Daniel 9

1  IN THE first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--2  In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years. 3  And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;4  And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments,5  We have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.6  Neither have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.7  O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day--to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the [treacherous] trespass which they have committed against You.8  O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face--to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers--because we have sinned against You.9  To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;10  And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.11  Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12  And He has carried out intact His [threatening] words which He threatened against us and against our judges [the kings, princes, and rulers generally] who ruled us, and He has brought upon us a great evil; for under the whole heavens there has not been done before [anything so dreadful] as [He has caused to be] done against Jerusalem.13  Just as it is written in the Law of Moses as to all this evil [that would surely come upon transgressors], so it has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth. 14  Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]; and we have not obeyed His voice.15  And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly!16  O Lord, according to all Your rightness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us.17  Now therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant [Daniel] and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.18  O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness.19  O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.20  While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God--21  Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22  He instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding.23  At the beginning of your prayers, the word [giving an answer] went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.24  Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city [Jerusalem], to finish and put an end to transgression, to seal up and make full the measure of sin, to purge away and make expiation and reconciliation for sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness (permanent moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint a Holy of Holies.25  Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Anointed One, a Prince, shall be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it shall be built again with [city] square and moat, but in troublous times.26  And after the sixty-two weeks [of years] shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing [and no one] belonging to [and defending] Him. And the people of the [other] prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed. 27  And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.

Daniel 9

Daniel Prays for His People

1 In the first year of Dariuss son of Ahasuerus,s who was of Median descent and who had beens appointed king over the Babyloniant empire –2 in the first year of his reigns I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred bookst that, according to the word of the Lords disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalems were seventy in number.3 So I turned my attentiont to the Lord Godt to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.s

4 I prayed to the Lord my God, confessing in this way:
“O Lord,t great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenantt with those who love him and keep his commandments,5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards.

6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authorityt to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors,t and to all the inhabitantst of the land as well.
7 “You are righteous,t O Lord, but we are humiliated this dayt – the peoplet of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you.8 O Lord, we have been humiliatedt – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you.9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving,t even though we have rebelled against him.

10 We have not obeyedt the Lord our God by living according tot his lawss that he set before us through his servants the prophets.
11 “All Israel has brokent your law and turned away by not obeying you.t Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatenedt in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.t12 He has carried out his threatst against us and our rulerst who were overt us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven!13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacifyt the Lord our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdomt from your reliable moral standards.t

14 The Lord was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the Lord our God is justt in all he has done,t and we have not obeyed him.t
15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great powert and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly.

16 O Lord, according to all your justice,t please turn your raging angert away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.
17 “So now, our God, acceptt the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor tot your devastated sanctuary for your own sake.t18 Listen attentively,t my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruinst and the city called by your name.t For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you,t but because your compassion is abundant.

19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.”t

Gabriel Gives to Daniel a Prophecy of Seventy Weeks

20 While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my request before the Lord my God concerning his holy mountaint –21 yes, while I was still praying,t the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previouslyt in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness,t around the time of the evening offering.22 He spoke with me, instructing me as follows:t “Daniel, I have now come to impart understanding to you.

23 At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God’s sight.t Therefore consider the message and understand the vision:t

24 “Seventy weekst have been determined
concerning your people and your holy city
to put an end tos rebellion,
to bring sins to completion,t
to atone for iniquity,
to bring in perpetualt righteousness,
to seal ups the prophetic vision,t
and to anoint a most holy place.t

25 So know and understand:
From the issuing of the commandt to restore and rebuild
Jerusalems until an anointed one, a prince arrives,t
there will be a period of seven weeksts and sixty-two weeks.
It will again be built,t with plaza and moat,
but in distressful times.

26 Now after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing.s
As for the city and the sanctuary,
the people of the coming prince will destroys them.
But his end will come speedilyt like a flood.s
Until the end of the war that has been decreed
there will be destruction.

27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week.t
But in the middle of that week
he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt.
On the wingt of abominations will comet one who destroys,
until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”