Daniel

Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer for Jerusalem

1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a descendant of the Medes who ruled the Chaldean kingdom, 2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years the Lord’s word to Jeremiah the prophet said Jerusalem would remain desolate: seventy years. 3 I turned my face toward the Lord God to seek him diligently in prayer and pleas, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and spoke openly:

“Lord, great and wonderful God, you keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and keep your commands.”

5 “We have sinned and done wrong. We have acted lawlessly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and judgments.”

6 “We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, rulers, fathers, and all the people of the land.”

7 “Righteousness belongs to you, Lord, but shame belongs to us today—to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in every land where you scattered them because of their unfaithfulness.”

8 “Lord, shame belongs to us, to our kings, rulers, and fathers, because we sinned against you.”

9 “Pity and atonement belong to the Lord our God, though we rebelled against him.”

10 “We have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God by walking in the laws he set before us through his servants the prophets.”

11 “All Israel transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. So the curse and oath written in the law of Moses, God’s servant, have come on us because we sinned against him.”

12 “He confirmed the words he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us by bringing a great disaster on us. Nothing like what happened in Jerusalem has happened under all heaven.”

13 “Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us. Yet we did not plead with the Lord our God by turning from our wrongdoing and understanding all your truth.”

14 “The Lord watched over the disaster and brought it on us. The Lord our God is righteous in every work he has done, but we did not listen to his voice.”

15 “Now, Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for yourself that remains today. We have sinned and acted lawlessly.”

16 “Lord, in all your mercy, please turn your fury and anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and our fathers’ wrongdoing, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace to everyone around us.”

17 “Now, Lord our God, listen to your servant’s prayer and pleas. For your own sake, Lord, make your face shine on your desolate sanctuary.”

18 “My God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolation and the city called by your name. We do not lay our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your abundant pity.”

19 “Lord, hear! Lord, be merciful! Lord, pay attention and act! My God, do not delay, for your own sake, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

The Seventy Weeks

20 While I was still speaking and praying, speaking openly about my sins and the sins of my people Israel, and laying my plea before the Lord my God concerning his holy mountain, 21 While I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying and touched me around the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding.” 23 “At the beginning of your plea, the word went out, and I have come to tell you, because you are greatly loved. Consider the word and understand the vision.” 24 “Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and your holy city: to bring sin to an end, seal up sins, wipe away lawless deeds, make atonement for wrongdoing, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal vision and prophet, and anoint the most holy.” 25 “Know and understand: from the going out of the word to answer and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed leader, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. The public square and the wall will be rebuilt, and the times will be exhausted.” 26 “After the sixty-two weeks, the anointing will be destroyed, and there is no judgment in it. He will destroy the city and the holy place along with the coming leader. They will be cut off by a flood, and until the end of a war cut short he will appoint it to ruins.” 27 “One week will strengthen the covenant for many. In the middle of the week my sacrifice and drink offering will be taken away. On the temple will be the detestable thing of desolations, and at the end of the appointed time an end will be given to the desolation.”