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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.”

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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.

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

In the first year of (A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 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. So I gave my [a]attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 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, (F)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and [b]acted wickedly and (G)rebelled, even (H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 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.

(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. [d]Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:3 Lit face
  2. Daniel 9:5 Or made ourselves guilty
  3. Daniel 9:7 Lit the shame of face
  4. Daniel 9:8 Lit The shame of face
  5. Daniel 9:9 Or though
  6. Daniel 9:10 Or laws
  7. Daniel 9:12 Lit judges who judged us
  8. Daniel 9:13 Lit softened the face of
  9. Daniel 9:13 Or having insight into
  10. Daniel 9:14 Lit watched over the evil
  11. Daniel 9:16 Lit righteousnesses
  12. Daniel 9:17 Lit the sake of the Lord
  13. Daniel 9:18 Lit casting down
  14. Daniel 9:18 Lit our righteousnesses