10 And look, a hand touched me and it roused me to my kneess and the palmst of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “Daniel, a man beloved, pay attention to the words that I am speaking to you and ⌊stand upright where you are⌋,u for I have now been sent to you.” And ⌊while he was speaking⌋v with me this word,w I stood up trembling. 12 And he said to me, “You must not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself ⌊before⌋x your God, your words were heard, and I myselfy have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood ⌊before me⌋z for twenty-one days. And look,a Michael, one of the chief princes, came to assist me, and I left him there beside the king of the Persians. 14 And I have comeb to instruct you about whatc will happen to your people ⌊in the future⌋,d for there is a further vision here ⌊for the future⌋.e

15 And while he was speaking with me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and I was speechless. 16 Then look, there was ⌊one in the form of a human⌋;f he touched my lips and I opened my mouth and I spoke and I said to the one standing ⌊before me⌋,g “My lord, because of the vision my anxieties fell upon me and I have not retained my strength. 17 So ⌊how am I, a servant of my lord⌋h to speak with ⌊you, my lord⌋,i and I ⌊just now⌋j ⌊have no strength in me⌋?”k

18 And ⌊he again touched⌋l me, ⌊the one in the form of a human⌋,m and he strengthened me. 19 And he said, “You must not fear, O beloved man. ⌊Peace be to you⌋;n be strong and be courageous!” And ⌊when he spoke⌋o with me, I was strengthened and I said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he asked, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I return to fight against the prince of Persia and I myselfp am going, and look,q the prince of Javanr will come. 21 However, I will tell you ⌊what is inscribed⌋s in the book of truth, and there is not one who contends with me against these beings ⌊except⌋t Michael, your prince.”

A Survey of the Kings of the North and South

11 “And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, ⌊I stood⌋a as a support and as a protection for him.

2 And now I will reveal the truth to you. Look! Still three kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth will get abundance and great wealth, even more than all of them, and ⌊when he becomes strong⌋b through his wealth, then he will stir up ⌊everyone⌋c against the kingdom of Javan.d 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great dominion, and he will do ⌊as he pleases⌋.e 4 But ⌊as he rises in power⌋,f his kingdom will be divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, and not according to his dominion by which he ruled, for his kingdom will be uprooted and be given ⌊to others besides them⌋.g

5 “Then the king of the south will grow strong and also ⌊one of his officials⌋,h and he will grow stronger ⌊than him⌋i and he will rule ⌊a dominion greater than his dominion⌋.j 6 And at the end of some years they will make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make a peace treaty, but ⌊she will not retain her position of power⌋,k and his offspringl will not endure, and she will be given up, she and her attendants and her child supporting her, in those times.m 7 And a branch from her rootsn will rise up in his place, and he will come against the army and he will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and he will take action against them and he will prevail. 8 And also their gods with their idols and with the ⌊precious vessels⌋,o silver and gold he will take to Egypt into captivity, and for years ⌊he will leave the king of the north alone⌋.p 9 And then heq will come into the kingdom of the king of the south, but he will return to his land.

10 “But his sons will wage war and they will gather a multitude of great forces and ⌊he will advance with great force⌋,r and he will overflow like a flood and he will pass through and he will return, and they will wage war up to his fortress. 11 And the king of the south will become furious, and he will go and he will battle against him, against the king of the north; and he will muster a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand. 12 When the multitude is carried off, his heart will be exalted and he will overthrow ⌊tens of thousands⌋,s but he will not prevail. 13 And the king of the north will again raise a multitude, greater than the former, and ⌊at the end of some years⌋t he will surely come with a great army and with great supplies.u

14 “And in these times many will rise up against the king of the south, and ⌊the violent ones of your people⌋v will lift themselves ⌊to fulfill⌋w the vision, but they will fall. 15 And the king of the north will come, and he will throw up siege rampsx and capture a city of fortifications and the military forces of the south and ⌊his choice troops⌋y will not stand, forz there is no strength left to resist. 16 And the one coming to him will act ⌊according to⌋a his pleasure, and there is no one who ⌊will stand⌋b ⌊before him⌋,c and he will stand in ⌊the beautiful land⌋d and complete destruction will be in his power. 17 And he will set his face to come with the authority of his whole kingdom and will form an agreement;e and he will ⌊act⌋,f and the daughter of women he will give to him to destroy it,g but the ploy will not succeed ⌊and she will not support him⌋.h 18 And he will turn his face to the coastlands, and he will capture many, buti a commander will end his insults to him ⌊so that instead his insults will turn back upon him⌋.j 19 And he will turn back his face towardk the strongholds of his land, but he will stumble and he will fall and will not be found.

20 “Then in his place will arise one sending an official throughout the gloryl of his kingdom, and ⌊in a few days⌋m he will be broken, but not in anger and not in battle. 21 And in his place a despicable person will arise on whomn they have not conferred the majesty of the kingdom, and he will come in ⌊without warning⌋o and he will seize the kingdom by deceit. 22 And ⌊before him⌋p ⌊mighty military forces⌋q will be utterly swept away, and they will be broken, and also the leader of the covenant. 23 And after an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully, and he will rise and he will become powerful with few people backing him. 24 In a time of ease and in the rich parts of the province, he will come and he will do what ⌊his predecessors⌋r did not do; he will distribute plunder and spoil and possessions to them, and he will devise his plans against fortifications, but only ⌊for a time⌋.s 25 And he will stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south and ⌊with a much greater and stronger army⌋;t but he will not succeed, for they will devise plans against him. 26 And those who eat of his royal rations will break him and his army will be overwhelmed, and many will fall, slain. 27 ⌊And two of the kings⌋u ⌊will bend their hearts⌋v to evil. And at the ⌊same table⌋w they will speak lies, but what is discussed will not succeed, for still an end is coming at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with many possessions, but his heart will be set against ⌊the holy covenant⌋,x and he will take action and he will return to his land.