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Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant,[a] you will be my treasured possession among all peoples,(A) though all the earth is mine.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:5 Covenant: while covenants between individuals and between nations are ubiquitous in the ancient Near East, the adaptation of this concept to express the relationship that will henceforth characterize God’s relationship to Israel represents an important innovation of biblical faith. Other gods might “choose” nations to fulfill a special destiny or role in the world; but only Israel’s God is bound to a people by covenant. Thereby Israel’s identity as a people is put upon a foundation that does not depend upon the vicissitudes of Israelite statehood or the normal trappings of national existence. Israel will be a covenant people.

19 And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or the stars, the whole heavenly host, do not be led astray into bowing down to them and serving them.(A) These the Lord, your God, has apportioned to all the other nations under the heavens; 20 but you the Lord has taken and led out of that iron foundry, Egypt, that you might be his people, his heritage, as you are today.(B)

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When the Most High allotted each nation its heritage,
    when he separated out human beings,(A)
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
    after the number of the divine beings;[a]
But the Lord’s portion was his people;
    his allotted share was Jacob.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 32:8 Divine beings: lit., “sons of God” (see also v. 43); members of the divine assembly; cf. 1 Kgs 22:19; Jb 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Ps 82; 89:6–7. The nations are portrayed as having their respective tutelary deities.

13 but the prince of the kingdom of Persia[a] stood in my way for twenty-one days, until finally Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the last days; for there is yet a vision concerning those days.”

15 While he was speaking thus to me, I fell forward and kept silent. 16 Then something like a hand touched my lips; I opened my mouth and said to the one standing before me, “My lord, I was seized with pangs at the vision and I was powerless. 17 How can my lord’s servant speak with you, my lord? For now no strength or even breath is left in me.” 18 The one who looked like a man touched me again and strengthened me, saying, 19 “Do not fear, beloved. Peace! Take courage and be strong.” When he spoke to me, I grew strong and said, “Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.” 20 “Do you know,” he asked, “why I have come to you? Soon I must fight the prince of Persia again. When I leave, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but I shall tell you what is written in the book of truth.[b] No one supports me against these except Michael,(A) your prince, and in the first year of Darius the Mede I stood to strengthen him and be his refuge.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia: the angelic guardian of Persia. Where older texts speak of the gods of various countries (Dt 32:8), Daniel speaks of “princes.” Michael: the patron angel of Israel (v. 21).
  2. 10:21 The book of truth: a heavenly book in which future events are already recorded; cf. 7:10; 12:1.

Chapter 12

The Resurrection

“At that time there shall arise Michael,(A)
    the great prince,
    guardian of your people;
It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
    since the nation began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
    everyone who is found written in the book.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Written in the book: cf. 10:21.