Also: it may be better to drop the conjunction here. It indicates that the carrying away of treasures is in addition to attacking and defeating the enemy. It does not mean that they carried off items other than those mentioned in the verse.
Carry off: the corresponding Hebrew expression is often used in the Old Testament with regard to prisoners of war taken captive, but this is not the only usage. Here it is clearly a matter of objects such as metal statues and valuable utensils. It is therefore unnecessary and misleading to translate “carry captive” (An American Translation and King James Version). The meaning is rather to “carry away as booty” (New American Bible and Revised English Bible).
To Egypt: this is one of the few places where the Hebrew text actually gives a geographic name.
Their gods with their molten images: this is not intended as representing two distinct categories of objects, as the Revised Standard Version rendering may seem to indicate. Rather the victor took away the gods of Syria, which were in the form of molten images or statues. Note Good News Translation “images of their gods.”
Precious vessels of silver and of gold: compare 5.2 and comments.
For some years: note that Good News Translation begins a new sentence with “after several years” at the end of this verse and continues it into the next verse.
Refrain from attacking: or, more literally, “allow to stand,” or “leave alone.” But the expression indicates not only a lack of contact but also the absence of conflict. This may be expressed in a variety of ways: “there will be several years without war” or “during some years he will not fight with….” New American Bible translates “for years he shall have nothing to do with…,” New Jerusalem Bible has “for some years he will leave … alone,” and Good News Translation “After several years of peace.”
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .