Daniel 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 9
The Seventy Weeks of Years. 1 It was the first year that Darius,[a] son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans; 2 (A)in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years the Lord had decreed to the prophet Jeremiah: Jerusalem was to lie in ruins for seventy years.[b]
3 I turned to the Lord God, to seek help, in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 (B)I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed, “Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and show mercy toward those who love you and keep your commandments and your precepts! 5 We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and turned from your commandments and your laws. 6 We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and all the people of the land. 7 Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the lands to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. 8 O Lord, we are ashamed, like our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, for having sinned against you. 9 But to the Lord, our God, belong compassion and forgiveness, though we rebelled against him 10 and did not hear the voice of the Lord, our God, by walking in his laws given through his servants the prophets. 11 (C)The curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, were poured out over us for our sins, because all Israel transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to hear your voice. 12 He fulfilled the words he spoke against us and against those who ruled us, by bringing upon us an evil—no evil so great has happened under heaven as happened in Jerusalem. 13 As it is written[c] in the law of Moses, this evil has come upon us. We did not appease the Lord, our God, by turning back from our wickedness and acting according to your truth, 14 so the Lord kept watch over the evil and brought it upon us. The Lord, our God, is just in all that he has done: we did not listen to his voice.
15 “Now, Lord, our God, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and made a name for yourself even to this day, we have sinned, we are guilty. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your just deeds, let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. On account of our sins and the crimes of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become the reproach of all our neighbors. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, my God, and listen; open your eyes and look upon our desolate city upon which your name is invoked. When we present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, pardon! Lord, be attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, my God, because your name is invoked upon your city and your people!”
20 I was still praying to the Lord, my God, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition concerning the holy mountain of my God— 21 I was still praying, when the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, came to me in flight at the time of the evening offering.[d] 22 He instructed me in these words: “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding. 23 When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.
24 “Seventy weeks[e] are decreed
for your people and for your holy city:
Then transgression will stop and sin will end,
guilt will be expiated,
Everlasting justice will be introduced,
vision and prophecy ratified,
and a holy of holies will be anointed.
25 Know and understand:
From the utterance of the word
that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt[f]
Until there is an anointed ruler,
there shall be seven weeks.
In the course of sixty-two weeks
it shall be rebuilt,
With squares and trenches,
in time of affliction.
26 After the sixty-two weeks
an anointed one[g] shall be cut down
with no one to help him.
And the people of a leader who will come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
His end shall come in a flood;
until the end of the war, which is decreed,
there will be desolation.
27 For one week[h] he shall make
a firm covenant with the many;
Half the week
he shall abolish sacrifice and offering;
In their place shall be the desolating abomination
until the ruin that is decreed
is poured out upon the desolator.”(D)
Footnotes
- 9:1 Darius: see note on 6:1.
- 9:2 Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution.
- 9:13 As it is written: the first time that this formula of Scriptural citation is used in the Bible. The reference (v. 11) is to the sanctions of Lv 26:14–16; Dt 28:15–17.
- 9:21 At the time of the evening offering: between three and four in the afternoon.
- 9:24 Seventy weeks: i.e., of years. Just as Jeremiah’s seventy years was an approximation (see note on v. 2), the four hundred and ninety years here is not to be taken literally. Similarly, the distribution of the “weeks” in the following verses indicates only relative proportions of the total figure. A holy of holies: or “most holy”; could be understood as a place (e.g., the Jerusalem Temple) or a person (cf. 1 Chr 23:13).
- 9:25 From the utterance…to be rebuilt: from the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Anointed ruler: either Cyrus, who was called the anointed of the Lord to end the exile (Is 45:1), or the high priest Jeshua who presided over the rebuilding of the altar of sacrifice after the exile (Ezr 3:2). Seven weeks: forty-nine years, an approximation of the time of the exile. In the course of sixty-two weeks…rebuilt: a period of four hundred thirty-four years, roughly approximating the interval between the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile and the beginning of the Seleucid persecution.
- 9:26 An anointed one: the high priest Onias III, murdered in 171 B.C., from which the author dates the beginning of the persecution. Onias was in exile when he was killed. A leader: Antiochus IV.
