Daniel 11:1-12:3 דניאל י״א:א׳-י״ב:ג׳

And I, [(Gabriel)] in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up as a strengthener and a stronghold for him [(Michael)]. [(With the fall of the kingdom of Bavel, when the kingdom of Madai and Paras petitioned on high to strengthen their yoke over you, I, Gabriel came to the assistance of Michael, your heavenly intercessor)].

And now, I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings will arise for Paras [(Koresh, Achashverosh, and the Darius who built the Temple)], and the fourth [(the latter Darius, fourth in the succession of Madai)], will accumulate great wealth, more than all [the others], and, growing strong in his wealth, he will rouse all [his kingdom to war] with the kingdom of Yavan (Greece).

And there will arise a strong king [(Alexander)], whose dominion will be great, and he will do as he desires [(with Darius, king of Paras. He will kill him and take his kingdom, and Paras will become subservient to Yavan)].

And when he rises [i.e., at the height of his power], his kingdom will be broken, and it will be divided to the four ends of heaven, but not to his sons, and not in [the strength of] the reign wherein he reigned. For his kingdom will be uprooted [into four parts], and to others aside from these [four].

And the king of the south will grow stronger [than the king of the north] and than his chiefs, and he will overpower him and rule. And he will exercise great sway in his dominion.

And after many years, they will unite, and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make peace [(between him and her father.)] And they [(her attendants)] will not be able to summon up strength [(to oppose him)]. Nor will he [(her father)] nor his warriors [(be able to oppose him)]. And she will be delivered — she, her attendants and her begetter [i.e., her father] and her supporter [i.e., her counselor] for the times [i.e., for contingencies].

And there shall arise from the branch of her roots [a son] sitting on his [(her father's)] throne, and he shall come against the army [(of the king of the north)], and he will enter the stronghold of the king of the north, and he will succeed against them, and he will vanquish (them).

And also their gods and their princes and their precious vessels of silver and gold will he bring in captivity to Egypt, and he will reign more years [in that kingdom] than did the king of the north.

And he will come through the kingdom of the king of the south [(her father's father)], and he will return to his land [(Egypt)].

And his [(the northern king's)] son will rise up and gather a multitude of great armies and he will come sweeping through [to the land of the south], and he will penetrate until his [(the southern king's)] stronghold.

And the king of the south will be embittered, and he will go out and war with him, with the king of the north, and he will mass a great multitude against him, and the multitude will be delivered into his [(the southern king's)] hand.

And the northern multitude will rouse themselves in pride of heart and overthrow tens of thousands [of the southern king's army], but [still] they will not prevail.

And the king of the north shall return and mass a multitude greater than the first, and after many years, he will come with a vast army, heavily supplied.

And in those times, many will rise up against the king of the south, and the sons of the rebels of your people will aspire to establish the vision [(according to their interpretation)], and they will fail.

And the king of the north will come and spill out a siege-mound and take a fortified city. And the southern strength will fail. And [though] his chosen men [be with the kings of the south], he will be unable to withstand [the forces of the north.]

And he [(the king of the north)] who comes against him will do [with him] as he wills, and none will stand against him, and he will stand in Eretz Hatzvi [(Eretz Yisrael)], and he will destroy (it) with his forces.

And he will set his face to come against the strength of his entire kingdom, and (against) the just [(those of Israel)] who are with him, and he will prevail. And he [(the king of the north, Antiochus)] will give to him [(his commander in chief, Polypus)] the daughter of women [i.e., "the choicest of women," the congregation of Israel] to destroy her; but it [(his counsel)] will not prevail, and she will not be his [(for Matithyahu the son of Yochanan will rescue her.)]

And he will turn his face to the isles, and he will take many. And the Chief will end his blasphemies against Him [and Israel]. He will requite unto him more than his blasphemies.

And he will turn his face to [return to] the strongholds of his land, and he will stumble and fall and no longer be found [on earth].

And there will rise on his base the caster-out of the oppressor, the glory of kingdom [(the Hasmonean dynasty)]. But in a short time it will be broken — and not by the wrath [of another nation], and not by war, [(but by the contention of the brothers Aristobulus and Hyrcanus for the succession)].

And there will rise on his place the despised one [(Esav [Rome, viz. Ovadiah 1:2])], upon whom the majesty of kingdom was not conferred. But he will come quietly and hold the kingdom with subtlety.

And those who swept [all before them] by force of arms [i.e., the Greeks] will be swept away before him, as will the maker of the covenant [i.e., the king of Israel who made a covenant with the Romans, which they broke].

And from this alliance with him [(the king of Israel)] he will weave deceit [(concealing evil designs)], and he will come up [from his place] and with scant forces overcome [(his enemies around the land of Judah — Edom, Ammon, and Moav — the king of Judah assisting him)].

