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 gave my 4attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the 5great and awesome God, who 6keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 57we have sinned, we have done wrong, and 8acted wickedly and 9rebelled, even 10turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6Moreover, we have not 11listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

7“12Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us 1314open 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 15all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 816Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9To the Lord our God belong 17compassion and forgiveness, 18because we have 19rebelled against Him; 10and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His 20teachings which He 21set before us through His servants the prophets. 11Indeed, 22all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the 23curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12So He has 24confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our 2526rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has 27not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. 13Just as it is written in the 28Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have 29not 30sought the favor of the Lord our God by 31turning from our wrongdoing and 32giving attention to Your truth. 14So the Lord has 3334kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is 35righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

15“And now, Lord, our God, You who 36brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and 37made a name for Yourself, as it is this day--we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16Lord, in accordance with all Your 38righteous acts, let now Your 39anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your 40holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an 41object of taunting to all those around us. 17So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for 42Your sake, Lord, 43let Your face shine on Your 44desolate sanctuary. 18My God, 45incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and 46see our desolations and the city which is 47called by Your name; for we are not 4849presenting our pleas before You based on 50any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. 19Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, 51do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20While I was still 52speaking and praying, and 53confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and 54presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21while I was still speaking in prayer, the man 55Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision 56previously, 57came to me 58in my extreme weariness about the time of the 59evening offering. 22And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with 60understanding. 23At the 61beginning of your pleas the 62command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are 6364highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain 65understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24“Seventy 6667weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to 68finish the wrongdoing, to 69make an end of sin, to 70make atonement for guilt, to bring in 71everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and 72prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a 7374decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until 7576Messiah the 77Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with 78streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26Then after the sixty-two weeks, the 79Messiah will be 80cut off and have 81nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will 82destroy the city and the sanctuary. And 83its end will come with a 84flood; even to the end 85there will be war; desolations are determined. 27And he will confirm a 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 8687abominations will come the one who 88makes desolate, until a 89complete destruction, one that is 90decreed, gushes forth on the one who 91makes desolate.”