Daniel 9
International Children’s Bible
Daniel’s Prayer
9 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Xerxes was king. He was a descendant of the Medes. 2 During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was reading the Scriptures. In them I saw what the Lord told Jeremiah. He said Jerusalem would be an empty desert for 70 years.
3 Then I turned to the Lord God. I prayed to him and asked him for help. I did not eat any food. To show how sad I was I put on rough cloth and sat in ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God. I told him about all of my sins. I said, “Lord, you are a great God. You cause 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. We have not obeyed your commands and laws. 6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets. They spoke for you to our kings, our leaders and our ancestors. They spoke to 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 and all the people of Israel are ashamed. People near and far whom you scattered among many nations are ashamed. We were not loyal to you. 8 Lord, we are all ashamed. Our kings and leaders and our fathers are ashamed. This is because we have sinned against you.
9 “But, Lord our God, you show us mercy. You forgive us even though we have turned against you. 10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God. We have not obeyed the teachings he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 11 All the people of Israel have disobeyed your teachings. They all have turned away and refused to obey you. So you brought on us the curses and promises of punishment written in the Teachings of Moses, the servant of God. These things have happened to us because we sinned against you.
12 “God said these things would happen to us and our leaders. And he made them happen. You brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done here 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 still have not stopped sinning. We still do not pay attention to your truth. 14 The Lord was ready to bring the disaster on us. This is because he is right in everything he does. But we still have not obeyed him.
15 “Lord our God, you used your power and brought us out of Egypt. Because of that, your name is known even today. Lord, we have sinned. We have done wrong. 16 Lord, you do the right things. So do not be angry with Jerusalem. Jerusalem is your city on your holy hill. All this has happened because of our sins and the evil things done by our ancestors. So now people all around insult and make fun of Jerusalem and your people.
17 “Now, our God, hear my prayers. I am your servant. Listen to my prayer for help. Do good things for your holy place that is in ruins. Do this for your sake. 18 My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and see all the terrible things that have happened to us. See what has happened to the city that is called by your name. We do not ask these things because we are good. We ask because of your mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear us and do something! For your sake, don’t wait! Your city and your people are called by your name.”
Gabriel’s Explanation
20 I was saying those things in my prayer to the Lord, my God. I was confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel. I was praying for God’s holy hill. 21 While I was still praying, Gabriel came to me. Gabriel was the person I had seen in my last vision. He came flying quickly to me about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 Gabriel 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 490 years for your people and your holy city. These years are ordered 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 make the vision and prophecy come true; 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 49 years and 434 years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench around it. But it will be built in times of trouble. 26 After the 434 years the appointed leader will be killed. He will have nothing. The people of the leader who is to come will destroy the city. They will also destroy the holy place. That end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed. 27 That leader will make an agreement with many people for 7 years. He will put a stop to offerings and sacrifices after 3½ years. And the horrible thing that destroys will be placed on the highest point of the Temple. But God has ordered him to be destroyed!”
Daniel 9
New Life Version
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
9 Darius the son of Ahasuerus, who was born a Mede, was made king over the nation of the Babylonians. 2 In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, understood the books which were given by the Lord through Jeremiah that Jerusalem would lie waste for seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God in prayer and did not eat. I dressed in cloth made from hair, and threw ashes on myself. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and told him the sins of my people, saying, “O Lord, you are great and we fear You. You keep Your agreement and show loving-kindness to those who love You and keep Your Laws.
5 “But we have sinned. We have done wrong and have acted in sin. We have turned against You and against Your Laws. 6 We have not listened to Your servants who spoke for You, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land. 7 You are right and good, O Lord. But we are all covered with shame, all the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel. The people both near and far away in all the countries where You have driven us are covered with shame because they have not been faithful to You. 8 We, our kings, our leaders and our fathers are all covered with shame, O Lord, because we have sinned against You. 9 O Lord our God, You are kind and forgiving, even when we would not obey You. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following the Laws He gave us through His servants who spoke for Him. 11 All Israel has sinned against Your Law and turned away, not obeying Your voice. So the curses and punishments have been poured out on us, which were written about in the Law of God’s servant Moses. For we have sinned against Him. 12 He has done what He said He would do against us and our leaders, and has brought much trouble upon us. For under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 All this trouble has come upon us just as it is written in the Law of Moses. Yet we have not looked for the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sin and following Your truth. 14 So the Lord brought trouble upon us. For the Lord our God is right and good in all He does, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “O Lord our God, You have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a powerful hand. And You have made a name for Yourself that is known to this day. Now we have sinned. We have done sinful things. 16 O Lord, because You are right and good in what You do, do not be angry any longer with Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For because of our sins and the sins of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have been put to shame by everyone around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to Your servant’s prayer and what he is asking. And for Your good, O Lord, look with favor upon the House of God which now lies waste. 18 O my God, turn Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our trouble and the city that is called by Your name. We are not asking this of You because we are right or good, but because of Your great loving-pity. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! For Your own good, O my God, do not wait, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Daniel Tells about the Future
20 I was speaking and praying, and telling the Lord my sin and the sin of my people Israel. I was asking the Lord my God to show favor to His holy mountain. 21 And while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in the dream, flew to me in a hurry at about the time when the evening gift is given in worship. 22 He talked to me and told me things, saying, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you. For you are loved very much. So listen to what I say and understand the special dream.
24 “Seventy weeks are given for your people and your holy city to finish the wrong-doing and put an end to sin. By the end of this time, you must pay for your sins and follow what is right and good forever. You must finish what was shown in the special dream and what has been spoken in My name, and set apart the most holy place. 25 Know and understand that seven weeks and sixty-two weeks will pass from the time the people are told to build Jerusalem again until the Chosen One comes. It will be built again, with streets and with a ditch of water around it. But that will be a troubled time. 26 After the sixty-two weeks, the Chosen One will be killed and have nothing. And the people of the ruler who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end will come like a flood. Even to the end there will be war. For the Lord has said that much will be destroyed. 27 That ruler will make a strong agreement with many for one week. But when half that time is past, he will put a stop to burnt gifts and grain gifts. And a very sinful man-made god will be put there. It will stay there until the one who put it there is destroyed.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
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