3 Daniel desireth to have that performed of God, which he had promised concerning the return of the people from their banishment in Babylon. 5 A true confession. 20 Daniel’s prayer is heard. 21 Gabriel the Angel expoundeth unto him the vision of the seventy weeks. 24 The anointing of Christ. 25 The building again of Jerusalem. 26 The death of Christ.

In the first year of Darius the son of [a]Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the [b]realm of the Chaldeans,

Even in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by [c]books the number of the years, whereof the Lord had spoken unto Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem.

And I turned my face unto the Lord God, and [d]sought by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, saying, Oh Lord God which art [e]great and fearful, and keepest covenant and mercy toward them which love [f]thee, and toward them that keep thy commandments,

We have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, yea, we have rebelled, and have departed from thy precepts, and from thy judgments.

For we would not obey thy servants the Prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

O Lord, [g]righteousness belongeth unto thee, and unto us [h]open shame, as appeareth this day unto every man of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, yea, unto all Israel, both near and far off, through all the country, whither thou hast driven them, because of their offences, that they have committed against thee.

O Lord, unto us appertaineth open shame, to our [i]Kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

Yet compassion and forgiveness is in the Lord our God, albeit we have rebelled against him.

10 For we have not obeyed the [j]voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he hath laid before us by the ministry of his servants the Prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy Law, and are turned back, and have not heard thy voice: therefore the [k]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 [l]judged us, by bringing upon us a great plague: for under the whole heaven hath not been the like, as hath been brought upon Jerusalem.

13 All this plague is come upon us, as it is written in the Law of Moses: 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 [m]made ready the plague, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we would not hear his voice.

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

16 O Lord, according to all thy [n]righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy city Jerusalem thine holy Mountain: because of our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are 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 [o]shine upon thy Sanctuary, that lieth waste for the [p]Lord’s sake.

18 O my God, incline thine ear and hear: open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city whereupon thy Name is called: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our own [q]righteousness, but for thy great tender mercies.

19 O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord [r]consider, and do it: defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy Name is called upon thy city, and thy people.

20 ¶ And while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and did present my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy Mountain of my God,

21 Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man (B)Gabriel, whom I had seen before in the vision, came flying, and 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 knowledge and understanding.

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

24 Seventy [s]weeks are determined upon [t]thy people and upon thine holy city, to finish the wickedness, and to seal up [u]the sins, and to reconcile the 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 [v]the going forth of the commandment to bring again the people, and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven [w]weeks and [x]threescore and two weeks, and the street shall be built again, and the wall even in a [y]troublous time.

26 And after threescore and two [z]weeks, shall Messiah be slain, and shall [aa]have nothing, and the people of the [ab]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 battle it shall be destroyed by desolations.

27 And he [ac]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 [ad]cease, [ae]and for the overspreading of the abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:1 Who was also called Astyages.
  2. Daniel 9:1 For Cyrus led with ambition, went about wars in other countries, and therefore Darius had the title of the kingdom, though Cyrus was king in effect.
  3. Daniel 9:2 For though he was an excellent Prophet, yet he daily increased in knowledge by reading of the Scriptures.
  4. Daniel 9:3 He speaketh not of that ordinary prayer, which he used in his house thrice a day, but of a rare and vehement prayer, least their sins should cause God to delay the time of their deliverance prophesied by Jeremiah.
  5. Daniel 9:4 That is, hast all power in thyself to execute thy terrible judgments against obstinate sinners, as thou art rich in mercy to comfort them which obey thy word and love thee.
  6. Daniel 9:4 Hebrew, him.
  7. Daniel 9:7 He showeth that whensoever God punisheth, he doeth it for just cause: and thus the godly never accuse him of rigor as the wicked do, but acknowledge that in themselves there is just cause why he should so entreat them.
  8. Daniel 9:7 Hebrew, confusion of face.
  9. Daniel 9:8 He doth not excuse the kings because of their authority, but prayeth chiefly for them as the chief occasions of these great plagues.
  10. Daniel 9:10 He showeth that they rebel against God, which serve him not according to his commandment and word.
  11. Daniel 9:11 As Deut. 27:15, or the curse confirmed by an oath.
  12. Daniel 9:12 Or, governed us.
  13. Daniel 9:14 Hebrew, watched upon the evil.
  14. Daniel 9:16 That is, according to all thy merciful promises and the performance thereof.
  15. Daniel 9:17 Show thyself favorable.
  16. Daniel 9:17 That is, for thy Christ’s sake in whom thou wilt accept all our prayers.
  17. Daniel 9:18 Declaring, that the godly flee only unto God’s mercies, and renounce their own works, when they seek for remission of their sins.
  18. Daniel 9:19 Thus he could not content himself with any vehemence of words: for he was so led with a fervent zeal considering God’s promise made to the city in respect of his Church, and for the advancement of God’s glory.
  19. Daniel 9:24 He alludeth to Jeremiah’s prophecy: who prophesied that their captivity should be seventy years: but now God’s mercy should sevenfold exceed his judgment, which should be four hundred and ninety years, even to the coming of Christ, and so then it should continue forever.
  20. Daniel 9:24 Meaning, Daniel’s nation, over whom he was careful.
  21. Daniel 9:24 To show mercy and to put sin out of remembrance.
  22. Daniel 9:25 That is, from the time that Cyrus gave them leave to depart.
  23. Daniel 9:25 These weeks make forty-nine years, whereof 46 are referred to the time of the building of the Temple, and three to the laying of the foundation.
  24. Daniel 9:25 Counting from the sixth year of Darius, who gave the second commandment for the building of the Temple are 62 weeks, which make 434 years, which comprehend the time from the building of the Temple unto the baptism of Christ.
  25. Daniel 9:25 Hebrew, in straits of time.
  26. Daniel 9:26 In this least week of the seventy, shall Christ come and preach and suffer death.
  27. Daniel 9:26 He shall seem to have no beauty, nor to be of any estimation, as Isa. 53:2.
  28. Daniel 9:26 Meaning Titus, Vespasian’s son, who should come and destroy both the Temple and the people without all hope of recovery.
  29. Daniel 9:27 By the preaching of the Gospel he confirmed his promise, first to the Jews, and after to the Gentiles.
  30. Daniel 9:27 Christ accomplished this by his death and resurrection.
  31. Daniel 9:27 Meaning, that Jerusalem and the Sanctuary should be utterly destroyed for their rebellion against God, and their idolatry: or as some read, that the plague shall be so great, that they shall be all astonied at them.

