Daniel 10

¹In the thridde yeer of the rewme of Sirus, kyng of Perseis, a word was schewid to Danyel, Balthasar bi name; and a trewe word, and greet strengthe, and he vndurstood the word; for whi vndurstondyng is nedeful in visioun.

²In tho daies Y, Danyel, mourenyde bi the daies of thre woukis;

³Y eet not desirable breed, and fleisch, and wyn entride not into my mouth, but nethir Y was anoynted with oynement, til the daies of thre woukis weren fillid.

⁴Forsothe in the foure and twentithe dai of the firste monethe, Y was bisidis the greet flood, which is Tigris.

⁵And Y reiside myn iyen, and Y siy, and lo! o man was clothid with lynun clothis, and hise reynes weren gird with schynynge gold;

⁶and his bodi was as crisolitus, and his face was as the licnesse of leit, and hise iyen weren as a brennynge laumpe, and hise armes and tho thingis that weren bynethe til to the feet weren as the licnesse of bras beynge whijt, and the vois of hise wordis was as the vois of multitude.

⁷Forsothe Y, Danyel, aloone siy the visioun; certis the men that weren with me, sien not, but ful greet ferdfulnesse felle yn on hem, and thei fledden in to an hid place.

⁸But Y was left aloone, and Y siy this greet visioun, and strengthe dwellide not in me; but also my licnesse was chaungid in me, and Y was stark, and Y hadde not in me ony thing of strengthis.

⁹And Y herde the vois of hise wordis, and Y herde, and lay astonyed on my face, and my face cleuyde to the erthe.

¹⁰And lo! an hond touchide me, and reiside me on my knees, and on the toes of my feet.

¹¹And he seide to me, Thou, Danyel, a man of desiris, vndurstonde the wordis whiche Y speke to thee, and stonde in thi degree; for now Y am sent to thee. And whanne he hadde seid this word to me, Y stood quakynge.

¹²And he seide to me, Danyel, nyle thou drede, for fro the firste dai in which thou settidist thin herte to vndurstonde, that thou schuldist turmente thee in the siyt of thi God, thi wordis weren herd, and Y cam for thi wordis.

¹³Forsothe the prince of the rewme of Perseis ayenstood me oon and twenti daies, and lo! Myyhel, oon of the firste princes, cam in to myn help, and Y dwellide stille there bisidis the kyng of Perseis.

¹⁴Forsothe Y am comun to teche thee, what thingis schulen come to thi puple in the laste daies; for yit the visioun is delaied in to daies.

¹⁵And whanne he spak to me bi siche wordis, Y castide doun my cheer to erthe, and was stille.

¹⁶And lo! as the licnesse of sone of man touchide my lippis; and Y openyde my mouth, and spak, and seide to hym that stood bifore me, My Lord, in thi siyt my ioynctis ben vnknit, and no thing of strengthis dwellide in me.

¹⁷And hou schal the seruaunt of my Lord mow speke with my Lord? no thing of strengthis dwellide in me, but also my breeth is closyde bitwixe.

¹⁸Therfor eft as the siyt of a man touchide me, and coumfortide me,

¹⁹and seide, Man of desiris, nyle thou drede; pees be to thee, be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong. And whanne he spak with me, Y wexide strong and seide, My Lord, speke thou, for thou hast coumfortid me.

²⁰And he seide, Whether thou woost not, whi Y cam to thee? And now Y schal turne ayen, to fiyte ayens the prince of Perseis. For whanne Y yede out, the prince of Grekis apperide comynge.

²¹Netheles Y schal telle to thee that, that is expressid in the scripture of treuthe; and noon is myn helpere in alle these thingis, no but Myyhel, youre prynce.

Daniel 10

¹In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

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

³I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

⁵Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

⁷And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

⁸Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

⁹Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

¹⁰And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

¹¹And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

¹²Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

¹³But 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.

¹⁴Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

¹⁵And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.

¹⁶And, 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 the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.

¹⁷For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

¹⁸Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,

¹⁹And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

²⁰Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

²¹But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.