Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer

1 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Xerxes was king over Babylon. He was a descendant of the Medes.

2 During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was reading the Scriptures. I saw that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years.
3 Then I turned to the Lord God and prayed and asked him for help. To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in ashes.

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and told him about all of our sins. I said, “Lord, you are a great God who causes fear and wonder. You keep your agreement of love with all who love you and obey your commands.
5 “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and turned against you, your commands, and your laws.

6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke for you to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are good and right, but we are full of shame today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you scattered among many nations because they were not loyal to you.

8 Lord, we are all ashamed. Our kings and leaders and our fathers are ashamed, because we have sinned against you.
9 “But, Lord our God, you show us mercy and forgive us even though we have turned against you.10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God or the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets.

11 All the people of Israel have disobeyed your teachings and have turned away, refusing to obey you. So you brought on us the curses and promises of punishment written in the Teachings of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against you.
12 “You said these things would happen to us and our leaders, and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done on earth like what was done to Jerusalem.13 All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the Teachings of Moses. But we have not pleaded with the Lord our God. We have not stopped sinning. We have not paid attention to your truth.

14 The Lord was ready to bring the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is right in everything he does. But we still did not obey him.
15 “Lord our God, you used your power and brought us out of Egypt. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and have done wrong.

16 Lord, you do what is right, but please do not be angry with Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill. Because of our sins and the evil things done by our ancestors, people all around insult and make fun of Jerusalem and your people.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my prayer for help, and for your sake do good things for your holy place that is in ruins.18 My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and see all the terrible things that have happened to us. See how our lives have been ruined and what has happened to the city that is called by your name. We do not ask these things because we are good; instead, we ask because of your mercy.

19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear us and do something! For your sake, don’t wait, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Gabriel’s Explanation

20 While I was saying these things in my prayer to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and praying for God’s holy hill,21 Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my last vision.) He came flying quickly to me about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying.22 He taught me and said to me, “Daniel, I have come to give you wisdom and to help you understand.

23 When you first started praying, an answer was given, and I came to tell you, because God loves you very much. So think about the message and understand the vision.

24 “God has ordered four hundred ninety years for your people and your holy city for these reasons: to stop people from turning against God; to put an end to sin; to take away evil; to bring in goodness that continues forever; to bring about the vision and prophecy; and to appoint a most holy place.
25 “Learn and understand these things. A command will come to rebuild Jerusalem. The time from this command until the appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundred thirty-four years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench filled with water around it, but it will be built in times of trouble.26 After the four hundred thirty-four years the appointed leader will be killed; he will have nothing. The people of the leader who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of the city will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed.27 That leader will make firm an agreement with many people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city.”

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.”