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

耶路撒冷必荒废七十年

玛代人亚哈随鲁的儿子大利乌被立为王,统治迦勒底国的第一年, 就是他作王的第一年,我但以理从经书上留意到耶和华临到耶利米先知的话,指出耶路撒冷荒废的年数必满七十年。

但以理禁食祈祷

于是我转向主 神,禁食,披麻蒙灰,藉祈祷和恳求寻求他。 我向耶和华我的 神祷告、认罪,说:“主啊!伟大可畏的 神,你向那些爱你(“你”原文作“他”),遵守你(“你”原文作“他”)诫命的人守约施慈爱。 我们犯了罪,行了不义,作了恶,背叛了你,偏离了你的诫命典章; 没有听从你的仆人众先知,他们奉你的名向我们的君王、领袖、列祖和国中所有的人民说话。 主啊!你是公义的;我们满面羞愧,正如今日的光景;我们犹大人、耶路撒冷的居民,和被你赶逐到远近各地的以色列众人,都因对你不忠而满面羞愧。 耶和华啊!我们和我们的君王、领袖、列祖,都满面羞愧,因为我们得罪了你。 虽然我们背叛了主我们的 神,他仍是满有怜悯和饶恕。 10 我们没有听从耶和华我们 神的话,没有遵行他借着他的仆人众先知向我们颁布的律法。 11 以色列众人都违背了你的律法,偏离了你,不听从你的话,因此, 神的仆人摩西的律法书上所记载的咒诅和誓言,都倾倒在我们身上;我们实在得罪了 神。 12 他实现了他的预言,按着他向我们和那些治理我们的官长所说过的话,使大灾祸临到我们身上;耶路撒冷所遇的灾祸是在普天之下从未发生过的。 13 这一切灾祸是按着摩西的律法书上所记载的,临到了我们身上,但我们仍没有恳求耶和华我们的 神施恩,使我们离开罪孽,明白你的真理。 14 所以耶和华留意使这灾祸临到我们身上,因为耶和华我们的 神在他所行的一切事上都是公义的,我们却没有听从他的话。 15 主我们的 神啊!你曾用强而有力的手把你的子民从埃及地领出来,使你自己得了名,好象今天一样。现在,我们犯了罪,作了恶。 16 主啊!求你按着你的一切公义,使你的怒气和忿怒转离你的城耶路撒冷,就是你的圣山;因我们的罪和我们列祖的罪孽的缘故,耶路撒冷和你的子民成了在我们四围的人羞辱的对象。 17 现在,我们的 神啊!求你垂听你仆人的祷告和恳求;主啊!为了你自己的缘故,使你的脸光照你这荒凉了的圣所。 18 我的 神啊!求你侧耳而听,睁眼垂顾我们的荒凉,和那称为你名下的城;因为我们向你恳求,并不是因着自己的义,而是因着你的大怜悯。 19 主啊!求你垂听。主啊!求你赦免。主啊!求你应允而行。我的 神啊!为了你自己的缘故,求你不要耽延。因为你的城和你的子民都是称为你名下的。”

七十个七的预言

20 我还在说话、祷告、承认我的罪和我同胞以色列人的罪,为我 神的圣山,向耶和华我的 神恳求的时候; 21 我还在祷告说话的时候,我先前在异象中所见的那位样貌像人的加百列,约在献晚祭的时候,快速地飞(“快速地飞”原文意思难确定,或译:“在精疲力竭时”)到我面前来。 22 他向我解释,说:“但以理啊!现在我来,要使你有智慧,有聪明。 23 你开始恳求的时候,就有命令发出。因为你是大蒙眷爱的,所以我来告诉你;你要留意这信息,明白这异象。

24 “为你的同胞和你的圣城,已经定了七十个七,要结束过犯,终止罪恶,遮盖罪孽,引进永义,封住异象和预言,并且膏抹至圣所(“至圣所”或译:“至圣者”)。 25 你要知道,也要明白,从发出命令恢复和重建耶路撒冷,直到受膏君的时候,必有七个七;又有六十二个七(“必有七个七;又有六十二个七”或译:“必有七个七和六十二个七”),耶路撒冷连广场和濠沟,都必重新建造起来;那是一段困苦的时期。 26 六十二个七以后,受膏者必被剪除,一无所有(“一无所有”或译:“不再存在”);那将要来的领袖的人民必毁灭这城和圣所。结局必像洪水而来;必有争战直到末了;荒凉的事已经定了。 27 一七之内,他必和许多人坚立盟约;一七之半,他必使献祭和供物终止;他必在殿里(“殿里”原文作“翼上”);设立那使地荒凉的可憎的像(“可憎的像”原文是复数),直到指定的结局倾倒在那造成荒凉的人身上。”