Daniel 10:13-21

New Living Translation

¹³But for twenty-one days the spirit prince^[a] of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels,^[b] came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.^[c] ¹⁴Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

¹⁵While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. ¹⁶Then the one who looked like a man^[d] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. ¹⁷How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. ¹⁹“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece^[e] will come. ²¹Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince.^[f]

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Footnotes

10:13a Hebrew the prince; also in 10:13c, 20.
10:13b Hebrew the chief princes.
10:13c As in one Greek version; Hebrew reads and I was left there with the kings of Persia. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
10:16 As in most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; one manuscript of the Masoretic Text and one Greek version read Then something that looked like a human hand.
10:20 Hebrew of Javan.
10:21 Hebrew against these except Michael, your prince.