Daniel 9:20-10:21

New American Standard Bible

Gabriel Brings an Answer

²⁰ While I was still ^(A)speaking and praying, and ^(B)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and ^[a]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, ²¹ while I was still speaking in prayer, the man ^(C)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision ^[b]previously, ^[c]came to me ^[d]in my extreme weariness about the time of the ^(D)evening offering. ²² And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with ^(E)understanding. ²³ At the ^(F)beginning of your pleas the ^[e]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are ^[f](G)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain ^(H)understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

²⁴ “Seventy ^[g](I)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to ^[h]finish the wrongdoing, to ^[i]make an end of sin, to ^(J)make atonement for guilt, to bring in ^(K)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and ^[j]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a ^[k](L)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until ^[l](M)Messiah the ^(N)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with ^[m]streets and moat, even in times of distress. ²⁶ Then after the sixty-two weeks, the ^[n]Messiah will be ^(O)cut off and have ^[o]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will ^(P)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And ^[p]its end will come with a ^(Q)flood; even to the end ^[q]there will be war; desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of ^[r](R)abominations will come the one who ^[s]makes desolate, until a ^(S)complete destruction, one that is ^[t]decreed, gushes forth on the one who ^[u]makes desolate.”

Daniel Is Terrified by a Vision

10 In the third year of ^(T)Cyrus king of Persia, a ^[v]message was revealed to ^(U)Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the ^[w](V)message was true and it concerned great ^[x]conflict, but he understood the ^[y]message and had an ^(W)understanding of the vision.

² In those days, I, Daniel, had been ^(X)mourning for three ^[z]entire weeks. ³ I ^(Y)did not eat any ^[aa]tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. ⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great ^(Z)river, that is, the ^[ab]Tigris, ⁵ I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man ^(AA)dressed in linen, whose waist ^(AB)had a belt of pure ^(AC)gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like topaz, his face ^[ac]had the appearance of lightning, ^(AD)his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. ⁷ Now I, Daniel, ^(AE)alone saw the vision, while the ^(AF)men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great ^(AG)fear fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. ⁸ So I was ^(AH)left alone and saw this great vision; yet ^(AI)no strength was left in me, for my complexion turned to ^[ad]a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. ⁹ But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I ^(AJ)fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Daniel Comforted

¹⁰ Then behold, a hand ^(AK)touched me and shook me on my ^[ae]hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “^(AL)Daniel, ^[af]you who are treasured, ^(AM)understand the words that I am about to tell you and ^(AN)stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up ^(AO)trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “^(AP)Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on ^(AQ)humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come ^(AR)in response to your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing ^[ag]in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, ^(AS)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to ^(AT)explain to you what will happen to your people in the ^[ah](AU)latter days, because the vision pertains to ^(AV)the days still future.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken to me according to these words, I ^[ai]turned my face toward the ground and became ^(AW)speechless. ¹⁶ And behold, ^[aj](AX)one who resembled a human was ^(AY)touching my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “My lord, due to the vision ^[ak](AZ)anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For ^(BA)how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now ^(BB)no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”

¹⁸ Then this one with human appearance touched me again and ^(BC)strengthened me. ¹⁹ And he said, “^[al]You who are treasured, ^(BD)do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take ^(BE)courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened and said, “May my lord speak, for you have ^(BF)strengthened me.” ²⁰ Then he said, “Do you ^[am]understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the ^(BG)prince of ^[an]Greece is about to come. ²¹ However, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of ^(BH)truth. Yet there is no one who ^[ao]stands firmly with me against these forces except ^(BI)Michael your prince.