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Daniel 10 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Daniel’s Vision of a Messenger

Dan 10:1

Dan 10:1In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia,[fn] Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.

Dan 10:2

Dan 10:2When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks.

Dan 10:3

Dan 10:3All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

Dan 10:4

Dan 10:4On April 23,[fn] as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River,

Dan 10:5

Dan 10:5I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.

Dan 10:6

Dan 10:6His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

Dan 10:7

Dan 10:7Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide.

Dan 10:8

Dan 10:8So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.

Dan 10:9

Dan 10:9Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

Dan 10:10

Dan 10:10Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.

Dan 10:11

Dan 10:11And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Dan 10:12

Dan 10:12Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.

Dan 10:13

Dan 10:13But for twenty-one days the spirit prince[fn] of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels,[fn] came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.[fn]

Dan 10:14

Dan 10:14Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

Dan 10:15

Dan 10:15While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word.

Dan 10:16

Dan 10:16Then the one who looked like a man[fn] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.

Dan 10:17

Dan 10:17How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

Dan 10:18

Dan 10:18Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.

Dan 10:19

Dan 10:19“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

Dan 10:20

Dan 10:20He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece[fn] will come.

Dan 10:21

Dan 10:21Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince.[fn]
See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NLT Footnotes
The third year of Cyrus’s reign was 536 B.C.
Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This date in the book of Daniel can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Persian records and can be related accurately to our modern calendar. This event occurred on April 23, 536 B.C.
Hebrew the prince; also in 10:13c, 20.
Hebrew the chief princes.
As in one Greek version; Hebrew reads and I was left there with the kings of Persia. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
As in most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; one manuscript of the Masoretic Text and one Greek version read Then something that looked like a human hand.
Hebrew of Javan.
Hebrew against these except Michael, your prince.
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