Daniel 9
New Century Version
Daniel’s Prayer
9 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Xerxes was king over Babylon. He was a descendant of the Medes. 2 During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was reading the Scriptures. I saw that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years.
3 Then I turned to the Lord God and prayed and asked him for help. To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and told him about all of our sins. I said, “Lord, you are a great God who causes fear and wonder. You keep your agreement of love with all who love you and obey your commands.
5 “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and turned against you, your commands, and your laws. 6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke for you to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are good and right, but we are full of shame today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you scattered among many nations because they were not loyal to you. 8 Lord, we are all ashamed. Our kings and leaders and our fathers are ashamed, because we have sinned against you.
9 “But, Lord our God, you show us mercy and forgive us even though we have turned against you. 10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God or the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 11 All the people of Israel have disobeyed your teachings and have turned away, refusing to obey you. So you brought on us the curses and promises of punishment written in the Teachings of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against you.
12 “You said these things would happen to us and our leaders, and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done on earth like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the Teachings of Moses. But we have not pleaded with the Lord our God. We have not stopped sinning. We have not paid attention to your truth. 14 The Lord was ready to bring the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is right in everything he does. But we still did not obey him.
15 “Lord our God, you used your power and brought us out of Egypt. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and have done wrong. 16 Lord, you do what is right, but please do not be angry with Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill. Because of our sins and the evil things done by our ancestors, people all around insult and make fun of Jerusalem and your people.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my prayer for help, and for your sake do good things for your holy place that is in ruins. 18 My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and see all the terrible things that have happened to us. See how our lives have been ruined and what has happened to the city that is called by your name. We do not ask these things because we are good; instead, we ask because of your mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear us and do something! For your sake, don’t wait, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
Gabriel’s Explanation
20 While I was saying these things in my prayer to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and praying for God’s holy hill, 21 Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my last vision.) He came flying quickly to me about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying. 22 He taught me and said to me, “Daniel, I have come to give you wisdom and to help you understand. 23 When you first started praying, an answer was given, and I came to tell you, because God loves you very much. So think about the message and understand the vision.
24 “God has ordered four hundred ninety years for your people and your holy city for these reasons: to stop people from turning against God; to put an end to sin; to take away evil; to bring in goodness that continues forever; to bring about the vision and prophecy; and to appoint a most holy place.
25 “Learn and understand these things. A command will come to rebuild Jerusalem. The time from this command until the appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundred thirty-four years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench filled with water around it, but it will be built in times of trouble. 26 After the four hundred thirty-four years the appointed leader will be killed; he will have nothing. The people of the leader who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of the city will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed. 27 That leader will make firm an agreement with many people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city.”
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
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
