Daniel Is Terrified by a Vision

10 In the third year of ^(A)Cyrus king of Persia, a ^[a]message was revealed to ^(B)Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the ^[b](C)message was true and it concerned great ^[c]conflict, but he understood the ^[d]message and had an ^(D)understanding of the vision.

² In those days, I, Daniel, had been ^(E)mourning for three ^[e]entire weeks. ³ I ^(F)did not eat any ^[f]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 ^(G)river, that is, the ^[g]Tigris, ⁵ I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man ^(H)dressed in linen, whose waist ^(I)had a belt of pure ^(J)gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like topaz, his face ^[h]had the appearance of lightning, ^(K)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, ^(L)alone saw the vision, while the ^(M)men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great ^(N)fear fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. ⁸ So I was ^(O)left alone and saw this great vision; yet ^(P)no strength was left in me, for my complexion turned to ^[i]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 ^(Q)fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Daniel Comforted

¹⁰ Then behold, a hand ^(R)touched me and shook me on my ^[j]hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “^(S)Daniel, ^[k]you who are treasured, ^(T)understand the words that I am about to tell you and ^(U)stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up ^(V)trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “^(W)Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on ^(X)humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come ^(Y)in response to your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing ^[l]in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, ^(Z)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 ^(AA)explain to you what will happen to your people in the ^[m](AB)latter days, because the vision pertains to ^(AC)the days still future.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken to me according to these words, I ^[n]turned my face toward the ground and became ^(AD)speechless. ¹⁶ And behold, ^[o](AE)one who resembled a human was ^(AF)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 ^[p](AG)anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For ^(AH)how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now ^(AI)no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”

¹⁸ Then this one with human appearance touched me again and ^(AJ)strengthened me. ¹⁹ And he said, “^[q]You who are treasured, ^(AK)do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take ^(AL)courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened and said, “May my lord speak, for you have ^(AM)strengthened me.” ²⁰ Then he said, “Do you ^[r]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 ^(AN)prince of ^[s]Greece is about to come. ²¹ However, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of ^(AO)truth. Yet there is no one who ^[t]stands firmly with me against these forces except ^(AP)Michael your prince.

Misuse of Riches

5 ^(A)Come now, ^(B)you rich people, ^(C)weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. ^2 (D)Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will ^[a]serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is ^(E)in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴ Behold, ^(F)the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and ^(G)the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of ^(H)the Lord ^[b]of armies. ⁵ You have ^[c](I)lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have ^[d]fattened your hearts in ^(J)a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and ^[e](K)put to death ^(L)the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.

Exhortation

⁷ Therefore be patient, ^(M)brothers and sisters, ^(N)until the coming of the Lord. ^(O)The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until ^[f]it gets ^(P)the early and late rains. ^8 (Q)You too be patient; ^(R)strengthen your hearts, for ^(S)the coming of the Lord is ^(T)near. ^9 (U)Do not ^[g]complain, ^(V)brothers and sisters, against one another, so that you may not be judged; behold, ^(W)the Judge is standing ^[h](X)right at the ^[i]door. ¹⁰ As an example, ^(Y)brothers and sisters, of suffering and patience, take ^(Z)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those ^(AA)blessed who endured. You have heard of ^(AB)the ^[j]endurance of Job and have seen ^(AC)the ^[k]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that ^(AD)the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

¹² But above all, ^(AE)my brothers and sisters, ^(AF)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but ^[l]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.

¹³ Is anyone among you ^(AG)suffering? ^(AH)Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to ^(AI)sing praises. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for ^(AJ)the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, ^[m](AK)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the ^(AL)prayer of faith will ^[n](AM)restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will ^(AN)raise him up, and if he has committed sins, ^[o]they will be forgiven him. ¹⁶ Therefore, ^(AO)confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be ^(AP)healed. ^(AQ)A ^[p]prayer of a righteous person, when it is ^[q]brought about, can accomplish much. ¹⁷ Elijah was ^(AR)a man with a nature like ours, and ^(AS)he prayed ^[r]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for ^(AT)three years and six months. ¹⁸ Then he ^(AU)prayed again, and ^(AV)the sky ^[s]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, ^(AW)if anyone among you strays from ^(AX)the truth and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will ^(AY)save his soul from death and ^(AZ)cover a multitude of sins.

The Time of the End

12 “Now at that time ^(A)Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a ^(B)time of distress ^(C)such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the ^(D)book, will be rescued. ² And ^(E)many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, ^(F)these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting ^[a]contempt. ³ And ^[b]those who have ^(G)insight will ^(H)shine like the glow of the ^[c]expanse of heaven, and those who ^[d](I)lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ⁴ But as for you, Daniel, ^(J)keep these words secret and ^(K)seal up the book until the ^(L)end of time; ^(M)many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the stream and the other on that bank of the stream. ⁶ And ^(N)someone said to the man ^(O)dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “^(P)How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” ⁷ And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, ^[e]as he ^(Q)raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by ^(R)Him who lives forever that it would be for a ^[f](S)time, ^[g]times, and half a ^[h]time; and as soon as ^[i]they finish ^(T)smashing the ^[j]power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. ⁸ But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the ^[k]outcome of these events?” ⁹ And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and ^(U)sealed up until the end time. ^10 (V)Many will be purged, ^[l]cleansed, and refined, but the ^(W)wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but ^[m]those who ^(X)have insight will understand. ¹¹ And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the ^(Y)abomination ^[n]of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ^12 (Z)Blessed is the one who is patient and attains to the ^(AA)1,335 days! ¹³ But as for you, go your way to the ^[o]end; then you will ^(AB)rest and ^[p]rise for your ^(AC)allotted portion at the end of the ^[q]age.”

A Living Hope and a Sure Salvation

1 ^(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as ^(B)strangers, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who are chosen ² according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ^[a]to ^(L)obey Jesus Christ and be ^(M)sprinkled with His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

^3 (O)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(P)according to His great mercy ^(Q)has caused us to be born again to ^(R)a living hope through the ^(S)resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an ^(T)inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and ^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are ^(W)protected by the power of God ^(X)through faith for ^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time. ^6 (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now ^(AB)for a little while, ^(AC)if necessary, you have been distressed by ^(AD)various ^[b]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[c](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes ^(AF)though tested by fire, ^(AG)may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at ^(AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and ^(AI)though you have not seen Him, you ^(AJ)love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[d]full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of ^[e]your souls.

^10 (AL)As to this salvation, the prophets who ^(AM)prophesied of the ^(AN)grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ^11 [f]seeking to know what person or time ^(AO)the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He ^(AP)predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories ^[g]to follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who ^(AQ)preached the gospel to you by ^(AR)the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which ^(AS)angels long to ^[h]look.