Daniel 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Daniel’s Prayer of Supplication
9 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— 2 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. 3 So I gave my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 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, 5 (G)we have sinned and committed iniquity and acted wickedly and (H)rebelled, even (I)turning aside from Your commandments and judgments. 6 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.
7 “(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. 8 O Yahweh, to us belongs [c]open shame, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 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
- Daniel 9:2 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Daniel 9:7 Lit the shame of face
- Daniel 9:8 Lit the shame of face
- Daniel 9:9 Or though
- Daniel 9:10 Or instructions, cf. 9:11
- Daniel 9:11 Or instruction, cf. 9:10
- Daniel 9:11 Or slave, cf. 9:10; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
- Daniel 9:13 Or instruction, cf. 9:10-11
- Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
- Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
- Daniel 9:18 Lit causing to fall
- Daniel 9:20 Lit causing to fall
- Daniel 9:21 Lit at the beginning
- Daniel 9:21 Or touching; lit was reaching
- Daniel 9:21 Lit wearied with weariness
- Daniel 9:23 Or precious; lit desirable
- Daniel 9:24 Or units of seven, so in ch
- Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
- Daniel 9:24 Or seal up sins
- Daniel 9:24 Lit prophet
- Daniel 9:25 Or decree
- Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one
- Daniel 9:25 Or streets
- Daniel 9:26 Or anointed one
- Daniel 9:26 Or no one
- Daniel 9:26 Or his
- Daniel 9:26 Or war will be decreed for desolations
- Daniel 9:27 Or covenant prevail
- Daniel 9:27 Or detestable things
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
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.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
