Day 258 of 364

^9:1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— ^9:2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. ^9:3I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. ^9:4I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, ^9:5we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. ^9:6We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ^9:7“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. ^9:8Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. ^9:9To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him. ^9:10We haven’t obeyed the LORD our God’s voice, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. ^9:11Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, and not obeying your voice. “Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, for we have sinned against him. ^9:12He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem. ^9:13As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, that we should turn from our iniquities and have discernment in your truth. ^9:14Therefore the LORD has watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice. ^9:15“Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as it is today, we have sinned. We have done wickedly. ^9:16Lord, according to all your righteousness, please let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us. ^9:17“Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. ^9:18My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. ^9:19Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen and do. Don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” ^9:20While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God— ^9:21yes, while I was speaking in prayer—the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. ^9:22He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. ^9:23At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision. ^9:24“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. ^9:25“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. ^9:26After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. ^9:27He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the decreed full end, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.” ^10:1In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the message was true, even a great warfare. He understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. ^10:2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. ^10:3I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. ^10:4In the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, ^10:5I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose waist was adorned with pure gold of Uphaz. ^10:6His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches. His arms and his feet were like burnished bronze. The voice of his words was like the voice of a multitude. ^10:7I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves. ^10:8So I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength remained in me; for my face grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. ^10:9Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground. ^10:10Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. ^10:11He said to me, “Daniel, you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you, now.” When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling. ^10:12Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake. ^10:13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia. ^10:14Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is yet for many days.” ^10:15When he had spoken these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and was mute. ^10:16Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength. ^10:17For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me. There was no breath left in me.” ^10:18Then one like the appearance of a man touched me again, and he strengthened me. ^10:19He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” ^10:20Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. ^10:21But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these but Michael your prince. ^11:1“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. ^11:2“Now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings will stand up in Persia. The fourth will be far richer than all of them. When he has grown strong through his riches, he will stir up all against the realm of Greece. ^11:3A mighty king will stand up, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. ^11:4When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these. ^11:5“The king of the south will be strong. One of his princes will become stronger than him, and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion. ^11:6At the end of years they will join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain the strength of her arm. He will also not stand, nor will his arm; but she will be given up, with those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times. ^11:7“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them and will prevail. ^11:8He will also carry their gods with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, captive into Egypt. He will refrain some years from the king of the north. ^11:9He will come into the realm of the king of the south, but he will return into his own land. ^11:10His sons will wage war, and will assemble a multitude of great forces which will come on, and overflow, and pass through. They will return and wage war, even to his fortress. ^11:11“The king of the south will be moved with anger and will come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. He will send out a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand. ^11:12The multitude will be carried off, and his heart will be exalted. He will cast down tens of thousands, but he won’t prevail. ^11:13The king of the north will return, and will send out a multitude greater than the former. He will come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with abundant supplies. ^11:14“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision, but they will fall. ^11:15So the king of the north will come and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city. The forces of the south won’t stand, neither will his select troops, neither will there be any strength to stand. ^11:16But he who comes against him will do according to his own will, and no one will stand before him. He will stand in the glorious land, and destruction will be in his hand. ^11:17He will set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to destroy the kingdom, but she will not stand, and won’t be for him. ^11:18After this he will turn his face to the islands, and will take many, but a prince will cause the reproach offered by him to cease. Yes, moreover, he will cause his reproach to turn on him. ^11:19Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and won’t be found. ^11:20“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle. ^11:21“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in a time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. ^11:22The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. ^11:23After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up and will become strong with few people. ^11:24In a time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and wealth. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. ^11:25“He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him. ^11:26Yes, those who eat of his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain. ^11:27As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it won’t prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. ^11:28Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land. ^11:29“He will return at the appointed time and come into the south; but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. ^11:30For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant. ^11:31“Forces from him will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate. ^11:32He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. ^11:33“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. ^11:34Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries. ^11:35Some of those who are wise will fall—to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed. ^11:36“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for that which is determined will be done. ^11:37He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. ^11:38But in their place, he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers didn’t know with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. ^11:39He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price. ^11:40“At the time of the end the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through. ^11:41He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. ^11:42He will also stretch out his hand on the countries. The land of Egypt won’t escape. ^11:43But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow his steps. ^11:44But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. ^11:45He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.