Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

1In the first year of 1Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans-- 2in 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 2Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, 3seventy years. 3So I 4gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the 5great and awesome God, who 6keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 57we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and 8rebelled, even 9turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6Moreover, we have not 10listened 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“11Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us 1213open 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 14all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 815Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9To the Lord our God belong 16compassion and forgiveness, 17for we have 18rebelled against Him; 10nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His 19teachings which He 20set before us through His servants the prophets. 11Indeed 21all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the 22curse 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. 12Thus He has 23confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our 2425rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has 26not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13As it is written in the 27law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have 28not 29sought the favor of the Lord our God by 30turning from our iniquity and 31giving attention to Your truth. 14Therefore the Lord has 3233kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is 34righteous 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 35brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have 36made a name for Yourself, as it is this day--we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16O Lord, in accordance with all Your 37righteous acts, let now Your 38anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your 39holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a 40reproach to all those around us. 17So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for 41Your sake, O Lord, 42let Your face shine on Your 43desolate sanctuary. 18O my God, 44incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and 45see our desolations and the city which is 46called by Your name; for we are not 4748presenting our supplications before You on account of 49any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, 50do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20Now while I was 51speaking and praying, and 52confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and 53presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man 54Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision 55previously, 56came to me 57in my extreme weariness about the time of the 58evening offering. 22He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with 59understanding. 23At the 60beginning of your supplications the 61command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are 6263highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain 64understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24“Seventy 6566weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to 67finish the transgression, to 68make an end of sin, to 69make atonement for iniquity, to bring in 70everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and 71prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a 7273decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until 7475Messiah the 76Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with 77plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26Then after the sixty-two weeks the 78Messiah will be 79cut off and have 80nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will 81destroy the city and the sanctuary. And 82its end will come with a 83flood; even to the end 84there will be war; desolations are determined. 27And 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 8586abominations will come one who 87makes desolate, even until a 88complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who 89makes desolate.”