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The Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks[a]

Chapter 9

According to the Word Revealed to Jeremiah . . . In the first year of Darius, son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who became ruler of the kingdom of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the Scriptures and reflecting on the seventy years that, according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, had to pass before the desolation of Jerusalem would come to an end.

Then I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the Lord, my God, and made this confession, saying:

Lord, Have Mercy.[b] “O Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and show your steadfast love to those who love you and observe your commandments: we have sinned and done what is wrong, we have acted wickedly and rebelled, we have rejected your commandments and your laws. We have not listened to 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 is on your side, O Lord. As for us, we are filled with shame even to this day—we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the countries to which you have dispersed us because of the treachery that we have committed against you.

“O Lord, we are filled with shame—our kings, our princes, and our fathers—for having sinned against you. But you, O Lord, our God, are always prepared to show compassion and forgiveness. Yet we rebelled against you 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, our God, by following your laws that you have given to us through your servants the Prophets.

11 “All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away from you, refusing to obey your commands. Therefore, the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down upon us because we have sinned against you. 12 You confirmed your threats, which you made against us and our rulers by bringing upon us in Jerusalem the greatest calamity that the world has ever experienced.

13 “Just as it is written[c] in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us. We failed to entreat the favor of the Lord, our God, by renouncing our wickedness and reflecting upon his fidelity. 14 Therefore, the Lord has watched us carefully, and now he has brought this disaster upon us. The Lord is just in all of his dealings with us, but we have not listened to his voice.

15 “And now, O Lord, our God, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with your mighty hand and caused your name to be renowned, even to this very day: we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, in keeping with your saving deeds, we beg you to allow your anger and wrath to turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. As a result of our sins and the crimes of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of scorn to all those who surround us.

17 “Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayers and supplications of your servant, and for your own sake, O Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary. 18 Incline your ear, O my God, and listen. Open your eyes and look upon our desolation and upon the city that bears your name. We present our petition to you, relying not upon our upright deeds but rather upon your great mercy.

19 “Listen to us, O Lord! Forgive us, O Lord! Do not delay, O my God, for your own sake, because your city and your people bear your name.”

20 Seventy Weeks Are Decreed.[d] While I was still speaking, still occupied with my prayer and confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and presenting my supplication to the Lord, my God, on behalf of his holy mountain— 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, swooped down on me in rapid flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

22 He then spoke these words to me: “Daniel, I have now come down to you to give you understanding. 23 As you began your supplications, an answer was given, and I have come to make it known to you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore, consider carefully the answer and comprehend the vision.

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed
    for your people and your holy city:
for bringing an end to transgression,
    for putting an end to sin,
for expiating iniquity,
    for introducing everlasting righteousness,
for ratifying vision and prophecy,
    and for anointing the Holy of Holies.
25 “Know therefore, and understand this:
    From the time that the message was sent:
    ‘Return and rebuild Jerusalem,’
until the coming of an anointed prince,
    there shall be seven weeks.
During sixty-two weeks
    it shall be rebuilt and restored
with streets and trenches
    in a troubled time.
26 “After the sixty-two weeks
    an anointed one will be cut off
    and have nothing.
And the troops of a leader who is to come
    will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Then the end will come like a torrent,
    and until the end there will be war,
    the devastation that has been decreed.
27 “During the space of one week
    he will make a firm alliance with many people,
and for the space of half a week
    he will put a stop to sacrifice and oblation.
And on the temple wing
    will be the terrible abomination
until the end that has been decreed
    is poured out upon the desolate city.”