- 9:27 One week: the final phase of the period in view, the time of Antiochus’ persecution. He: Antiochus himself. The many: the faithless Jews who allied themselves with the Seleucids; cf. 1 Mc 1:11–13. Half the week: three and a half years; the Temple was desecrated by Antiochus from 167 to 164 B.C. The desolating abomination: see note on 8:13; probably a pagan altar. Jesus refers to this passage in his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in Mt 24:15.
Daniel 9
English Standard Version
Daniel's Prayer for His People
9 (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— 2 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.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by (F)prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 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, 5 (K)we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly (L)and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 (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. 7 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. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because (U)we have sinned against you. 9 (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
- Daniel 9:12 Or our judges who judged us
- Daniel 9:17 Hebrew for the Lord's sake
- Daniel 9:24 Or sevens; also twice in verse 25 and once in verse 26
- Daniel 9:24 Or thing, or one
- Daniel 9:25 Or there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again
- Daniel 9:26 Or His
- Daniel 9:27 Or seven; twice in this verse
Daniel 9
Complete Jewish Bible
9 In the first year of Daryavesh the son of Achashverosh, a Mede by birth who was made king over the kingdom of the Kasdim — 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Dani’el, was reading the Scriptures and thinking about the number of years which Adonai had told Yirmeyah the prophet would be the period of Yerushalayim’s desolation, seventy years. 3 I turned to Adonai, God, to seek an answer, pleading with him in prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to Adonai my God and made this confession:
“Please, Adonai, great and fearsome God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot! 5 We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from your mitzvot and rulings. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors and to all the people of the land.
7 “To you, Adonai, belongs righteousness; but to us today belongs shame — to us, the men of Y’hudah, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and all Isra’el, including those nearby and those far away, throughout all the countries where you have driven them; because they broke faith with you. 8 Yes, Adonai, shame falls on us, our kings, our leaders and our ancestors; because we sinned against you. 9 It is for Adonai our God to show compassion and forgiveness, because we rebelled against him. 10 We didn’t listen to the voice of Adonai our God, so that we could live by his laws, which he presented to us through his servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Isra’el flouted your Torah and turned away, unwilling to listen to your voice. Therefore the curse and oath written in the Torah of Moshe the servant of God was poured out on us, because we sinned against him. 12 He carried out the threats he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us disaster so great that under all of heaven, nothing has been done like what has been done to Yerushalayim. 13 As written in the Torah of Moshe, this whole disaster came upon us. Yet we did not appease Adonai our God by renouncing our wrongdoing and discerning your truth. 14 So Adonai watched for the right moment to bring this disaster upon us, for Adonai our God was just in everything he did, yet we didn’t listen when he spoke.
15 “Now, Adonai our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, thereby winning renown for yourself, as is the case today — we sinned, we acted wickedly. 16 Adonai, in keeping with all your justice, please allow your anger and fury to be turned away from your city Yerushalayim, your holy mountain; because it is due to our sins and the wrongdoings of our ancestors that Yerushalayim and your people have become objects of scorn among everyone around us. 17 Therefore, our God, listen to the prayer and pleadings of your servant; and cause your face to shine on your desolated sanctuary, for your own sake. 18 My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes and see how desolated we are, as well as the city which bears your name. For we plead with you not because of our own righteousness, but because of your compassion. 19 Adonai, hear! Adonai, forgive! Adonai, pay attention, and don’t delay action — for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people bear your name!”
20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my own sin and the sin of my people Isra’el, and pleading before Adonai my God for the holy mountain of my God — 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gavri’el, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, swooped down on me in full flight at about the time of the evening sacrifice, 22 and explained things to me. He said, “I have come now, Dani’el, to enable you to understand this vision clearly. 23 At the beginning of your prayers, an answer was given; and I have come to say what it is; because you are greatly loved. Therefore look into this answer, and understand the vision.
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and for your holy city for putting an end to the transgression, for making an end of sin, for forgiving iniquity, for bringing in everlasting justice, for setting the seal on vision and prophet, and for anointing the Especially Holy Place. 25 Know, therefore, and discern that seven weeks [of years] will elapse between the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim until an anointed prince comes. It will remain built for sixty-two weeks [of years], with open spaces and moats; but these will be troubled times. 26 Then, after the sixty-two weeks, Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a prince yet to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but his end will come with a flood, and desolations are decreed until the war is over. 27 He will make a strong covenant with leaders for one week [of years]. For half of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the grain offering. On the wing of detestable things the desolator will come and continue until the already decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”
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