Daniel 10

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Daniel’s Vision by the Tigris

¹בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁל֗וֹשׁ לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס דָּבָר֙ נִגְלָ֣ה לְדָֽנִיֵּ֔אל אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֑ר וֶאֱמֶ֤ת הַדָּבָר֙ וְצָבָ֣א גָד֔וֹל וּבִין֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר וּבִ֥ינָה ל֖וֹ בַּמַּרְאֶֽה׃

¹In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, and it concerned a great conflict.^a And the understanding of the message was given to him in a vision.

²בַּיָּמִ֖ים הָהֵ֑ם אֲנִ֤י דָֽנִיֵּאל֙ הָיִ֣יתִי מִתְאַבֵּ֔ל שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה שָׁבֻעִ֖ים יָמִֽים׃

²In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.

³לֶ֣חֶם חֲמֻד֞וֹת לֹ֣א אָכַ֗לְתִּי וּבָשָׂ֥ר וָיַ֛יִן לֹא־בָ֥א אֶל־פִּ֖י וְס֣וֹךְ לֹא־סָ֑כְתִּי עַד־מְלֹ֕את שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת שָׁבֻעִ֖ים יָמִֽים׃פ

³I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.

⁴וּבְי֛וֹם עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֖ה לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן וַאֲנִ֗י הָיִ֛יתִי עַ֣ל יַ֧ד הַנָּהָ֛ר הַגָּד֖וֹל ה֥וּא חִדָּֽקֶל׃

⁴On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,

⁵וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־עֵינַי֙ וָאֵ֔רֶא וְהִנֵּ֥ה אִישׁ־אֶחָ֖ד לָב֣וּשׁ בַּדִּ֑ים וּמָתְנָ֥יו חֲגֻרִ֖ים בְּכֶ֥תֶם אוּפָֽז׃

⁵I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.

⁶וּגְוִיָּת֣וֹ כְתַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ וּפָנָ֞יו כְּמַרְאֵ֤ה בָרָק֙ וְעֵינָיו֙ כְּלַפִּ֣ידֵי אֵ֔שׁ וּזְרֹֽעֹתָיו֙ וּמַרְגְּלֹתָ֔יו כְּעֵ֖ין נְחֹ֣שֶׁת קָלָ֑ל וְק֥וֹל דְּבָרָ֖יו כְּק֥וֹל הָמֽוֹן׃

⁶His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

⁷וְרָאִיתִי֩ אֲנִ֨י דָנִיֵּ֤אל לְבַדִּי֙ אֶת־הַמַּרְאָ֔ה וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָי֣וּ עִמִּ֔י לֹ֥א רָא֖וּ אֶת־הַמַּרְאָ֑ה אֲבָ֗ל חֲרָדָ֤ה גְדֹלָה֙ נָפְלָ֣ה עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַֽיִּבְרְח֖וּ בְּהֵחָבֵֽא׃

⁷Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but a great terror fell upon them, and they ran and hid themselves.

⁸וַאֲנִי֙ נִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּי לְבַדִּ֔י וָֽאֶרְאֶ֗ה אֶת־הַמַּרְאָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁאַר־בִּ֖י כֹּ֑ח וְהוֹדִ֗י נֶהְפַּ֤ךְ עָלַי֙ לְמַשְׁחִ֔ית וְלֹ֥א עָצַ֖רְתִּי כֹּֽחַ׃

⁸So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision. No strength remained in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.

⁹וָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע אֶת־ק֣וֹל דְּבָרָ֑יו וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙ אֶת־ק֣וֹל דְּבָרָ֔יו וַאֲנִ֗י הָיִ֛יתִי נִרְדָּ֥ם עַל־פָּנַ֖י וּפָנַ֥י אָֽרְצָה׃

⁹I heard the sound of his words, and as I listened, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.

¹⁰וְהִנֵּה־יָ֖ד נָ֣גְעָה בִּ֑י וַתְּנִיעֵ֥נִי עַל־בִּרְכַּ֖י וְכַפּ֥וֹת יָדָֽי׃

¹⁰Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

¹¹וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֡י דָּנִיֵּ֣אל אִישׁ־חֲ֠מֻדוֹת הָבֵ֨ן בַּדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר֩ אָנֹכִ֨י דֹבֵ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ וַעֲמֹ֣ד עַל־עָמְדֶ֔ךָ כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה שֻׁלַּ֣חְתִּי אֵלֶ֑יךָ וּבְדַבְּר֥וֹ עִמִּ֛י אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה עָמַ֥דְתִּי מַרְעִֽיד׃

¹¹He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.”