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:1 By means of this prediction, the author, who is writing for the contemporaries of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, seeks to shore up the courage of the persecuted until the end of the oppression, which will not be long in coming. But the deeper insight goes beyond the immediate circumstances of the passage, for it is a call to persevere in faith while awaiting the coming of the Lord.
  2. Daniel 9:4 This prayer recalls the canticle of Azariah (included in the Septuagint as Dan 3:26-45) and the liturgies of repentance after the Exile (Ezr 9; Neh 9).
  3. Daniel 9:13 Just as it is written: first usage of this formula of Scripture citation in the Bible.
  4. Daniel 9:20 This prophecy is one of the best known and most difficult of the Old Testament. In this coded and therefore obscure passage some think they discover figures that correspond to the coming of the Messiah and provide a means of calculating the end of the world. But the author, who is a contemporary of Antiochus IV and caught up in the daily tragedy of persecution, has other concerns than to offer hidden calculations. His purpose is to proclaim the proximate end of the oppression. His counting, like that of Jeremiah, starts with the beginning of the Exile in 587 B.C.; but the years become weeks of years, that is, periods of seven years. Thus, what was originally thought of in relation to the return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple is now shifted to apply to the age of Antiochus IV. The first seven weeks, or forty-nine years, cover rather well the duration of the Exile, since it was in 538 B.C. that the priest Joshua presided over the reestablishment of the Jewish community in Palestine; but the rebuilding of the temple came in 515 B.C. (see Ezr 3–6) and the rebuilding of the city walls in 445 B.C. (Neh 1–7). And the following sixty-two weeks no longer correspond to history; in fact, from the edict of Cyrus in 538 B.C., to the assassination of Onias III the high priest in 170 B.C. (he is the anointed one of v. 26), sixty-seven years are lacking for the figures to match. Did the author perhaps make a mistake in counting? For the final week, however, and this is the one that interests the author (v. 27), the prediction turns out well. The alliance of the intriguers and apostates around the tyrant, and the disorders introduced into Jewish life by the complicity of the upper clergy after the death of Onias, lasted a week, or about seven years, from 171–164 B.C. In 167 B.C., the daily sacrifice in the temple was suppressed and replaced by the worship of Zeus; this was the abomination that causes desolation or supreme horror (1 Mac 1:54). Three and a half years, or a half-week, later, Jewish worship will be restored by Judas Maccabeus, while Antiochus dies.

Nang unang taon ni Dario na anak ni Assuero, sa lahi ng mga taga Media, na ginawang hari sa kaharian ng mga taga Caldea;

Nang unang taon ng kaniyang paghahari akong si Daniel ay nakaunawa sa pamamagitan ng mga aklat, ng bilang ng mga taon, na sinalita ng Panginoon kay Jeremias na propeta, dahil sa pagkaganap ng pagkasira ng Jerusalem, pitong pung taon.

At aking itiningin ang aking mukha sa Panginoong Dios upang humanap sa pamamagitan ng panalangin at ng mga samo, ng pagaayuno, at pananamit ng magaspang, at ng mga abo.

At ako'y nanalangin sa Panginoon kong Dios, at ako'y nagpahayag ng kasalanan, at nagsabi, Oh Panginoon, Dios na dakila at kakilakilabot, na nagiingat ng tipan at kaawaan sa nagsisiibig sa iyo at nangagiingat ng iyong mga utos,

Kami ay nangagkasala, at nangagasal ng kasuwalian, at nagsigawang may kasamaan, at nanganghimagsik, sa makatuwid baga'y nagsitalikod sa iyong mga utos at sa iyong mga kahatulan;

Na hindi man kami nangakinig sa iyong mga lingkod na mga propeta, na nangagsalita sa iyong pangalan sa aming mga hari, sa aming mga prinsipe, at sa aming mga magulang, at sa buong bayan ng lupain.

Oh Panginoon, katuwira'y ukol sa iyo, nguni't sa amin ay pagkagulo ng mukha gaya sa araw na ito; sa mga tao ng Juda, at sa mga nananahan sa Jerusalem, at sa buong Israel, na malapit, at malayo, sa lahat na lupain na iyong pinagtabuyan dahil sa kanilang pagsalangsang na kanilang isinalangsang laban sa iyo.

Oh Panginoon, sa amin nauukol ang pagkagulo ng mukha, sa aming mga hari, sa aming mga prinsipe, at sa aming mga magulang, sapagka't kami ay nangagkasala laban sa iyo.

Sa Panginoon naming Dios ukol ang kaawaan at kapatawaran; sapagka't kami ay nanganghimagsik laban sa kaniya;

10 Ni hindi man namin tinalima ang tinig ng Panginoon naming Dios, upang lumakad ng ayon sa kaniyang mga kautusan, na kaniyang inilagay sa harap namin sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang mga lingkod na propeta.

11 Oo, buong Israel ay sumalangsang ng iyong kautusan, sa pagtalikod, upang huwag nilang talimahin ang iyong tinig: kaya't ang sumpa ay nabuhos sa amin, at ang sumpa na nakasulat sa kautusan ni Moises na lingkod ng Dios; sapagka't kami ay nangagkasala laban sa kaniya.

12 At kaniyang pinagtibay ang kaniyang mga salita, na kaniyang sinalita laban sa amin, at laban sa aming mga hukom na nagsihatol sa amin, sa pagbabagsak sa amin ng malaking kasamaan; sapagka't sa silong ng buong langit ay hindi ginawa ang gaya ng ginawa sa Jerusalem.

