Daniel 10
A Man Clothed in Linen Beside the Great River
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The Command Revealed to Daniel
10:1In the first year of Cyrus, king of the Persians, a command was shown to Daniel, whose name was called Baltasar. The vision and command were true, and the strong multitude will understand the command; I understood it in a vision.
10:2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.
10:3I ate no desirable bread; meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until I completed the three weeks of days.
The Man Clothed in Fine Linen
10:4On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
10:5and I lifted my eyes and saw a man clothed in fine linen, his waist girded with fine linen, and light coming from his middle.
10:6His body was like a tarshish stone, his face like a flash of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like flashing bronze, and the sound of his speech like the sound of an uproar.
10:7I, Daniel, saw this great vision, but the men with me did not see it. Strong fear fell upon them, and they fled in haste.
10:8I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength remained in me; a spirit turned upon me for destruction, and I had no strength.
10:9I did not hear the sound of his speech; I had fallen face down upon the earth.
Do Not Fear, Daniel
10:10He brought a hand toward me and raised me upon my knees, upon the soles of my feet.
10:11He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man worthy of pity. Understand the commands I speak to you, and stand in your place, for I have just been sent to you.” As he spoke this command with me, I stood trembling.
10:12He said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel. From the first day you set your face to understand and humble yourself before the Lord your God, your word was heard, and I entered because of your word.
10:13The general of the king of the Persians stood against me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the foremost rulers, came to help me, and I left him there with the general of the king of the Persians.
10:14He said to me, “I came to show you what will meet your people in the latter days, for the vision is still for days to come.”
10:15As he spoke these commands with me, I set my face toward the earth and fell silent.
10:16Something like a human hand touched my lips. I opened my mouth, spoke, and said to the one standing opposite me, “My lord, something like a vision turned upon my side, upon me, and there was no strength in me.
10:17How can the servant speak with his lord? I have become weak; there is no strength in me, and no breath was left in me.”
10:18Again one with a human appearance touched me and strengthened me,
10:19and said to me, “You are a man worthy of pity. Do not fear; be well. Take courage and be strong.” As he spoke with me, I became strong and said, “Let my lord speak, for he has strengthened me.”
The Generals of Persia and of Greece
10:20He said to me, “Do you know why I came to you? Now I will return to contend with the general of the king of the Persians. I was going out, and the general of the Greeks was coming in.
10:21I will indeed show you the first things in a record of truth. No one was helping with me concerning these except Michael the angel.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.