29. At the time appointed he shall come again to the south, but this time it shall not be as before.
30. When ships of the Kittim confront him, he shall lose heart and retreat. Then he shall rage against the holy covenant and take action; he shall again favor those who forsake the holy covenant.
31. Armed forces shall rise at his command and defile the sanctuary stronghold, abolishing the daily sacrifice and setting up the desolating abomination.
32. By his deceit he shall make some who were disloyal forsake the covenant; but those who remain loyal to their God shall take strong action.
33. Those with insight among the people shall instruct the many; though for a time the sword, flames, exile, and plunder will cause them to stumble.
34. When they stumble, they will be helped, but only a little; many shall join them, but out of treachery.
35. Some of those with insight shall stumble so that they may be tested, refined, and purified, until the end time which is still appointed to come.
36. “The king shall do as he wills, exalting himself and making himself greater than any god; he shall utter dreadful blasphemies against the God of gods. He shall prosper only till the wrath is finished, for what is determined must take place.
37. He shall have no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one in whom women delight; for no god shall he have regard, because he shall make himself greater than all.
38. Instead, he shall give glory to the god of strongholds; a god unknown to his ancestors he shall glorify with gold, silver, precious stones, and other treasures.
39. He shall act for those who fortify strongholds, a people of a foreign god, whom he has recognized. He shall greatly honor them; he shall make them rule over the many and distribute the land as a reward.
40. “At the end time the king of the south shall engage him in battle but the king of the north shall overwhelm him with chariots and horsemen and a great fleet, passing through the lands like a flood.
41. He shall enter the glorious land and many shall fall, except Edom, Moab, and the chief part of Ammon, which shall escape his power.
42. He shall extend his power over the land, and not even Egypt shall escape.
43. He shall control the riches of gold and silver and all the treasures of Egypt; Libya and Ethiopia shall be in his entourage.
44. When reports from the east and the north disturb him, he shall set out with great fury to destroy many, putting them under the ban.
45. He shall pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the sea and the glorious holy mountain, but he shall come to his end with none to help him.