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Daniel’s Prayer for the People

In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans,(A) I,[a] Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, must be fulfilled for the devastation of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.(B)

Then I turned to the Lord God to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.(C) I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying,

“Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love you[b] and keep your[c] commandments,(D) we have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances.(E) We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

“Righteousness is on your side, O Lord, but open shame, as at this day, falls on us, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them because of the treachery that they have committed against you.(F) Open shame, O Lord, falls on us, our kings, our princes, and our ancestors because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, but we have rebelled against him(G) 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 “All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. So the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us because we have sinned against you.(H) 12 He has confirmed his words that he spoke against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a calamity so great that what has been done against Jerusalem has never before been done under the whole heaven.(I) 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us. We did not entreat the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and reflecting on his[d] fidelity.(J) 14 So the Lord kept watch over this calamity until he brought it upon us. Indeed, the Lord our God is right in all that he has done, for we have disobeyed his voice.(K)

15 “And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made your name renowned even to this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly.(L) 16 O Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath, we pray, turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace among all our neighbors.(M) 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, and for your own sake, Lord,[e] let your face shine upon your desolated sanctuary.(N) 18 Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness but on the ground of your great mercies.(O) 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people bear your name!”(P)

The Seventy Weeks

20 While I was speaking and was praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God,(Q) 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.(R) 22 He came[f] and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications a word went out, and I have come to declare it, for you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision:(S)

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city: to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.[g](T) 25 Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks, and for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time.(U) 26 After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its[h] end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.(V) 27 He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease, and in their place[i] shall be a desolating sacrilege until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator.”(W)

Footnotes

  1. 9.2 Theodotion: Heb in the first year of his reign, I
  2. 9.4 Heb him
  3. 9.4 Heb his
  4. 9.13 Heb your
  5. 9.17 Theodotion Vg Compare Syr: Heb for the Lord’s sake
  6. 9.22 Gk Syr: Heb He made to understand
  7. 9.24 Or thing or one
  8. 9.26 Or His
  9. 9.27 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain

Daniel’s prayer

In the first year of Darius’ rule—Darius, who was Ahasuerus’ son, a Median by birth and who ruled the Chaldean kingdom— I, Daniel, pondered the scrolls, specifically the number of years that it would take to complete Jerusalem’s desolation according to the Lord’s word to the prophet Jeremiah. It was seventy years. I then turned my face to my Lord God, asking for an answer with prayer and pleading, and with fasting, mourning clothes, and ashes. As I prayed to the Lord my God, I made this confession:

Please, my Lord—you are the great and awesome God, the one who keeps the covenant, and truly faithful to all who love him and keep his commands: We have sinned and done wrong. We have brought guilt on ourselves and rebelled, ignoring your commands and your laws. We haven’t listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, our parents, and to all the land’s people. Righteousness belongs to you, my Lord! But we are ashamed this day—we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all Israel whether near or far, in whatever country where you’ve driven them because of their unfaithfulness when they broke faith with you. Lord, we are ashamed—we, our kings, our leaders, and our parents who sinned against you. Compassion and deep forgiveness belong to my Lord, our God, because we rebelled against him. 10 We didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord our God by following the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 11 All Israel broke your Instruction and turned away, ignoring your voice. Then the curse that was sworn long ago—the one written in the Instruction from Moses, God’s servant—swept over us because we sinned against God. 12 God confirmed the words he spoke against us and against our rulers, bringing great trouble on us. What happened in Jerusalem hasn’t happened anywhere else in the entire world! 13 All this trouble came upon us, exactly as it was written in the Instruction of Moses, but we didn’t try to reconcile with the Lord our God by turning from our wrongdoing or by finding wisdom in your faithfulness. 14 So the Lord oversaw the great trouble and brought it on us, because the Lord our God has been right in every move he’s made, but we haven’t listened to his voice.

15 “But now, my Lord, our God—you who brought your people out of Egypt with a strong hand, making a name for yourself even to this day: We have sinned and done the wrong thing.” 16 My Lord, please! In line with your many righteous acts, please turn your raging anger from Jerusalem, which is your city, your own holy mountain. Because of our sins and the wrongdoing of our parents, both Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace to all our neighbors.