13 Kung ano ang nasusulat sa kautusan ni Moises, lahat ng kasamaang ito'y nagsidating sa amin: gayon ma'y hindi namin idinalangin ang biyaya ng Panginoon naming Dios, upang aming talikuran ang aming mga kasamaan, at gunitain ang iyong katotohanan.

14 Kaya't iniingatan ng Panginoon ang kasamaan, at ibinagsak sa amin; sapagka't ang Panginoon naming Dios ay matuwid sa lahat ng kaniyang mga gawa na kaniyang ginagawa, at hindi namin dininig ang kaniyang tinig.

15 At ngayon, Oh Panginoon naming Dios, na naglabas ng iyong bayan mula sa lupain ng Egipto sa pamamagitan ng makapangyarihang kamay, at ikaw ay nabantog gaya sa araw na ito; kami ay nangagkasala, kami ay nagsigawa na may kasamaan.

16 Oh Panginoon, ayon sa iyong buong katuwiran, isinasamo ko sa iyo, na ang iyong galit at kapusukan ay mahiwalay sa iyong bayang Jerusalem, na iyong banal na bundok; sapagka't dahil sa aming mga kasalanan, at dahil sa mga kasamaan ng aming mga magulang, ang Jerusalem at ang iyong bayan ay naging kakutyaan sa lahat na nangasa palibot namin.

17 Kaya nga, Oh aming Dios, iyong dinggin ang panalangin ng iyong lingkod, at ang kaniyang mga samo, at paliwanagin mo ang iyong mukha sa iyong santuario na sira, alangalang sa Panginoon.

18 Oh Dios ko, ikiling mo ang iyong tainga, at iyong dinggin; idilat mo ang iyong mga mata, at masdan mo ang aming mga kasiraan, at ang bayan na tinatawag sa iyong pangalan: sapagka't hindi namin inihaharap ang aming mga samo sa harap mo dahil sa aming mga katuwiran, kundi dahil sa iyong dakilang mga kaawaan.

19 Oh Panginoon, dinggin mo; Oh Panginoon, patawarin mo; Oh Panginoon, iyong pakinggan at gawin; huwag mong ipagpaliban, alangalang sa iyong sarili, Oh Dios ko, sapagka't ang iyong bayan at ang iyong mga tao ay tinatawag sa iyong pangalan.

20 At samantalang ako'y nagsasalita, at nananalangin, at nagpapahayag ng aking kasalanan at ng kasalanan ng aking bayang Israel, at naghaharap ng aking samo sa harap ng Panginoon kong Dios dahil sa banal na bundok ng aking Dios;

21 Oo, samantalang ako'y nagsasalita sa panalangin, ang lalaking si Gabriel, na aking nakita sa pangitain nang una, na pinalipad ng maliksi, hinipo ako sa panahon ng pagaalay sa hapon.

22 At kaniya akong tinuruan, at nakipagsalitaan sa akin, at nagsabi, Oh Daniel, ako'y lumabas ngayon upang bigyan ka ng karunungan at kaunawaan.

23 Sa pasimula ng iyong mga samo ay lumabas ang utos, at ako'y naparito upang saysayin sa iyo; sapagka't ikaw ay totoong minahal: kaya't gunitain mo ang bagay, at unawain mo ang pangitain.

24 Pitong pung sanglinggo ang ipinasiya sa iyong mga tao at sa iyong banal na bayan, upang tapusin ang pagsalangsang, at upang wakasan ang pagkakasala, at upang linisin sa kasamaan, at upang dalhan ng walang hanggang katuwiran, at upang tatakan ang pangitain at ang panghuhula, at upang pahiran ang kabanalbanalan.

25 Iyo ngang talastasin at bulayin, na mula sa paglabas ng utos na isauli at itayo ang Jerusalem sa pinahiran na prinsipe, magiging pitong sanglinggo, at anim na pu't dalawang sanglinggo: ito'y matatayo uli, na may lansangan at kuta, sa makatuwid baga'y sa mga panahong mabagabag.

26 At pagkatapos ng anim na pu't dalawang sanglinggo, mahihiwalay ang pinahiran, at mawawalaan ng anoman: at gigibain ang bayan at ang santuario ng mga tao ng prinsipeng darating; at ang wakas niyaon ay sa pamamagitan ng baha, at hanggang sa wakas ay magkakaroon ng digma; mga pagkasira ay ipinasiya na.

27 At pagtitibayin niya ang tipan sa marami sa isang sanglinggo: at sa kalahati ng sanglinggo ay kaniyang ipatitigil ang hain at ang alay; at sa pakpak ng mga kasuklamsuklam ay paroroon ang isang maninira; at hanggang sa wakas, at pagkapasiya ay mabubuhos ang poot sa maninira.

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.