Quietly [(and deceitfully)] and into the fats of the land shall he come, and he will do what his fathers and his fathers' fathers had not done. And spoils and wealth shall he spread among them [(among all who would take his yoke upon them)]. And over fortresses will he plot his designs [(placing his commanders over them)] until the time [(when all is under his domination)].

And he will rouse up his strength and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south will wage war with a great and extremely powerful army, but he will not prevail. For they will have plotted designs against him [(by bribing his retainers)].

And the eaters of his pathbag [viz. 1:5] will break him, and he [(the king of the north)] will sweep away his army, and many slain will fall.

And the two kings [(the Roman king and the "maker of the covenant," Hyrcanus, who joined him in order to receive his aid against his brother Aristobulus, reigning in Jerusalem)] — their hearts will be [joined] to do evil [against your people, Judah]. And against one "table" [(the kingdom of Aristobulus)] will they speak deceit. But it [(their counsel)] will not prevail, for there is yet [time remaining] for the end [i.e., the destruction] appointed [for them (viz. 9:25)].

And he [(the king of Rome)] will return to his land [(from his campaign against the king of the south)] with great wealth. And his heart will [plot to break] the sacred covenant [with Israel]. And he will prevail and return to his land.

After some time, he will return and come to the south, but [his coming] will not be [as successful] as the first [viz. 11:7] or the last [28].

And there will come against him factions and troops [(of rebellious Romans)], and he will be weakened, and he will return [to his land] in wrath over the sacred covenant [(that he made with Israel, resolved to break it)]. And he will prevail and return and reflect upon the forsakers of the sacred covenant [(between themselves and the L-rd, and take heart therefrom that he will succeed in breaking his covenant with them.)]

And forces will arise from him [(He will send his chiefs and warriors to Jerusalem)], and they will desecrate the abode of the sanctuary. And they will abolish the continual [burnt-offering], and they will install "the mute abomination."

And the forsakers of the covenant [(with their fellow-Jews)] he will flatter with smoothness; but the people who know their G-d will persist [(in their belief)] and carry on.

And the enlighteners of the people [i.e., the Torah sages] will propound (it) to the many, and they will "stumble" [(in their exile)] by sword, flame, captivity, and plunder for [many] days.

And in their stumbling, they will be assisted somewhat [(by bribing the foe)], but many will join them because of their "smoothnesses."

And [some] of the enlightened ones will stumble [in attempting] to decipher them [(the times given for the redemption)] and to clarify and elucidate [them], until the time of the end [of the exile]; for [much time] yet remains until the appointed time.

And the king [of Rome] will do as he wills, and he will be exalted and aggrandized over all the mighty ones. And against the Mighty of the mighty he will "speak wonders" [i.e., he will spout blasphemies.] And he will succeed until the wrath [of the L-rd against Israel] ends, when His decree has been executed.

And to the G-d of his [(Israel's)] fathers [(Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)] he [(the king of Rome)] will not pay heed. And to "the beauteous among the women" [(the congregation of Israel)] and to any god he will not pay heed, for he will exalt himself above all.

And the god of the stronghold [(cities which make a covenant with him)] he will honor [while it stands] on its base, [(flattering those who subject themselves to him)]. And a god that his fathers did not know he will honor with gold and silver and precious stones and beautiful objects.

And he will make [buildings] for stronghold cities with [i.e., in honor of] foreign gods. [And to those] chiefs whom he recognizes [and would flatter], he will accord much honor, and he will give them dominion over the many and will apportion land [to them] at a [token] price.

And towards the end [(when our redemption draws near)], the king of the south will battle with him, and the king of the north will assault him with chariots and cavalry and many ships; and he will come into [his] lands and sweep [all before him] and pass on.

And he will come into Eretz Hatzvi [(Eretz Yisrael)], and many will stumble [(and be lost)]; and these will escape him: Edom and Moav and the first [cities] of the children of Ammon.

And he will send his hand against [many] lands, and the land of Egypt will not escape.

And he will command the caches of gold and silver and all the precious things of Egypt, and he will tread Lubites and Cushites underfoot.

And reports [of uprisings] will confound him from the east and from the north, and he will leave in great wrath to destroy and to lay waste many.

And he will pitch the tents of his pavilions between the seas and the mountain of the holy land, and he will come to his end with none to help him.

And at that time Michael, the great prince who stands [up] for the children of Your people, will stand [mute, seeing the Holy One Blessed be He "contending" with Himself, saying: "How shall I destroy such a great nation for the sake of Israel?"] And there will be a time of turmoil [(in the heavenly synod and denunciation of Torah scholars)], the likes of which had never been, from [the time Israel] had become a nation until that time. And at that time your people will be delivered, according to all that is written in this book [viz. 7:11, 18].

And many of those who sleep in the earth will wake [(at the resurrection)] — these for eternal life and these for shamings and eternal mortification.

And the enlightened [(who occupied themselves with Torah and mitzvoth)] will shine like the splendor of the firmament, and the turners of the many to righteousness [will shine] like the stars for all eternity.