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

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 shnat achat (first year) of Daryavesh ben Achashverosh, by zera (descent) a Mede, who was made melech over the realm of the Kasdim (Chaldeans);

In the shnat achat of his reign, I, Daniel, received binah (understanding) from the Sfarim (books, Kitvei Hakodesh) of the number of the shanim, that the Devar Hashem was unto Yirmeyah HaNavi, with respect to the desolations of Yerushalayim, SHIVIM SHANAH must be completed [Yirmeyah 25:11; 29:10].

And I set my face unto Adonoi HaElohim, to plead by tefillah and tachanunim (supplications), with a tzom, and sackcloth, and ashes;

And I davened unto Hashem Elohai, and I made vidduy (confession of sin), and said, O Adonoi, HaEl HaGadol V’HaNorah (the great and dreadful G-d), Shomer HaBrit V’HaChesed (Who keepeth covenant and lovingkindness) to them that love Him, and to them that are shomrei mitzvot;

We have sinned, and we have committed iniquity, and we have done wickedly, and we have rebelled, even by departing from Thy mitzvot and from Thy mishpatim;

Neither have we heeded or listened unto Thy avadim the nevi’im, which spoke in Thy Name unto our Melachim, our Sarim (princes), and our Avot, and to kol Am HaAretz.

To Thee, Adonoi, is the tzedakah, but unto us is boshet hapanim (shame of face), as at yom hazeh; to the men of Yehudah, and to the yoshvei Yerushalayim, and unto kol Yisroel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou hast driven them, because of their ma’al (betrayal, treachery) wherein they have dealt unfaithfully against Thee.

O Hashem, to us belongeth boshet hapanim, to our Melachim, to our Sarim (princes), and to our Avot, because we have sinned against Thee.

To Adonoi Eloheinu belong the rachamim and the selichot (forgiveness), for we have rebelled against Him;

10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of Hashem Eloheinu, to walk in His torot, which He has set before us by the hand of His avadim the Nevi’im.

11 Yea, kol Yisroel has transgressed Thy Torah, even by departing, refusing to obey Thy kol (voice); therefore ha’alah (the curse [Devarim 29:18]) is poured upon us, and hashevuah (the oath) that is written in the Torat Moshe the Eved HaElohim, because we have sinned against Him. [Vayikra 26:14f; Devarim 28:15f]

12 And He hath confirmed His words, which He spoke concerning us, and concerning our shofetim who judged us, that He would bring upon us a ra’ah gedolah, so that there has not been done under kol HaShomayim what has been done to Yerushalayim.

13 Even as it is written in the Torat Moshe, all hara’ah hazot (this evil) is come upon us, yet we have not mollified the face of Hashem Eloheinu, by turning away from avoneinu (our iniquities), and by having seichel (discernment) in Thy Emes.

14 Therefore hath Hashem watched upon the rah, and brought it upon us; for Hashem Eloheinu is tzaddik in all His ma’asim which He doeth, for we obeyed not His kol (voice).

15 And now, Adonoi Eloheinu, Who hast brought Thy people forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim with a yad chazakah (mighty hand), and hast gotten Thee renown, as at yom hazeh, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 O Adonoi, according to all Thy tzidkot, I beseech Thee, let Thine anger and Thy fury be turned away from Thy Ir (City) Yerushalayim, Thy Har Kodesh, because for chatta’einu, and for the avonot Avoteinu, Yerushalayim and Thy people are become a reproach, an object of scorn to all around about us.

17 Now therefore, shema, Eloheinu, hear the tefillah of Thy eved, and his tachanunim (supplications), and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy Mikdash [Beis HaMikdash] that is desolate, lema’an (for the sake of) Adonoi.

18 O Elohai, incline Thine ear, and shema; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and HaIr which is called by Thy Name; for we do not present tachanuneinu (our supplications) before Thee on account of tzidkoteinu, but for the sake of Thy rachamim harabbim.

19 Adonoi, hear; Adonoi, forgive; Adonoi, hearken and act; delay not, for Thine own sake, O Elohai; for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy Name.

20 And while I was speaking, and davening tefillos, and making vidduy (confession of sin) for me and for Ami Yisroel, and laying my techinnah (petition) before Hashem Elohai for the sake of the Har Kodesh of Elohai;

21 Yea, while I was davening in tefillah, even haish [see 8:15] Gavriel, whom I had seen in the chazon in the beginning, being caused to fly in weariness, reached me about the time of the minchat erev.

22 And he instructed me, and spoke with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to make thee have seichel in binah.

23 At the beginning of thy tachanunim (supplications) a commandment went forth, and I am come to make the word known; for thou art greatly valued; therefore understand the devar, and consider the vision.

24 Shivi’im heptads is decreed upon thy people and upon thy Ir Kodesh (Holy City), to restrain the peysha (transgression), and to make an end of chattat (sin), and to make kapporah for avon, and to bring in Tzedek Olamim (Everlasting Righteousness), and to seal up the chazon and navi, and to anoint the Kodesh HaKodashim.

25 Have da’as, therefore, and get seichel, that from the going forth of the decree to restore and to rebuild Yerushalayim unto Moshiach Nagid shall be shivah heptads, and threescore and two heptads; the rechov shall be built again, and the charutz, even in troublous times.

26 And after threescore and two heptads, yikaret (will be cut off) Moshiach [Yeshayah 53:8], but not for himself [Yeshayah 53:4-6,8]; and the troops of the coming nagid shall destroy the Ir and the Kodesh (Beis Hamikdash, i.e., 70.C.E.); and the end thereof shall come with a flood, and unto the end there shall be war. Desolations are determined.

27 And he shall confirm brit (covenant) with rabbim for one heptad; and in the midst of the heptad he shall cause the zevach and the minchah to cease, and on the kenaf (wing) of the abominations is one making desolate, even until the complete destruction, a destruction that is decreed, shall be poured out upon the Shomem (Desolator, Destroyer).