Daniel’s Prayer

In the first year of Darius(A) son of Xerxes[a](B) (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy(C) years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(D) and in sackcloth and ashes.(E)

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:(F)

“Lord, the great and awesome God,(G) who keeps his covenant of love(H) with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned(I) and done wrong.(J) We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away(K) from your commands and laws.(L) We have not listened(M) to your servants the prophets,(N) who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,(O) and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are righteous,(P) but this day we are covered with shame(Q)—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered(R) us because of our unfaithfulness(S) to you.(T) We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.(U) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,(V) even though we have rebelled against him;(W) 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.(X) 11 All Israel has transgressed(Y) your law(Z) and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses(AA) and sworn judgments(AB) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned(AC) against you. 12 You have fulfilled(AD) the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.(AE) Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like(AF) what has been done to Jerusalem.(AG) 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord(AH) our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.(AI) 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster(AJ) on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;(AK) yet we have not obeyed him.(AL)

15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand(AM) and who made for yourself a name(AN) that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,(AO) turn away(AP) your anger and your wrath(AQ) from Jerusalem,(AR) your city, your holy hill.(AS) Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn(AT) to all those around us.

17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor(AU) on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear,(AV) our God, and hear;(AW) open your eyes and see(AX) the desolation of the city that bears your Name.(AY) We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(AZ) 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!(BA) Lord, hear and act! For your sake,(BB) my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

The Seventy “Sevens”

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing(BC) my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill(BD) 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,(BE) the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.(BF) 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.(BG) 23 As soon as you began to pray,(BH) a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.(BI) Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:(BJ)

24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[c] are decreed for your people and your holy city(BK) to finish[d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone(BL) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,(BM) to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[e]

25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild(BN) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[f](BO) the ruler,(BP) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.(BQ) 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death(BR) and will have nothing.[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:(BS) War will continue until the end, and desolations(BT) have been decreed.(BU) 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed(BV) is poured out on him.[k][l]

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus
  2. Daniel 9:1 Or Chaldean
  3. Daniel 9:24 Or ‘weeks’; also in verses 25 and 26
  4. Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
  5. Daniel 9:24 Or the most holy One
  6. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one; also in verse 26
  7. Daniel 9:26 Or death and will have no one; or death, but not for himself
  8. Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
  9. Daniel 9:27 Or ‘week’
  10. Daniel 9:27 Septuagint and Theodotion; Hebrew wing
  11. Daniel 9:27 Or it
  12. Daniel 9:27 Or And one who causes desolation will come upon the wing of the abominable temple, until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolated city

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

In the first year of (A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 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 (B)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, (C)seventy years. So I gave my [a]attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the (D)great and awesome God, who (E)keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, (F)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and [b]acted wickedly and (G)rebelled, even (H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not (I)listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