17 “But now, our God, listen to your servant’s prayer and pleas for help. Shine your face on your ruined sanctuary, for your own sake, my Lord. 18 Open your ears, my God, and listen! Open your eyes and look at our devastation. Look at the city called by your name! We pray our prayers for help to you, not because of any righteous acts of ours but because of your great compassion. 19 My Lord, listen! My Lord, forgive! My Lord, pay attention and act! Don’t delay! My God, do all this for your own sake, because your city and your people are called by your name.

Seventy weeks

20 While I was still speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sins of my people Israel—while I was still praying my prayer for help to the Lord my God about my God’s holy mountain— 21 while I was still speaking this prayer, the man Gabriel approached me at the time of the evening offering. This was the same Gabriel I had seen in my earlier vision. He was weary with exhaustion.[a]

22 He explained as he spoke with me: “Daniel, here’s why I’ve come: to give you insight and understanding. 23 When you began making your requests, a word went out, and I’ve come to tell it to you because you are greatly treasured. So now understand this word and grasp the meaning of this vision! 24 Seventy weeks are appointed for your people and for your holy city to complete the rebellion, to end sins, to cover over wrongdoing, to bring eternal righteousness, to seal up prophetic vision, and to anoint the most holy place.

25 “So you must know and gain wisdom about this: There will be seven weeks from the moment the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until a leader is anointed. And for sixty-two weeks the city will be rebuilt with a courtyard and a moat. But in difficult times, 26 after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be eliminated. No one will support him.[b] The army of a future leader will destroy the city and the sanctuary. His[c] end will come in a flood, but devastations will be decreed until the end of the war.[d] 27 For one week, he will make a strong covenant with many people. For a half-week, he will stop both sacrifices and offerings. In their place[e] will be the desolating monstrosities until the decreed destruction sweeps over the devastator.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:21 Or approached me in swift flight at the time of the evening offering; Heb uncertain
  2. Daniel 9:26 Or and will have nothing or and will disappear; Heb uncertain
  3. Daniel 9:26 Or Its (the army’s)
  4. Daniel 9:26 Heb uncertain
  5. Daniel 9:27 Correction on the wing; Heb uncertain

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

20 And whiles I was speaking, and 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 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Oración de Daniel

Darío era el hijo de Asuero[a] y pertenecía a la nación de los medos. Darío gobernaba en Babilonia, el reino de los caldeos. Durante el primer año del reinado de Darío, yo, Daniel, estaba un día leyendo las Escrituras. Cuando leía, me di cuenta de que el mensaje del SEÑOR al profeta Jeremías dice que el templo de Jerusalén estará en ruinas durante 70 años. Entonces decidí orar al Señor mi Dios y pedirle ayuda. No comí nada, me vestí con ropas de luto y me puse cenizas en la cabeza. Oré al SEÑOR mi Dios y le confesé mis faltas. Le dije:

«Señor, Dios grande y poderoso, que guardas el pacto y proteges a los que te aman y cumplen tus mandamientos, hemos pecado, hemos cometido crímenes, hemos sido malvados y nos hemos alejado de ti y de tus enseñanzas. No hemos hecho caso a las palabras de los profetas, tus servidores que hablaban en tu nombre a nuestros reyes, a nuestros príncipes, a nuestros padres, y a todo el pueblo.

»Señor, tú eres bondadoso y justo con nosotros. Tú nos sacaste de nuestra tierra debido a nuestros pecados. Lo que tú hiciste es justo y la culpa es nuestra. Están avergonzados los hombres de Judá y los habitantes de Jerusalén. Todos los israelitas sienten vergüenza, no importa el país donde estén desterrados, lejos o cerca, por las faltas que cometieron contra ti. SEÑOR, todos nuestros reyes, nuestros gobernantes y nuestros padres pecaron contra ti y por eso sentimos tanta vergüenza. Tú, Señor Dios nuestro, eres compasivo y perdonas aunque nos hayamos rebelado contra ti. 10 No hemos obedecido tus enseñanzas, SEÑOR, pues tú nos diste las enseñanzas a través de los profetas, y nosotros no hemos escuchado a tus profetas. 11 El pueblo de Israel te desobedeció y no cumplió tus enseñanzas, por eso recae sobre nosotros la maldición y el juramento que se encuentran escritos en la ley de tu siervo Moisés. 12 Tú nos advertiste que nosotros y nuestros líderes tendríamos un castigo. Y así fue. Jerusalén fue destruida y todo el pueblo sufrió mucho. Ningún otro pueblo sobre la tierra ha sufrido tanto como el de Jerusalén. 13 El castigo que anunciaba la ley de Moisés se cumplió tal como estaba escrito. Sin embargo, nosotros no cambiamos nuestro mal comportamiento. Al contrario, seguimos ofendiendo al SEÑOR nuestro Dios y no obedecimos su verdad. 14 El SEÑOR nuestro Dios estuvo atento y nos envió la desgracia, pues el SEÑOR es justo en todo lo que hace y nosotros no le obedecimos.

