⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand towards heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives for ever, saying, ‘It will be for a time, times and half a time.^[a] When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’

²⁴ ‘Seventy “sevens”^[a] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish^[b] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.^[c]

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁹ My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre.’^[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.

²⁶ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations – ²⁷ that one “will rule them with an iron sceptre and will dash them to pieces like pottery”^[a] – just as I have received authority from my Father.