但以理為同胞禱告

瑪代人亞哈隨魯的兒子大流士被立為迦勒底國的王元年, 即他統治的第一年,我但以理從經書上耶和華給耶利米先知的話得知,耶路撒冷必荒涼七十年。

我便禁食,身披麻衣,頭蒙灰塵,向主上帝禱告祈求。 我向我的上帝耶和華禱告、認罪,說:「主啊,你是偉大而可畏的上帝,你向那些愛你、遵守你誡命的人信守你的慈愛之約。 我們犯罪作惡,行為邪惡叛逆,偏離你的誡命和典章, 沒有聽從你的僕人——眾先知奉你的名向我們的君王、首領、先祖及國中百姓所說的話。 主啊,你是公義的,我們今日滿面羞愧,我們猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民,以及因對你不忠而被驅散到遠近各地的以色列人都滿面羞愧。 主啊,我們和我們的君王、首領、先祖因得罪了你而滿臉羞愧。 雖然我們背叛了主——我們的上帝,祂卻有憐憫和饒恕之心。 10 我們沒有聽從我們的上帝耶和華的話,沒有遵行祂藉祂的僕人——眾先知給我們頒佈的律法。 11 以色列人都違背你的律法,偏離正道,不聽從你的話。你僕人摩西的律法書上所記載的咒詛和審判都落在了我們身上,因為我們得罪了你。 12 你把大災難降在我們身上,應驗了你警告我們和我們官長的話。耶路撒冷遭遇的災禍普天之下從未有過。 13 這一切災禍降在了我們身上,正如摩西律法書的記載。然而,我們的上帝耶和華啊,我們卻沒有離開罪惡,認識你的真理,以便懇求你施恩。 14 所以耶和華決意使災禍降在我們身上,因為我們的上帝耶和華的一切作為都是公義的,我們卻沒有聽從祂的話。

15 「主——我們的上帝啊,你曾用大能的手把你的子民領出埃及,使自己威名遠揚直到今日。我們卻犯罪作惡。 16 主啊,你一向公義,求你不要向你的耶路撒冷城——你的聖山發烈怒。由於我們的罪惡和我們祖先的過犯,耶路撒冷和你的子民成了四圍鄰人嘲諷的對象。 17 我們的上帝啊,求你垂聽僕人的禱告祈求,為你自己的緣故,笑顏垂顧你荒涼的聖所。 18 我的上帝啊,求你側耳垂聽,睜眼眷顧我們荒涼的土地和屬於你名下的城。我們向你祈求,並非因為我們有什麼義行,乃是因為你充滿憐憫。 19 主啊,求你垂聽!主啊,求你赦免!主啊,求你應允,立刻行動!我的上帝啊,為你自己的緣故,求你不要耽延,因為這城和這民都屬於你的名下。」

加百列解釋預言

20 我繼續禱告,承認我和同胞以色列人的罪,為我上帝耶和華的聖山在祂面前祈求。 21 我正禱告的時候,先前在異象中看見的那位加百列奉命疾飛而來。那是獻晚祭的時候。 22 他向我解釋說:「但以理啊,我來是要使你有智慧和悟性。 23 你剛開始祈求,就已賜下答覆,我是來告訴你的,因為你倍受眷愛。所以你要留意以下的信息,明白異象的意思。

24 「已經為你的同胞和聖城定了七十個七,以終結叛逆,除掉罪惡,贖盡過犯,帶來永遠的公義,封住異象和預言,膏抹至聖所[a] 25 你要知道,也要明白,從重建耶路撒冷的命令發出,到受膏的君王來臨,其間有七個七加六十二個七。耶路撒冷城及其廣場和壕溝必得重建,且是在艱難時期。 26 六十二個七之後,受膏者必被殺害,一無所有。另有一王要興起,他的臣民要毀滅這城和聖所。結局必如洪水沖來,戰爭將持續到末了,到處一片荒涼——這已經註定。 27 那王必與許多人締結一七之久的盟約。一七之半,他必終止祭牲和供物,並且設立帶來毀滅的可憎之物,直到所定的結局臨到這惡者。」

Footnotes

  1. 9·24 至聖所」或譯「至聖者」。

Daniel's Prayer for His People

(A)In the first year of (B)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a (C)Mede, who was made king over the realm of the (D)Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to (E)the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by (F)prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and (G)made confession, saying, (H)“O Lord, the (I)great and awesome God, who (J)keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (K)we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly (L)and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. (M)We have not listened to (N)your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to (O)our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, (P)O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, (Q)those who are near and (R)those who are far away, in (S)all the lands to which you have driven them, because of (T)the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because (U)we have sinned against you. (V)To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 (W)and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by (X)his servants the prophets. 11 (Y)All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, (Z)refusing to obey your voice. (AA)And the curse and oath (AB)that are written in the Law of (AC)Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because (AD)we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against (AE)our rulers who ruled us,[a] by (AF)bringing upon us a great calamity. (AG)For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 (AH)As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, (AI)turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 (AJ)Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, (AK)for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and (AL)we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt (AM)with a mighty hand, and (AN)have made a name for yourself, as at this day, (AO)we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, (AP)according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, (AQ)your holy hill, (AR)because for our sins, and for (AS)the iniquities of our fathers, (AT)Jerusalem and your people have become (AU)a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,[b] (AV)make your face to shine upon (AW)your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 (AX)O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see (AY)our desolations, and (AZ)the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. (BA)Delay not, (BB)for your own sake, O my God, because (BC)your city and (BD)your people are called by your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 (BE)While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for (BF)the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man (BG)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, (BH)came to me in swift flight at (BI)the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 (BJ)He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you (BK)insight and understanding. 23 (BL)At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, (BM)and I have come to tell it to you, for (BN)you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word (BO)and understand the vision.

The Seventy Weeks

24 (BP)“Seventy weeks[c] are decreed about your people and (BQ)your holy city, to finish (BR)the transgression, to put an end to sin, (BS)and to atone for iniquity, (BT)to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and (BU)to anoint a most holy place.[d] 25 (BV)Know therefore and understand that (BW)from the going out of the word to restore and (BX)build Jerusalem to the coming of an (BY)anointed one, a (BZ)prince, there shall be seven weeks. And for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again[e] with squares and moat, (CA)but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall (CB)be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come (CC)shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. (CD)Its[f] end shall come with a flood, (CE)and to the end there shall be war. (CF)Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[g] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. (CG)And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until (CH)the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:12 Or our judges who judged us
  2. Daniel 9:17 Hebrew for the Lord's sake
  3. Daniel 9:24 Or sevens; also twice in verse 25 and once in verse 26
  4. Daniel 9:24 Or thing, or one
  5. Daniel 9:25 Or there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again
  6. Daniel 9:26 Or His
  7. Daniel 9:27 Or seven; twice in this verse

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.