15 »Señor, con tu gran poder sacaste a tu pueblo de Egipto y desde entonces hasta hoy tu nombre se hizo famoso, pero nosotros hemos pecado y hemos cometido maldades. 16 Mi Señor, tú eres bondadoso y justo. Te ruego que no sigas enojado con Jerusalén que es tu ciudad y tu monte santo. Nosotros y nuestros padres cometimos muchos pecados, por eso la gente de las naciones vecinas se burla de tu pueblo.

17 »Dios nuestro Señor, te ruego que escuches esta oración de tu servidor. Por el bien de tu pueblo y el de todos, te pido que nos ayudes y que tengas compasión del dolor que ha causado la destrucción de tu templo. 18 ¡Dios mío, escúchame! Mira las ruinas de la ciudad que lleva tu nombre. Estoy suplicando tu misericordia porque sé que no nos hemos portado bien. Te suplico porque sé que eres bondadoso y misericordioso. 19 Dios mío, escucha mi oración y perdónanos. Dios mío, atiéndenos y no tardes en ayudarnos por amor a ti mismo, y por el bien de tu pueblo y de la ciudad en la que invocamos tu nombre».

Visión de las 70 semanas

20 Yo estaba orando y confesando mis pecados y los del pueblo de Israel. Estaba pidiendo al SEÑOR mi Dios que ayudara a su monte santo. 21 Mientras yo oraba, se acercó a mí el mismo Gabriel que se me apareció una vez en sueños. Vino volando en el momento de la ofrenda de la tarde. 22 Gabriel me ayudó a entender lo que no comprendía y me dijo:

«Daniel, he venido acá para enseñarte y ayudarte a entender. 23 Cuando comenzaste tu oración, Dios te contestó. He venido a decirte que Dios te ama y que vas a entender tu visión porque eres un hombre inteligente. 24 Dios les ha dado a tu pueblo y a la ciudad santa un plazo de 70 semanas[b]. Durante ese tiempo hay que dejar la maldad y el pecado. Hay que buscar la purificación por los errores cometidos. Deben promover una justicia que dure por siempre. Así la visión profética será confirmada y será consagrado el lugar santísimo.

25 »Daniel, entiende muy bien lo que te voy a decir. Pasarán siete semanas desde el momento en que se dio la orden de regresar y reconstruir Jerusalén hasta que llegue el rey ungido[c]. Jerusalén tendrá de nuevo una plaza y un canal alrededor para protegerla. La construcción durará sesenta y dos semanas pero habrá mucha angustia en ese tiempo. 26 Cuando pasen las 62 semanas, el ungido morirá y se quedará sin nada. Luego, el pueblo del siguiente gobernante destruirá la ciudad y el santuario. El final llegará como una inundación. Habrá guerra hasta el final y todo quedará totalmente destruido, como Dios lo ha dispuesto. 27 Después, el gobernante hará un pacto con mucha gente durante una semana. Las ofrendas se interrumpirán durante media semana. En lugar de ellas, un hombre destructor pondrá ídolos abominables,[d] pero Dios ha ordenado que el destructor sea completamente destruido».

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Asuero o Jerjes.
  2. 9:24 70 semanas Es decir, 70 semanas de años, o sea 490 años. Ver Lv 26:18-45.
  3. 9:25 rey ungido Textualmente Mesías Príncipe.
  4. 9:27 En lugar […] abominables o viene un destructor entre alas de abominación.