Daniel 10:1-13

New International Version

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus^(A) king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar).^(B) Its message was true^(C) and it concerned a great war.^[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

²At that time I, Daniel, mourned^(D) for three weeks. ³I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;^(E) and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

⁴On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank^(F) of the great river, the Tigris,^(G) ⁵I looked up^(H) and there before me was a man dressed in linen,^(I) with a belt of fine gold^(J) from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶His body was like topaz,^(K) his face like lightning,^(L) his eyes like flaming torches,^(M) his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze,^(N) and his voice^(O) like the sound of a multitude.

⁷I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it,^(P) but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸So I was left alone,^(Q) gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left,^(R) my face turned deathly pale^(S) and I was helpless.^(T) ⁹Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.^(U)

¹⁰A hand touched me^(V) and set me trembling on my hands and knees.^(W) ¹¹He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed,^(X) consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up,^(Y) for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹²Then he continued, “Do not be afraid,^(Z) Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble^(AA) yourself before your God, your words^(AB) were heard, and I have come in response to them.^(AC) ¹³But the prince^(AD) of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael,^(AE) one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.