1 In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, a command was shown to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the vision and the command were true, and the strong multitude shall understand the command; and I understood it in a vision. 2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant bread, and flesh and wine did not enter my mouth; I did not anoint myself with oil, until I had completed the three weeks of days. 4 And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was on the bank of the great river, which is the Tigris. 5 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and look, a man clothed in fine linen, and his waist wrapped with fine linen, and from his midst a light. 6 And his body was like Tarshish, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like torches of fire,⁠a and his arms and his feet like flashing brass, and the voice of his speech like the sound of a tumult. 7 And I Daniel saw this great vision, and the men who were with me did not see this vision, and great fear fell upon them, and they ran away in haste. 8 And I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me; and look, a spirit turned upon me to destruction, and I did not prevail. 9 And I did not hear the voice of his speech; I had fallen upon my face upon the earth. 10 And look, he put forth a hand to me, and raised me upon my knees, upon the soles of my feet. 11 And he said to me, Daniel, you are a man shown mercy; understand the commands which I speak to you, and stand in your place, for I have now been sent to you. And when he had spoken this command with me, I stood trembling. 12 And he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your face to understand and to be humbled before the Lord your God, your word was heard, and I came in at your word. 13 And the captain of the king of the Persians stood against me twenty-one days; and look, Michael, one of the first rulers, came to help me, and I left him there with the captain of the king of the Persians. 14 And he said to me, I have come to show you what shall happen to your people at the end of the days; for the vision is yet for days. 15 And when he spoke these commands with me, I set my face toward the earth and was silent. 16 And look, as the likeness of a man's hand touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to the one standing before me, Lord, as a vision it turned upon my side, upon me, and there was no strength in me. 17 And how shall the servant be able to speak with his lord? And I was weak, and there is no strength in me, and no breath was left in me. 18 And he touched me again, as the appearance of a man, and strengthened me. 19 And he said to me, You are a man shown mercy; do not fear; be well, be courageous and be strong. And when he spoke with me, I was strong, and said, Let my lord speak, for he has strengthened me. 20 And he said to me, Do you know why I have come to you? And now I shall return to fight with the captain of the king of the Persians; and I was going out, and look, the captain of the Greeks was coming in. 21 And indeed I shall show you the first things in the record of truth; and there was no one helping me concerning these things but Michael the angel.