thyself before thy God, thy words were heard; and I am come because of 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 was left over there beside the kings of Persia. 14Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the end of days; for there is yet a vision for the days.'
15And when he had spoken unto me according to these words, I set my face toward the ground, and was dumb. 16And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said unto him that stood before me: 'O my lord, by reason of the vision my pains are come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17For how can this servant of my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.' 18Then there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. 19And he 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 go forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come. 21Howbeit I will declare unto thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth; and there is none that holdeth with me against these, except Michael your prince.
11 And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to be a supporter and a stronghold unto him.
2And now will I declare unto thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; 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. 3And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4And when he shall stand 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 those.
5And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
6And at 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 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 begot her, and he that obtained her in those times.
7But one of the shoots of her roots shall stand up in his place, and shall come unto the army, and shall enter into the stronghold of the king of the north, and shall deal with them, and shall prevail; 8and also their gods, with their molten images, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, shall he bring into captivity into Egypt; and he shall desist some years from the king of the north. 9And he shall come into the kingdom of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.
1023
