Daniel 10

¹IN the third year of Cyrus king of the Persians, a word was revealed to Daniel surnamed Baltassar, and a true word, and great strength: & he understood the word: for there is need of understanding in vision.

²In those days I Daniel mourned the days of three weeks,

³desiderable bread I did not eat, and flesh and wine entered not into my mouth, yea neither with ointment was I anointed: till the days of three weeks were accomplished.

⁴And in the four & twentieth day of the first month I was by the great river, which is Tigris.

⁵And I lifted up mine eyes, & I saw: and behold a man clothed with linen cloths, & his reins girded with the finest gold:

⁶and his body as it were the chrysolithus, and his face as the form of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lamp: and his arms, & the parts that are downward even to the feet, as it were the form of glistering brass: and the voice of his word as the voice of a multitude.

⁷And I Daniel alone saw the vision: moreover the men that were with me, saw it not, but exceeding terror fell upon them, and they fled away, and hid themselves.

⁸And I being left alone saw this great vision: and there remained no strength in me, yea and my shape of countenance was changed in me, and I withered, neither had any strength.

⁹And I heard the voice of his words: and hearing I lay astonished upon my face, and my visage cleaved to the ground.

¹⁰And behold a hand touched me, and lifted me up upon my knees, and upon the joints of my hands.

¹¹And he said to me: Daniel thou man of desires, understand the words, that I speak to thee, and stand in thy place: for now am I sent to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹²And he said to me: Fear not Daniel: because since the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand to afflict thyself in the sight of thy God, thy words have been heard: and I am come for thy words.

¹³But the prince of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me one and twenty days: and behold Michael one of the chief princes came to aid me, and I tarried there by the king of the Persians.

¹⁴But I am come to teach thee what things shall come to thy people in the later days, because as yet the vision unto days.

¹⁵And when he spake to me in these manner of words, I cast down my countenance to the ground, and held my peace.

¹⁶And behold as it were the similitude of the son of man touched my lips, and opening my mouth I spake, and said to him, that stood before me: My Lord, in thy vision my joints are dissolved, and no strength hath remained in me.

¹⁷And how can the servant of my Lord speak with my Lord? for no strength is remaining in me, yea & my breath is stopped.

¹⁸Again therefore there touched me as it were the vision of a man, and strengthened me,

¹⁹and he said: Fear not o man of desires, Peace be to thee: take courage & be strong. And when he spake with me, I received strength, and said: Speak my Lord, because thou hast strengthened me.

²⁰And he said: Doest thou know wherefore I am come to thee? and now I will return, that I may fight against the prince of the Persians. When I therefore went forth, there appeared the prince of the Greeks coming.

²¹But yet I will tell thee that which is expressed in the scripture of truth: and none is my helper in all these, but Michael your prince.