The Lord's Promises to His People

¹The Lord, the God of Israel,

²said to me, “Write down in a book everything that I have told you,

³because the time is coming when I will restore my people, Israel and Judah. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it again. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

⁴The Lord says to the people of Israel and Judah,

⁵“I heard a cry of terror, a cry of fear and not of peace.

⁶Now stop and think! Can a man give birth to a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why is everyone so pale?

⁷A terrible day is coming; no other day can compare with it— a time of distress for my people, but they will survive.”

⁸The Lord Almighty says, “When that day comes, I will break the yoke that is around their neck and remove their chains, and they will no longer be the slaves of foreigners.

⁹Instead, they will serve me, the Lord their God, and a descendant of David, whom I will enthrone as king.

¹⁰“My people, do not be afraid; people of Israel, do not be terrified. I will rescue you from that faraway land, from the land where you are prisoners. You will come back home and live in peace; you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid.

¹¹I will come to you and save you. I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

¹²The Lord says to his people, “Your wounds are incurable, your injuries cannot be healed.

¹³There is no one to take care of you, no remedy for your sores, no hope of healing for you.

¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer care about you. I have attacked you like an enemy; your punishment has been harsh because your sins are many and your wickedness is great.

¹⁵Complain no more about your injuries; there is no cure for you. I punished you like this because your sins are many and your wickedness is great.

¹⁶But now, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be taken away as prisoners. All who oppress you will be oppressed, and all who plunder you will be plundered.

¹⁷I will make you well again; I will heal your wounds, though your enemies say, ‘Zion is an outcast; no one cares about her.’ I, the Lord, have spoken.”

¹⁸The Lord says, “I will restore my people to their land and have mercy on every family; Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and its palace restored.

¹⁹The people who live there will sing praise; they will shout for joy. By my blessing they will increase in numbers; my blessing will bring them honor.

²⁰I will restore the nation's ancient power and establish it firmly again; I will punish all who oppress them.

^21-22Their ruler will come from their own nation, their prince from their own people. He will approach me when I invite him, for who would dare come uninvited? They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

^23-24The Lord's anger is a storm, a furious wind that will rage over the heads of the wicked. It will not end until he has done all that he intends to do. In days to come his people will understand this clearly.

The Time of the End

¹The angel wearing linen clothes said, “At that time the great angel Michael, who guards your people, will appear. Then there will be a time of troubles, the worst since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, all the people of your nation whose names are written in God's book will be saved.

²Many of those who have already died will live again: some will enjoy eternal life, and some will suffer eternal disgrace.

³The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever.”

⁴He said to me, “And now, Daniel, close the book and put a seal on it until the end of the world. Meanwhile, many people will waste their efforts trying to understand what is happening.”

⁵Then I saw two men standing by a river, one on each bank.

⁶One of them asked the angel who was standing further upstream, “How long will it be until these amazing events come to an end?”

⁷The angel raised both hands toward the sky and made a solemn promise in the name of the Eternal God. I heard him say, “It will be three and a half years. When the persecution of God's people ends, all these things will have happened.”

⁸I heard what he said, but I did not understand it. So I asked, “But, sir, how will it all end?”

⁹He answered, “You must go now, Daniel, because these words are to be kept secret and hidden until the end comes.

¹⁰Many people will be purified. Those who are wicked will not understand but will go on being wicked; only those who are wise will understand.

¹¹“From the time the daily sacrifices are stopped, that is, from the time of The Awful Horror, 1,290 days will pass.

¹²Happy are those who remain faithful until 1,335 days are over!

¹³“And you, Daniel, be faithful to the end. Then you will die, but you will rise to receive your reward at the end of time.”

¹⁷Those who are good travel a road that avoids evil; so watch where you are going—it may save your life.

¹⁸Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.

¹⁹It is better to be humble and stay poor than to be one of the arrogant and get a share of their loot.

²⁰Pay attention to what you are taught, and you will be successful; trust in the Lord and you will be happy.