Historical

Daniel Confesses Israel’s Sins

9 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, ² in the first year of his reign—I, Daniel, understood from the books that according to the word of Adonai to Jeremiah the prophet, the number of the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 years. ³ So I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ “I prayed to Adonai my God and confessed, saying: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot, ⁵ we have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have acted wickedly; we have rebelled; we have turned away from Your mitzvot and from Your rulings. ⁶ We have not listened to Your servants the prophets,^[a] who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷ “‘You Lord are righteousness, but shame covers our face to this day—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries where you have banished them—because they behaved unfaithfully toward you. ⁸ Adonai, shame covers our face—our kings, our leaders, our fathers—because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. ¹⁰ We have not obeyed the voice of Adonai Eloheinu by walking in His Torah that He set before us through His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your Torah and has turned away—not obeying Your voice.

“‘Therefore the curse and sworn judgment written in the Torah of Moses the servant of God has been poured out upon us, for we have sinned against Him. ¹² So He has confirmed His words that he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled over us by bringing on us a great calamity. Under the whole heaven nothing like this has ever been done to Jerusalem! ^{[b] 13} As it is written in the Torah of Moses, all this calamity came on us, yet we have not sought the favor of Adonai Eloheinu by turning away from our iniquities and paying attention to Your truth. ¹⁴ So Adonai was intent on bringing the calamity upon us, for Adonai Eloheinu is righteous in all His deeds that He has done—while we have not paid attention to His voice.

¹⁵ “‘So now, Adonai Eloheinu, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made for Yourself a Name to this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, let Your anger and Your fury turn away, please, from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn to all those around us.

¹⁷ ‘So now, our God, listen to the prayers and petitions of Your servant, and cause Your face to shine upon Your devastated Sanctuary, for the sake of my Lord. ¹⁸ Give ear, my God, and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolation and the city called by Your name. We do not present our supplications before You because of our own righteousness, but because of Your great compassions. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay! For Your city and Your people are called by Your name.’

The Mashiach and Seventy Weeks

²⁰ “While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Adonai my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God— ²¹ yes, while I was praying, Gabriel, the one I had seen in the earlier vision,^[c] came to me swiftly about the time of the evening offering.

²² “He instructed me and said to me: ‘Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding. ²³ At the beginning of your requests, a message went out, and I have come to declare it to you, for you are greatly esteemed. Therefore consider the message and understand the vision:

²⁵ So know and understand:

From the issuing of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time Mashiach,^[e] the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks.

It will be rebuilt, with plaza and moat, but it will be in times of distress.

²⁶ Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing.^[f]

Then the people of a prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.^[g] But his end will come like a flood. Until the end of the war that is decreed there will be destruction.

²⁷ Then he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on a wing of abominations will come one who destroys,^[h] until the decreed annihilation is poured out on the one who destroys.’”

Angelic Princes Battle for 21 Days

10 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The oracle was true and concerns a great war. He understood the message and gained insight through a vision.

² “In those days, I, Daniel was mourning for three whole weeks. ³ I ate no rich food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I anoint myself with oil, until the end of three weeks.

⁴ “Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was beside the bank of the great river, the Tigris, ⁵ I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a man dressed in linen with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ^{[i] 6} His body was like yellow jasper, his face like a flash of lightning, his eyes like fiery torches, his arms and his feet like the gleam of burnished bronze,^[j] and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude.^[k]

⁷ “Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men that were with me did not see the vision. Nevertheless, such a great terror fell upon them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone to see this great vision. My strength drained from me and my vigor was destroyed; I could not summon any strength. ⁹ Yet I heard the sound of his words. When I heard him speaking, I fell on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground.^[l]

¹⁰ “Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said to me, ‘Daniel, highly valued man, carefully consider the words I am speaking to you. Stand up! For now I have been sent to you.’ When he spoke this word to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² “Then he said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, Daniel! For from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come because of your words. ¹³ However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for 21 days, but behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I had been detained there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future days. For the vision concerns days yet to come.’

¹⁵ “While he was speaking these words to me, I bowed my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then behold, one who resembled a human touched my lips. I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to him that stood before me, ‘O my Lord because of the vision, anguish has overcome me and I have no strength. ¹⁷ For how can this servant of my Lord speak with my Lord since no strength remains in me and no spirit is left in me?’

¹⁸ “Again the one who looked like a man touched me and strengthened me. ¹⁹ Then he said: ‘Highly valued man, do not fear! Shalom to you. Be strong, now! Chazak!’

“Even as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’

²⁰ “Then he said: ‘Do you understand why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia! When I go, behold, the prince of Greece will come. ²¹ But first, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of truth.’ (No one strengthened me against these, except Michael your prince.^[m]