Daniel 11, verse 1. “As for me, in the first year of Cyrus, I stood in power and strength. Daniel 11, verse 2. Now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three kings will yet arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than all of them; and after he possesses his wealth, he shall rise up against all the kingdoms of the Greeks. Daniel 11, verse 3. Then a mighty king shall arise, and he shall rule a great dominion and do according to his will. Daniel 11, verse 4. After his kingdom is established, it shall be crushed and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and given to others besides these.
Warring Kings of North and South
Daniel 11, verse 5. “Also the king of the south shall become strong; and one of his rulers shall prevail against him and have power over a great dominion under his authority. Daniel 11, verse 6. After his years, they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the south shall go to the king of the north to make an agreement with him. But she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither shall his seed stand; but she shall be betrayed along with those who brought her, the maiden and he who strengthened her in those times. Daniel 11, verse 7. But from the flower of her root, one shall arise in his readiness and shall come against the host, enter the strongholds of the king of the north, and deal with them and prevail. Daniel 11, verse 8. Then he shall also carry their gods to Egypt with their molten images, and all their precious vessels of silver and gold, along with a host of captives. Thus he shall stand above the king of the north. Daniel 11, verse 9. Then he will come against the kingdom of the king of the south, but shall return to his own land. Daniel 11, verse 10. But his sons shall assemble a multitude of great forces. Thus when he comes, he shall come and overwhelm and pass by, then he shall rest. Again he shall contend to the extent of his strength. Daniel 11, verse 11. “Then the king of the south shall be angered and go out and fight with the king of the north, who shall muster a great multitude; but this multitude shall be given into his hand. Daniel 11, verse 12. For he will defeat the multitude, and his heart will be lifted up. Yes, he shall cast down tens of thousands, but will not prevail. Daniel 11, verse 13. For the king of the north will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of some years his invading army shall come with a great force and much equipment. Daniel 11, verse 14. “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the south. Even the sons of troublemakers among your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will be weak. Daniel 11, verse 15. So the king of the north shall come and build a siege mound, and take fortified cities; and the arms of the king of the south shall not withstand him. His choice troops will rise up, but there shall be no strength to resist. Daniel 11, verse 16. But he who comes against him shall do according to his will, and no one shall stand against him. He will stand in the Land of Beauty, and it shall be consumed by his hand. Daniel 11, verse 17. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he will do whatever seems right to him. He shall give him the daughter of women to corrupt her; but she will not remain with him or be for him. Daniel 11, verse 18. After this he shall turn his face to the islands and shall take many, and cause rulers to cease from their disgrace. Nevertheless, his own disgrace shall turn back on him. Daniel 11, verse 19. Then he will turn his face toward the strength of his land, but he shall stumble and fall, and will not be found. Daniel 11, verse 20. “Now a plant of the kingdom shall arise from his root and pass over in his readiness. He will further the glory of the kingdom, but in those days he shall be crushed, but not openly or in battle. Daniel 11, verse 21. After this, one shall arise in his readiness, and be set at naught. Yet they did not give him the glory of the kingdom; nevertheless, he shall enter with prosperity and seize the kingdom by intrigue. Daniel 11, verse 22. Then the arms of him who overwhelms and the ruler of the covenant shall be overwhelmed and crushed by his presence. Daniel 11, verse 23. Then after the leagues made with him, he shall work deceit, for he shall come up and overpower him with a small number of people. Daniel 11, verse 24. He shall come into the prosperous and wealthy places of the provinces and do what neither his fathers or forefathers have done. He will disperse plunder, spoils, and wealth among them and devise his plans against Egypt, but only for a time. Daniel 11, verse 25. Then his strength and his heart shall be stirred up against the king of the south with a large army. The king of the south shall engage him in war with a very large and mighty army, but the king's forces shall not stand; for they will devise plans against him. Daniel 11, verse 26. They shall eat his provisions and crush him. His army shall be overwhelmed, and many shall fall down slain. Daniel 11, verse 27. “Now both kings and their hearts will be set on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but the evil will not prosper, for the end is yet at the appointed time. Daniel 11, verse 28. Then he shall return to his land with abundant possessions, but his heart shall be against the holy covenant; so he shall do evil, then return to his own land.
The Northern King's Deceit
Daniel 11, verse 29. “At the appointed time he shall return and come into the south again; but this last coming will not be like the first. Daniel 11, verse 30. For the Kitians shall go out and come against him, and he will be humbled. Then he will return and be enraged against the holy covenant. He shall do evil, and return and show regard for those who forsook the holy covenant. Daniel 11, verse 31. Then offspring shall arise from him, and they shall defile the sanctuary of power. They shall take away the daily sacrifice, and place there the abomination of desolation. Daniel 11, verse 32. Transgressors will bring about a covenant by deceitful means, but the people who know their God will be strong and do valiantly. Daniel 11, verse 33. Those of the people who understand shall understand much, yet they shall be weakened by sword and flame, and by captivity and days of plundering. Daniel 11, verse 34. When they are weak, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. Daniel 11, verse 35. Some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them as by fire and to test them, so they may be revealed at the time of the end; because the matter is still for the appointed time. Daniel 11, verse 36. “Then the king shall do according to his will. He will be exalted and magnified above every god, and speak arrogant words. He shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished, for it is to be ended. Daniel 11, verse 37. He shall not regard any gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor shall he regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. Daniel 11, verse 38. But in his locality he shall honor a god of fortresses, and a god his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, and with precious stones and desirable things. Daniel 11, verse 39. Thus he shall do in the strong fortresses of refuge with a foreign god, and he shall increase his glory. He shall subject many to them and distribute gifts in the land.
The Northern King's Victories
Daniel 11, verse 40. “At the time of the end, the king of the north will attack the king of the south and come against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He shall enter his land, crush it, and move on. Daniel 11, verse 41. He shall also enter the Land of Beauty, and many shall fall. But these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent among the children of Ammon. Daniel 11, verse 42. He shall stretch out his hand upon the land, and the land of Egypt will not escape. Daniel 11, verse 43. He shall gain control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and of the Libyans and Ethiopians in their strongholds. Daniel 11, verse 44. But rumors and anxieties from the east and the north will trouble him; therefore, he shall come with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. Daniel 11, verse 45. He shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas, upon the holy mountain of beauty. Yet he will come to his portion, but there shall be no one to deliver him.