And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹²וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ אַל־תִּירָ֣א דָנִיֵּאל֒ כִּ֣י׀ מִן־הַיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧תָּ אֶֽת־לִבְּךָ֛ לְהָבִ֧ין וּלְהִתְעַנּ֛וֹת לִפְנֵ֥י אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נִשְׁמְע֣וּ דְבָרֶ֑יךָ וַאֲנִי־בָ֖אתִי בִּדְבָרֶֽיךָ׃

¹²“Do not be afraid, Daniel,” he said, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

¹³וְשַׂ֣ר׀ מַלְכ֣וּת פָּרַ֗ס עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאֶחָ֣ד י֔וֹם וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִֽיכָאֵ֗ל אַחַ֛ד הַשָּׂרִ֥ים הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים בָּ֣א לְעָזְרֵ֑נִי וַאֲנִי֙ נוֹתַ֣רְתִּי שָׁ֔ם אֵ֖צֶל מַלְכֵ֥י פָרָֽס׃

¹³However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

¹⁴וּבָ֙אתִי֙ לַהֲבִ֣ינְךָ֔ אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥ה לְעַמְּךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֑ים כִּי־ע֥וֹד חָז֖וֹן לַיָּמִֽים׃

¹⁴Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days.”

¹⁵וּבְדַבְּר֣וֹ עִמִּ֔י כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה נָתַ֧תִּי פָנַ֛י אַ֖רְצָה וְנֶאֱלָֽמְתִּי׃

¹⁵While he was speaking these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and became speechless.

¹⁶וְהִנֵּ֗ה כִּדְמוּת֙ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם נֹגֵ֖עַ עַל־שְׂפָתָ֑י וָאֶפְתַּח־פִּ֗י וָאֲדַבְּרָה֙ וָאֹֽמְרָה֙ אֶל־הָעֹמֵ֣ד לְנֶגְדִּ֔י אֲדֹנִ֗י בַּמַּרְאָה֙ נֶהֶפְכ֤וּ צִירַי֙ עָלַ֔י וְלֹ֥א עָצַ֖רְתִּי כֹּֽחַ׃

¹⁶And suddenly one with the likeness of a man^a touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and said to the one standing before me, “My lord, because of the vision, I am overcome with anguish, and I have no strength.

¹⁷וְהֵ֣יךְ יוּכַ֗ל עֶ֤בֶד אֲדֹנִי֙ זֶ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר עִם־אֲדֹ֣נִי זֶ֑ה וַאֲנִ֤י מֵעַ֙תָּה֙ לֹֽא־יַעֲמָד־בִּ֣י כֹ֔חַ וּנְשָׁמָ֖ה לֹ֥א נִשְׁאֲרָה־בִֽי׃

¹⁷How can I, your servant, speak with you, my lord? Now I have no strength, nor is any breath left in me.”

¹⁸וַיֹּ֧סֶף וַיִּגַּע־בִּ֛י כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אָדָ֖ם וַֽיְחַזְּקֵֽנִי׃

¹⁸Again the one with the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.

¹⁹וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אַל־תִּירָ֧א אִישׁ־חֲמֻד֛וֹת שָׁל֥וֹם לָ֖ךְ חֲזַ֣ק וַחֲזָ֑ק וּֽבְדַבְּר֤וֹ עִמִּי֙ הִתְחַזַּ֔קְתִּי וָאֹֽמְרָ֛ה יְדַבֵּ֥ר אֲדֹנִ֖י כִּ֥י חִזַּקְתָּֽנִי׃

¹⁹“Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious,” he said. “Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!”

As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲיָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ לָמָּה־בָּ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְעַתָּ֣ה אָשׁ֔וּב לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עִם־שַׂ֣ר פָּרָ֑ס וַאֲנִ֣י יוֹצֵ֔א וְהִנֵּ֥ה שַׂר־יָוָ֖ן בָּֽא׃

²⁰“Do you know why I have come to you?” he said. “I must return at once to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, behold, the prince of Greece^a will come.

²¹אֲבָל֙ אַגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ אֶת־הָרָשׁ֥וּם בִּכְתָ֖ב אֱמֶ֑ת וְאֵ֨ין אֶחָ֜ד מִתְחַזֵּ֤ק עִמִּי֙ עַל־אֵ֔לֶּה כִּ֥י אִם־מִיכָאֵ֖ל שַׂרְכֶֽם׃פ

²¹But first I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. Yet no one has the courage to support me against these, except Michael your prince.