12. When that army is captured, the southern king will become conceited. Although he will dominate tens of thousands of people, he will not always be strong.
13. “The northern king will return and raise an army larger than the first one. After a few years he will invade with a large army and a lot of equipment.
14. In those times many people will rebel against the southern king, and violent men from your own people will rebel in keeping with this vision, but they will be defeated.
15. Then the northern king will come, build dirt attack ramps, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces will not be able to withstand him. Even their best troops will not be strong enough.
16. The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand his attack. He will rise to power in the beautiful land and it will be completely under his control.
17. “Then the northern king will decide to invade with the power of his entire kingdom, and some decent men will invade with him. He will give the southern king his daughter as a wife in order to destroy the southern kingdom. But this will not succeed or help him.
18. Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will silence the insults that the northern king makes and even insult him.
19. He will turn back toward the fortresses in his own country, but he will stumble, fall, and disappear.
20. “Another king will take his place. He will have a cruel official go out in royal splendor. But in a few days the king will be destroyed, although not in anger or war.
21. “A contemptible person will take his place. He will not be given royal splendor. He will invade when people are feeling secure, and he will seize the kingdom using false promises.
22. He will overwhelm large forces and defeat them, including the prince of the promise.
23. After an alliance has been made with him, he will act deceitfully and rise to power with only a few people.
24. When people feel secure, he will invade the richest parts of the provinces and do something that none of his predecessors ever did. He will distribute loot and wealth to his followers. He will invent new ways of attacking fortifications. But this will last only for a little while.
25. “With a large army he will summon his power and courage against the southern king, who will prepare for war with a large, strong army. But the southern king won’t be able to withstand him because of the schemes devised against him.
26. People who eat the king’s rich food will ruin him. His army will be overwhelmed, and many will die in battle.
27. The two kings will both plan to do evil. They will sit at the same table and tell lies. But they will not succeed, because the end must wait until the appointed time.
28. The northern king will return to his country with a lot of wealth. He will be determined to fight against the holy promise. He will take action and return to his own country.
29. “At the appointed time he will again invade the south, but this time will be different from the first.
30. Ships will come from the west to attack him, and he will be discouraged and turn back. Angry at the holy promise, he will return, take action, and favor those who abandon the holy promise.