World English Bible · The Persian return
Daniel 10
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In the third year of king of a message was to , whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the message was true, even a great warfare. He understood the message, and had understanding of the . In those days I, , was three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant food. No meat or came into my . I didn't anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. In the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose waist was adorned with pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, and as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches. His arms and his feet were like burnished bronze. The voice of his words was like the voice of a multitude. I, , alone saw the , for the men who were with me didn't see the , but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great . No strength remained in me; for grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on , with toward the ground. Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. He said to me, ", you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you, now." When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, "Don't be afraid, ; for from the first day that you set to understand, and to humble yourself before your , your words were heard. I have come for your words' sake. But the prince of of withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, , one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of . Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the , for the is yet for many days." When he had spoken these words to me, I set toward the ground and was mute. Behold, one in the of the sons of men touched my . Then I opened my , and spoke and said to him who stood before me, "My , by reason of the my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength. For how can the this my talk with this my ? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me. There was no breath left in me." Then one like the appearance of a man touched me again, and he strengthened me. He said, "Greatly beloved man, don't be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, "Let my speak, for you have strengthened me." Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of . When I go out, behold, the prince of will come. But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these but your prince.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · The Persian return, 539 BC to 332 BC ›
Persia takes Babylon and reverses its policy, sending exiled peoples home to rebuild their temples. Judah returns as a small province, rebuilding under imperial permission rather than independence.
- Persia
- The largest empire the world had yet seen, from the Indus to the Aegean, run through provinces, a royal road, and a postal system. Its policy on conquered peoples was to send them home and fund their temples, in exchange for loyalty and prayers for the king. The Cyrus Cylinder states the policy in Cyrus's own words, and Ezra opens with the same policy applied to Judah.
- Judah
- A small, poor province called Yehud, a fraction of the old kingdom, with a rebuilt temple that made the people who remembered the first one weep. No king, and no prospect of one. Leadership passes to priests and scribes, which shapes everything afterward.
- Greece
- Persia and Greece collide at Marathon and Salamis, Persia loses, and Athens spends the following decades on the Parthenon, tragedy, and Socrates. Herodotus writes the first history in order to explain that war. Then Plato and Aristotle, whose vocabulary the church will still be using at Nicaea eight centuries later.
- Further afield
- Rome throws out its kings and becomes a republic. In India and China this is the age of the Buddha's early followers and of Confucian teaching taking hold. More of what the world still thinks with was invented in this era than in almost any other.