the law. The king will show preference and favor to those who have abandoned God's holy covenant with Israel. BSB BSB: Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.
32 UDB By deceiving those who have abandoned God's covenant with Israel, he will win them over to become his supporters. But those who are devoted to their God will firmly oppose them. BSB BSB: With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
33 UDB The wise among the leaders of Israel will teach others also. But for a while they will be killed in battles or burned to death or made slaves or robbed. BSB BSB: Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.
34 UDB While God's people are being persecuted, some people will help them a little, although some of those who help them will not do it for good reasons. BSB BSB: Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely.
35 UDB After some of those wise leaders suffer these things, God will make his people become the best possible people for himself. Also, God has set a time in the future when he will finish doing all these things. BSB BSB: Some of the wise will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
The King Who Exalts Himself 36 UDB The king will do what he wants. He will boast and say that he is greater than any god. He will even insult the Most High God. He will be able to do what he wants until the time when God is ready to show that he is angry with him, for what God has ordered will happen. BSB BSB: Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.
37 UDB The king will ignore the gods that his ancestors worshiped and the god that women love. He will ignore every god because he will pretend to be greater than any of them. BSB BSB: He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.
38 UDB But he will honor the god of fortresses. That is a god whom his ancestors did not honor. He will give gold and silver, jewels, and other expensive gifts to that god. BSB BSB: And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.
39 UDB He will employ people from another country who worship a different god to help him attack the strongest fortresses. He will greatly honor those who allow him to be their ruler. He will appoint some of them to important positions in the government, and he will reward them by dividing up the land among them. BSB BSB: He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.
41 UDB They will invade the glorious land of Israel and many will fall, but the people of Edom, the people of Moab, and the people of Ammon who survive will escape alive. BSB BSB: He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.
42 UDB He will invade other countries and conquer them. He will also defeat the people of Egypt. BSB BSB: He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape.
43 UDB The army of the North will take away the treasuries of gold and silver and the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will serve the king of the North. BSB BSB: He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.
44 UDB But he will become very frightened when he hears reports about what is happening in the east and in the north. So he will become very angry and will send his army to fight furiously and to kill many of their enemies. BSB BSB: But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction.
45 UDB The king will set up his royal tents in the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the hill in Jerusalem, the location of the temple. But someone will kill him there, and there will be no one to help him." BSB BSB: He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.