Daniel 10–11

Vision of the Glorious Man

10In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose ^aname was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, ¹but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. ²In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³I ate no ²pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the ³Tigris, ⁵I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in ^blinen, whose waist was ^cgirded with gold of Uphaz! ⁶His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, ^dand the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

⁷And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. ⁸Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my ⁴vigor was turned to ⁵frailty in me, and I retained no strength. ⁹Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece

^10eSuddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. ¹¹And he said to me, “O Daniel, ^fman greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹²Then he said to me, ^g“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, ^hyour words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ¹³ⁱBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, ^jMichael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people ^kin the latter days, ^lfor the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

¹⁵When he had spoken such words to me, ^mI ⁶turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. ¹⁶And suddenly, ⁿone having the likeness of the ⁷sons of men ^otouched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision ^pmy sorrows have ⁸overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”

¹⁸Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. ^19qAnd he said, “O man greatly beloved, ^rfear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight ^swith the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. ²¹But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, ^texcept Michael your prince.

11“Also ^ain the first year of ^bDarius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) ²And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. ³Then ^ca mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and ^ddo according to his will. ⁴And when he has arisen, ^ehis kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity ^fnor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Warring Kings of North and South

⁵“Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. ⁶And at the end of some 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; but she shall not retain the power of her ¹authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. ⁷But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. ⁸And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their ²princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

⁹“Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. ¹⁰However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come ^gand overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return ^hto his fortress and stir up strife.

¹¹“And the king of the South shall be ⁱmoved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the ^jmultitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. ¹²When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be ³lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. ¹³For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.

¹⁴“Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, ⁴violent men of your people shall exalt themselves ⁵in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall ^kfall. ¹⁵So the king of the North shall come and ^lbuild a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the ⁶forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. ¹⁶But he who comes against him ^mshall do according to his own will, and ⁿno one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his ⁷power.

¹⁷“He shall also ^oset his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and ⁸upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, ^por be for him. ¹⁸After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. ¹⁹Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall ^qstumble and fall, ^rand not be found.

²⁰“There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. ²¹And in his place ^sshall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. ²²With the ⁹force of a ^tflood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, ^uand also the prince of the covenant. ²³And after the league is made with him ^vhe shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. ²⁴He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, ¹spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

²⁵“He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. ²⁶Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall ²be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. ²⁷Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the ^wappointed time. ²⁸While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King’s Blasphemies

²⁹“At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. ^30xFor ships from ³Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. ³¹And ⁴forces shall be mustered by him, ^yand they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. ³²Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall ⁵corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. ³³And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. ³⁴Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by ⁶intrigue. ³⁵And some of those of understanding shall fall, ^zto refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

³⁶“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall ^aexalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. ³⁷He shall regard neither the ⁷God of his fathers nor the desire of women, ^bnor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself…