Daniel 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 9
The Seventy Weeks of Years. 1 It was the first year that Darius,[a] son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans; 2 (A)in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years the Lord had decreed to the prophet Jeremiah: Jerusalem was to lie in ruins for seventy years.[b]
3 I turned to the Lord God, to seek help, in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 (B)I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed, “Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and show mercy toward those who love you and keep your commandments and your precepts! 5 We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and turned from your commandments and your laws. 6 We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and all the people of the land. 7 Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the lands to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. 8 O Lord, we are ashamed, like our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, for having sinned against you. 9 But to the Lord, our God, belong compassion and forgiveness, though we rebelled against him 10 and did not hear the voice of the Lord, our God, by walking in his laws given through his servants the prophets. 11 (C)The curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, were poured out over us for our sins, because all Israel transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to hear your voice. 12 He fulfilled the words he spoke against us and against those who ruled us, by bringing upon us an evil—no evil so great has happened under heaven as happened in Jerusalem. 13 As it is written[c] in the law of Moses, this evil has come upon us. We did not appease the Lord, our God, by turning back from our wickedness and acting according to your truth, 14 so the Lord kept watch over the evil and brought it upon us. The Lord, our God, is just in all that he has done: we did not listen to his voice.
15 “Now, Lord, our God, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and made a name for yourself even to this day, we have sinned, we are guilty. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your just deeds, let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. On account of our sins and the crimes of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become the reproach of all our neighbors. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, my God, and listen; open your eyes and look upon our desolate city upon which your name is invoked. When we present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, pardon! Lord, be attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, my God, because your name is invoked upon your city and your people!”
20 I was still praying to the Lord, my God, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition concerning the holy mountain of my God— 21 I was still praying, when the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, came to me in flight at the time of the evening offering.[d] 22 He instructed me in these words: “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding. 23 When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.
24 “Seventy weeks[e] are decreed
for your people and for your holy city:
Then transgression will stop and sin will end,
guilt will be expiated,
Everlasting justice will be introduced,
vision and prophecy ratified,
and a holy of holies will be anointed.
25 Know and understand:
From the utterance of the word
that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt[f]
Until there is an anointed ruler,
there shall be seven weeks.
In the course of sixty-two weeks
it shall be rebuilt,
With squares and trenches,
in time of affliction.
26 After the sixty-two weeks
an anointed one[g] shall be cut down
with no one to help him.
And the people of a leader who will come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
His end shall come in a flood;
until the end of the war, which is decreed,
there will be desolation.
27 For one week[h] he shall make
a firm covenant with the many;
Half the week
he shall abolish sacrifice and offering;
In their place shall be the desolating abomination
until the ruin that is decreed
is poured out upon the desolator.”(D)
Footnotes
- 9:1 Darius: see note on 6:1.
- 9:2 Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution.
- 9:13 As it is written: the first time that this formula of Scriptural citation is used in the Bible. The reference (v. 11) is to the sanctions of Lv 26:14–16; Dt 28:15–17.
- 9:21 At the time of the evening offering: between three and four in the afternoon.
- 9:24 Seventy weeks: i.e., of years. Just as Jeremiah’s seventy years was an approximation (see note on v. 2), the four hundred and ninety years here is not to be taken literally. Similarly, the distribution of the “weeks” in the following verses indicates only relative proportions of the total figure. A holy of holies: or “most holy”; could be understood as a place (e.g., the Jerusalem Temple) or a person (cf. 1 Chr 23:13).
- 9:25 From the utterance…to be rebuilt: from the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Anointed ruler: either Cyrus, who was called the anointed of the Lord to end the exile (Is 45:1), or the high priest Jeshua who presided over the rebuilding of the altar of sacrifice after the exile (Ezr 3:2). Seven weeks: forty-nine years, an approximation of the time of the exile. In the course of sixty-two weeks…rebuilt: a period of four hundred thirty-four years, roughly approximating the interval between the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile and the beginning of the Seleucid persecution.
- 9:26 An anointed one: the high priest Onias III, murdered in 171 B.C., from which the author dates the beginning of the persecution. Onias was in exile when he was killed. A leader: Antiochus IV.
- 9:27 One week: the final phase of the period in view, the time of Antiochus’ persecution. He: Antiochus himself. The many: the faithless Jews who allied themselves with the Seleucids; cf. 1 Mc 1:11–13. Half the week: three and a half years; the Temple was desecrated by Antiochus from 167 to 164 B.C. The desolating abomination: see note on 8:13; probably a pagan altar. Jesus refers to this passage in his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in Mt 24:15.
Daniel 9
New American Standard Bible
Daniel’s Prayer for His People
9 In the first year of (A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to (B)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, (C)seventy years. 3 So I gave my [a]attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the (D)great and awesome God, who (E)keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 (F)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and [b]acted wickedly and (G)rebelled, even (H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Moreover, we have not (I)listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.
7 “(J)Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us [c](K)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 (L)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8 [d]Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong (M)compassion and forgiveness, [e]because we have (N)rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His [f]teachings which He (O)set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed, (P)all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the (Q)curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12 So He has (R)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our [g](S)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has (T)not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the (U)Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have (V)not [h]sought the favor of the Lord our God by (W)turning from our wrongdoing and [i]giving attention to Your truth. 14 So the Lord has [j](X)kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is (Y)righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, Lord, our God, You who (Z)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and (AA)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 Lord, in accordance with all Your [k]righteous acts, let now Your (AB)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your (AC)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an (AD)object of taunting to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for [l]Your sake, Lord, (AE)let Your face shine on Your (AF)desolate sanctuary. 18 My God, (AG)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and (AH)see our desolations and the city which is (AI)called by Your name; for we are not [m](AJ)presenting our pleas before You based on [n]any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, (AK)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 While I was still (AL)speaking and praying, and (AM)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [o]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man (AN)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [p]previously, [q]came to me [r]in my extreme weariness about the time of the (AO)evening offering. 22 And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with (AP)understanding. 23 At the (AQ)beginning of your pleas the [s]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are [t](AR)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain (AS)understanding of the vision.
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
24 “Seventy [u](AT)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [v]finish the wrongdoing, to [w]make an end of sin, to (AU)make atonement for guilt, to bring in (AV)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a [y](AW)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until [z](AX)Messiah the (AY)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [ab]Messiah will be (AZ)cut off and have [ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will (BA)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a (BB)flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [af](BC)abominations will come the one who [ag]makes desolate, until a (BD)complete destruction, one that is [ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [ai]makes desolate.”
Footnotes
- Daniel 9:3 Lit face
- Daniel 9:5 Or made ourselves guilty
- 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 laws
- Daniel 9:12 Lit judges who judged us
- Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
- Daniel 9:13 Or having insight into
- Daniel 9:14 Lit watched over the evil
- Daniel 9:16 Lit righteousnesses
- Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
- Daniel 9:18 Lit casting down
- Daniel 9:18 Lit our righteousnesses
- Daniel 9:20 Lit casting down
- Daniel 9:21 Lit at the beginning
- Daniel 9:21 Lit was reaching; or touching
- Daniel 9:21 Or in swift flight
- Daniel 9:23 Lit word went out
- Daniel 9:23 Lit desirable; or precious
- Daniel 9:24 Or units of seven, and so throughout the ch
- Daniel 9:24 Or bring to an end
- Daniel 9:24 Another reading is seal up sins
- Daniel 9:24 Lit prophet
- Daniel 9:25 Lit word
- Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one
- Daniel 9:25 Or city square
- 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 detestable things
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
- Daniel 9:27 Or determined
- Daniel 9:27 Or causes horror
Daniel 9
King James Version
9 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;
2 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.
3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4 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;
5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6 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.
7 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.
8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9 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.
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