Daniel 9

Daniel's Prayer for His People

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans-2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.6 Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.

7 "Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day-to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.8 Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.9 To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.11 Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.12 Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.14 Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

15 "And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day-we have sinned, we have been wicked.16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God,21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding.23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

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.”