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Daniel’s Prayer of Supplication

In the first year of (A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, from the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, discerned in the books the (B)number of the years concerning which the word of [a]Yahweh came to (C)Jeremiah the prophet for the fulfillment of the laying waste of Jerusalem, namely, (D)seventy years. So I gave my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to Yahweh my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the (E)great and awesome God, who (F)keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, (G)we have sinned and committed iniquity and acted wickedly and (H)rebelled, even (I)turning aside from Your commandments and judgments. Moreover, we have not (J)listened to Your slaves the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

(K)To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us [b](L)open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in (M)all the countries to which You have banished them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. O Yahweh, to us belongs [c]open shame, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong (N)compassion and forgiveness, [d]for we have (O)rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we listened to the voice of Yahweh our God, to walk in His [e]laws which He (P)put before us through His slaves the prophets. 11 Indeed (Q)all Israel has trespassed against Your law, even turning aside, not listening to Your voice; so the (R)curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the [f]law of Moses the [g]servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12 Thus He has (S)established His words which He had spoken against us and against our (T)judges who judged us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has (U)not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the [h](V)law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have (W)not [i]entreated the favor of Yahweh our God by (X)turning from our iniquity and acting wisely in Your truth. 14 Therefore Yahweh has (Y)watched over the calamity and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is (Z)righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not listened to His voice.

15 “So now, O Lord our God, who have (AA)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and have (AB)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned; we have acted wickedly. 16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteousness, let now Your (AC)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your (AD)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a (AE)reproach to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your slave and to his supplications, and for [j]Your sake, O Lord, (AF)let Your face shine on Your (AG)desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, (AH)incline Your ear and listen! Open Your eyes and (AI)see our desolations and the city which is (AJ)called by Your name; for we are not [k](AK)presenting our supplications before You on account of any righteousness of our own, but on account of Your abundant compassion. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, (AL)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings Understanding

20 Now while I was (AM)speaking and praying, and (AN)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [l]presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 and while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man (AO)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [m]previously, [n]touched me [o]in my extreme weariness about the time of the (AP)evening offering. 22 Then he made me understand and spoke with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with (AQ)understanding. 23 At the (AR)beginning of your supplications the word was issued, so I have come to tell you, for you are [p](AS)highly esteemed; so understand the message and gain (AT)understanding in what has appeared.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24 “Seventy [q](AU)weeks have been determined for your people and for your holy city, to [r]finish the transgression, to [s]make an end of sin, to (AV)make atonement for iniquity, to bring in (AW)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [t]prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 So you are to know and have insight that from the going out of a [u](AX)word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [v](AY)Messiah the (AZ)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be restored and rebuilt, with [w]plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the [x]Messiah will be (BA)cut off and have [y]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will (BB)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [z]its end will come with a (BC)flood; even to the end [aa]there will be war; desolations are decreed. 27 And he will make a [ab]firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will make sacrifice and grain offering cease; and on the wing of [ac](BD)abominations will come one who [ad]makes desolate, even until a (BE)complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who [ae]makes desolate.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:2 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Daniel 9:7 Lit the shame of face
  3. Daniel 9:8 Lit the shame of face
  4. Daniel 9:9 Or though
  5. Daniel 9:10 Or instructions, cf. 9:11
  6. Daniel 9:11 Or instruction, cf. 9:10
  7. Daniel 9:11 Or slave, cf. 9:10; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  8. Daniel 9:13 Or instruction, cf. 9:10-11
  9. Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
  10. Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
  11. Daniel 9:18 Lit causing to fall
  12. Daniel 9:20 Lit causing to fall
  13. Daniel 9:21 Lit at the beginning
  14. Daniel 9:21 Or touching; lit was reaching
  15. Daniel 9:21 Lit wearied with weariness
  16. Daniel 9:23 Or precious; lit desirable
  17. Daniel 9:24 Or units of seven, so in ch
  18. Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
  19. Daniel 9:24 Or seal up sins
  20. Daniel 9:24 Lit prophet
  21. Daniel 9:25 Or decree
  22. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one
  23. Daniel 9:25 Or streets
  24. Daniel 9:26 Or anointed one
  25. Daniel 9:26 Or no one
  26. Daniel 9:26 Or his
  27. Daniel 9:26 Or war will be decreed for desolations
  28. Daniel 9:27 Or covenant prevail
  29. Daniel 9:27 Or detestable things
  30. Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
  31. Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

In the first year of Darius the son of [a]Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the [b]Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem would end; and it was seventy years.(A) So I directed my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and extends lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances. Further, we have not listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us confusion and open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away, in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the [treacherous] acts of unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. O Lord, to us belong confusion and open shame—to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers—because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and lovingkindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us and the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.(B) 12 And He has carried out completely His [threatening] words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers [the kings, princes, and judges] who ruled us, to bring on us a great tragedy; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything [so dreadful] like that which [He commanded and] was done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this tragedy has come on us. Yet we have not wholeheartedly begged for forgiveness and sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wickedness and paying attention to and placing value in Your truth.(C) 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the tragedy ready and has brought it on us, for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and openly just in all His works which He does—He keeps His word; and we have not obeyed His voice.

15 “And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for Yourself a name, as it is today—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous and just acts, please let Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the wickedness of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn and a contemptuous byword to all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, listen to (heed) the prayer of Your servant [c](Daniel) and his supplications, and for Your own sake let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You because of our own merits and righteousness, but because of Your great mercy and compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 While I was still speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer and [d]extremely exhausted, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me about the time of the evening sacrifice.(D) 22 He instructed me and he talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and wisdom and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications, the command [to give you an answer] was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly regarded and greatly beloved. Therefore consider the message and begin to understand the [meaning of the] vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

24 “Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] [e]have been decreed for your people and for your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make atonement (reconciliation) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness (right-standing with God), to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Messiah (the Anointed One), the Prince, there will be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it will be built again, with [a city] plaza and moat, even in times of trouble. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks [of years] the Anointed One will be cut off [and denied His Messianic kingdom] and have nothing [and no one to defend Him], and the people of the [other] prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.(E) 27 And he will enter into a binding and irrevocable covenant with the many for one week (seven years), but in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and grain offering [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who causes the horror.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:1 Not the Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of the book of Esther.
  2. Daniel 9:1 See note 1:4.
  3. Daniel 9:17 Compare this verse with Ezek 14:12-20.
  4. Daniel 9:21 Lit wearied with weariness.
  5. Daniel 9:24 I.e. cut off, decided, determined. This phrase occurs only here and indicates a period of time set aside for a certain purpose. The prophecy that follows pertains only to the Jews and Jerusalem. It records six objectives to be achieved by the Messiah. The first three are resolved by the death and resurrection of Jesus; the final three are resolved at His second coming.

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.