needed humble thyself before thy God, thy words were 13 heard: and I am come for thy words' sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me and I 'remained there with the kings of Persia. 1Or, was not Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for 15 the vision is yet for many days. And when he had spoken unto me according to these words, I set my face toward the ground, and was dumb. 16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I retain 17 no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, 18 neither was there breath left in me. Then there touched me again one like the appearance 19 of a man, and he strengthened me. And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he spake unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened 1 20 me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I go forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come. Heb. Javan. 21 But I will tell thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there is none that 'holdeth with me against these, but Michael I your prince. And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. 2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; Heb. himself. Or, concerning strengtheneth these things and the fourth shall be far richer than they all and when he is waxed strong through his riches, 'he shall stir up all against the realm of "Greece. And a mighty king shall stand up, 3 2 Heb. Javan. that shall rule with great dominion, and do ac 1 Or, all this shall stir up the realm cording to his will. And when he shall stand 4 up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion wherewith he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside 3 Or, shall be these. And the king of the south shall be 5 strong; but one of his princes shall be &c. conditions * Or, office strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And at 6 the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to Or, equitable make 'an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in those times. But out of a shoot from her roots shall one 7 stand up in his 'place, which shall come 'unto Or, against the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: and also their gods, 8 with their 'molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north. And he 9 shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land. And his sons shall war, and shall assemble 10 a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through and "they shall return and war, even to his fortress. 7 Or, princes 8 Or, continue more years than &c. 9 Or, and he 10 Or, he II And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north and he shall set forth a great multitude, and the 12 multitude shall be given into his hand. And the multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart 1Or, be carried shall be exalted: and he shall cast down tens away 13 of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 15 And 3 cities the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with 2 Or, for 14 much substance. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take a well fenced city: and the arms Or, the fenced of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength 16 to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be 17 destruction. And he shall set his face to come. with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; and he shall do his pleasure: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not 18 stand, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many but a 'prince shall cause the reproach Or, to destroy offered by him to cease; yea, moreover, he 19 shall cause his reproach to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of coastlands his own land but he shall stumble and fall, 9 Or, captain 20 and shall not be found. Then shall stand up 4 According to sons, and shall make equitable him: and he shall give &c. the ancient ver conditions with 5 Or, equitable conditions 6 it " 7 Or, it 9 8 Or, 1 Or, office 1 in his place one that shall cause an exactor to pass through the glory of the kingdom: but 2 Heb. broken. within few days he shall be 'destroyed, neither 3 Or, his covenant ♦ Or, dainties Heb. break. in anger, nor in battle. And in his 'place shall 21 stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the 22 arms of a flood shall they be swept away from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league 23 made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people. In time of security shall he come 24 even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yea, he shall devise his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. And he shall 25 stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle. with an exceeding great and mighty army: but he shall not stand, for they shall devise devices against him. Yea, they that eat of his 26 'meat shall 'destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And 27 as for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he 28 return into his land with great substance; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do his pleasure, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, 29 and come into the south; but it shall not be in the latter time as it was in the former. For 30 2 teachers of the ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do his pleasure: he shall even return, and have regard unto them that forsake the holy 31 covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination 32 that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he 'pervert by Heb. make flatteries: but the people that know their God profane. 33 shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that Or, the be wise among the people shall instruct many: people yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, 34 by captivity and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help but many shall join themselves 35 unto them with flatteries. And some of them Or, the that be wise shall 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 36 appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods: and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined 37 shall be done. Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself 38 above all. But in his place shall he honour the god of fortresses: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, Or, whom he and with precious stones, and pleasant things. shall 39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses and increase by the help of a strange god; 'whosoever with glory acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory teachers Or, office acknowledge shall |