Daniel 10:17

Contemporary English Version

I am merely your servant. How can I possibly speak with someone so powerful, when I am almost too weak to get my breath?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
How can someone like me, your servant, speak with someone like you, my lord? Now I have no strength, and there is no breath in me.”

Hebrew Names Version
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.

King James Version
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

English Standard Version
How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me."

New American Standard Bible
"For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me."

New Century Version
Master, how can I, your servant, talk with you? My strength is gone, and it is hard for me to breathe."

Amplified Bible
"For how can such a [weakened] servant of my lord talk with such [a being] as my lord? For now there remains no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me."

Geneva Bible (1587)
For howe can the seruant of this my Lorde talke with my Lord being such one? for as for me, straight way there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me."

Berean Standard Bible
How can I, your servant, speak with you, my lord? Now I have no strength, nor is any breath left in me."

Complete Jewish Bible
For how can this servant of my lord speak with my lord, when my strength and breath have failed me?"

Darby Translation
And how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remaineth no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Easy-to-Read Version
Sir, I am Daniel your servant. How can I talk with you? My strength is gone and it is hard for me to breathe."

George Lamsa Translation
For how can the servant of my lord talk with this my lord? For, behold, there is no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Good News Translation
I am like a slave standing before his master. How can I talk to you? I have no strength or breath left in me."

Lexham English Bible
So how am I, a servant of my lord to speak with you, my lord, and I just now have no strength in me?"

Literal Translation
For how can the servant of this my lord speak with this my lord? For as for me, there is no power left in me; yea, there is no breath left in me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How maye my lordes seruaunt then talke with my lorde? seinge there is no strength in me, so that I can not take my breth?

American Standard Version
For how can the servant of this 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.

Bible in Basic English
For how may this servant of my lord have talk with my lord? for, as for me, straight away my strength went from me and there was no breath in my body.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For 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.'

King James Version (1611)
For how can the seruant of this my Lord, talke with this my Lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in mee, neither is there breath left in me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For howe can the seruaunt of this my Lorde, talke with my Lorde [being] such a one? And as for me, straight way there remayned no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And how shall thy servant be able, O my lord, to speak with this my lord? and as for me, from henceforth strength will not remain in me, and there is no breath left in me.

English Revised Version
For how can the servant of this 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.

World English Bible
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And hou schal the seruaunt of my Lord mow speke with my Lord? no thing of strengthis dwellide in me, but also my breeth is closyde bitwixe.

Update Bible Version
For how can the slave of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.

Webster's Bible Translation
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

New English Translation
How, sir, am I able to speak with you? My strength is gone, and I am breathless."

New King James Version
For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me."

New Living Translation
How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe."

New Life Bible
How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and no breath is left in me."

New Revised Standard
How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For I am shaking, no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How then can the servant of this my lord speak with this my lord, - seeing that, as for me - henceforth, there remaineth in me no strength, and no, spirit, is left in me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And how can the servant of my lord speak with my lord? for no strength remaineth in me; moreover, my breath is stopped.

Revised Standard Version
How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me."

Young's Literal Translation
And how is the servant of this my lord able to speak with this my lord? as for me, henceforth there remaineth in me no power, yea, breath hath not been left in me.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ He raised me to my hands and knees ¹¹ and then said, "Daniel, your God thinks highly of you, and he has sent me. So stand up and pay close attention." I stood trembling, while the angel said: ¹² Daniel, don't be afraid! God has listened to your prayers since the first day you humbly asked for understanding, and he has sent me here. ¹³ But the guardian angel of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, who is one of the strongest guardian angels, came to rescue me from the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come here to give you another vision about what will happen to your people in the future. ¹⁵ While this angel was speaking to me, I stared at the ground, speechless. ¹⁶ Then he appeared in human form and touched my lips. I said, "Sir, this vision has brought me great pain and has drained my strength. ¹⁷ I am merely your servant. How can I possibly speak with someone so powerful, when I am almost too weak to get my breath?" ¹⁸The angel touched me a second time and said, "Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong." At this, I regained my strength and replied, "Please speak! You have already made me feel much better." ²⁰ Then the angel said: Now do you understand why I have come? Soon I must leave to fight against the guardian angel of Persia. Then after I have defeated him, the guardian angel of Greece will attack me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the servant of this my lord: or, this servant of my lord, Matthew 22:43, Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36

talk: Genesis 32:20, Exodus 24:10, Exodus 24:11, Exodus 33:20, Judges 6:22, Judges 13:21-23, Isaiah 6:1-5, John 1:18

straightway: Daniel 10:8

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:6 - in a vision 2 Chronicles 9:4 - there was Jeremiah 8:18 - my Ezekiel 1:28 - I fell Daniel 4:19 - was astonied Daniel 10:16 - my Lord Matthew 17:6 - General Luke 5:8 - Depart Hebrews 12:21 - Moses Revelation 1:17 - I fell

Cross-References

Genesis 34:2
She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord?.... Or, "talk with that my lord?" z pointing to the man clothed in linen, who appeared so glorious, and whom Daniel knew to be more than a man; and therefore he, who was a mere mortal sinful man, and reckoned himself a servant of the angel of the Lord that was now before him, and had touched him, and was conversing with him, and to whom he was greatly inferior, must be very unfit and unworthy to have conversation with one that was infinitely above him; "with such an one", his Lord, as Noldius a renders it, as Christ the Son of God, the Head of angels, King of kings, and Lord of lords; what was he, dust and ashes, that he should speak unto him, or be admitted to any discourse with him? so sensible was he of the greatness of Christ, and of his own frailty, sinfulness, and nothingness;

for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me; as soon as ever he saw this great and glorious person; :-:

neither is there breath left in me: when he fainted away, and became like a dead man; and though he was raised up again, and set upon his feet, and had a little recovered his speech, yet it was with great difficulty that he breathed and spoke; as it is with men when their spirits are greatly oppressed, it is as if their life and soul were gone out of them, and they move more like dead than living men.

z עם אדני זה "cum domino meo illo", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Junius & Tremellius. a Concord. Ebr. Part. p. 353.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For how card the servant of this my lord - Acknowledging his humble and lowly condition and rank in the presence of an angel - a messenger now sent from heaven.

Neither is there breath left in me - That is, he was utterly overcome and prostrate. He felt that he was incapable of speaking in the presence of one who tied descended from God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. Neither is there breath — He could not breathe freely; he was almost suffocated with sorrow.