(J)Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us [c](K)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 (L)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. [d]Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong (M)compassion and forgiveness, [e]because we have (N)rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His [f]teachings which He (O)set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed, (P)all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the (Q)curse 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. 12 So He has (R)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our [g](S)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has (T)not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the (U)Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have (V)not [h]sought the favor of the Lord our God by (W)turning from our wrongdoing and [i]giving attention to Your truth. 14 So the Lord has [j](X)kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is (Y)righteous 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 (Z)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and (AA)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 Lord, in accordance with all Your [k]righteous acts, let now Your (AB)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your (AC)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an (AD)object of taunting to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for [l]Your sake, Lord, (AE)let Your face shine on Your (AF)desolate sanctuary. 18 My God, (AG)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and (AH)see our desolations and the city which is (AI)called by Your name; for we are not [m](AJ)presenting our pleas before You based on [n]any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, (AK)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 While I was still (AL)speaking and praying, and (AM)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [o]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man (AN)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [p]previously, [q]came to me [r]in my extreme weariness about the time of the (AO)evening offering. 22 And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with (AP)understanding. 23 At the (AQ)beginning of your pleas the [s]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are [t](AR)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain (AS)understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24 “Seventy [u](AT)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [v]finish the wrongdoing, to [w]make an end of sin, to (AU)make atonement for guilt, to bring in (AV)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a [y](AW)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until [z](AX)Messiah the (AY)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [ab]Messiah will be (AZ)cut off and have [ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will (BA)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a (BB)flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And 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 [af](BC)abominations will come the one who [ag]makes desolate, until a (BD)complete destruction, one that is [ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [ai]makes desolate.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:3 Lit face
  2. Daniel 9:5 Or made ourselves guilty
  3. Daniel 9:7 Lit the shame of face
  4. Daniel 9:8 Lit The shame of face
  5. Daniel 9:9 Or though
  6. Daniel 9:10 Or laws
  7. Daniel 9:12 Lit judges who judged us
  8. Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
  9. Daniel 9:13 Or having insight into
  10. Daniel 9:14 Lit watched over the evil
  11. Daniel 9:16 Lit righteousnesses
  12. Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
  13. Daniel 9:18 Lit casting down
  14. Daniel 9:18 Lit our righteousnesses
  15. Daniel 9:20 Lit casting down
  16. Daniel 9:21 Lit at the beginning
  17. Daniel 9:21 Lit was reaching; or touching
  18. Daniel 9:21 Or in swift flight
  19. Daniel 9:23 Lit word went out
  20. Daniel 9:23 Lit desirable; or precious
  21. Daniel 9:24 Or units of seven, and so throughout the ch
  22. Daniel 9:24 Or bring to an end
  23. Daniel 9:24 Another reading is seal up sins
  24. Daniel 9:24 Lit prophet
  25. Daniel 9:25 Lit word
  26. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one
  27. Daniel 9:25 Or city square
  28. Daniel 9:26 Or anointed one
  29. Daniel 9:26 Or no one
  30. Daniel 9:26 Or his
  31. Daniel 9:26 Or war will be decreed for desolations
  32. Daniel 9:27 Or detestable things
  33. Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
  34. Daniel 9:27 Or determined
  35. Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror

Daniel’s Prayer for the People

In the first year (A)of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through (B)Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

(C)Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O (D)Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, (E)we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. (F)Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, (G)righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. (H)To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, (I)all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the (J)Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has (K)confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; (L)for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

13 (M)“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; (N)yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has (O)kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for (P)the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, (Q)who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself (R)a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

16 “O Lord, (S)according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, (T)Your holy mountain; because for our sins, (U)and for the iniquities of our fathers, (V)Jerusalem and Your people (W)are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, (X)and (Y)for the Lord’s sake [a]cause Your face to shine on [b]Your sanctuary, (Z)which is desolate. 18 (AA)O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes (AB)and see our desolations, and the city (AC)which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man (AD)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, [c]being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [d]command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly (AE)beloved; therefore (AF)consider the matter, and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy [e]weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
[f]To make an end of sins,
(AG)To make reconciliation for iniquity,
(AH)To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
(AI)And to anoint [g]the Most Holy.

25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until (AJ)Messiah (AK)the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The [h]street shall be built again, and the [i]wall,
Even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
(AL)Messiah shall [j]be cut off, (AM)but not for Himself;
And (AN)the people of the prince who is to come
(AO)Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm (AP)a [k]covenant with (AQ)many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
(AR)Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the [l]desolate.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:17 Be gracious
  2. Daniel 9:17 The temple
  3. Daniel 9:21 Or being weary with weariness
  4. Daniel 9:23 Lit. word
  5. Daniel 9:24 Lit. sevens, and so throughout the chapter
  6. Daniel 9:24 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Kt., Theodotion To seal up
  7. Daniel 9:24 The Most Holy Place
  8. Daniel 9:25 Or open square
  9. Daniel 9:25 Or moat
  10. Daniel 9:26 Suffer the death penalty
  11. Daniel 9:27 Or treaty
  12. Daniel 9:27 Or desolator