Daniel 9

Daniel’s prayer

1In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a Mede who had been made king over the Chaldean kingdom— 2in the first year of his reign—I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years the LORD had spoken of to Jeremiah the prophet: Jerusalem’s desolation was to last seventy years. 3I turned toward the Lord God, seeking him in prayer and pleas for mercy, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Please, Lord, great and awe-inspiring God, who keeps covenant and faithful love with those who love him and keep his commandments: 5we have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from your commandments and judgments. 6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and all the people of the land. 7Righteousness belongs to you, Lord, but shame covers our faces, as it does today: the people of Judah, Jerusalem’s inhabitants, and all Israel, near and far, in all the lands where you drove them because they were unfaithful to you. 8LORD, shame covers our faces—our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against you. 9Mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him. 10We have not obeyed the LORD our God or walked in the instructions he set before us through his servants the prophets. 11All Israel has transgressed your instruction and turned away, refusing to obey you. So the curse and sworn oath written in the instruction of Moses, God’s servant, have been poured out upon us, because we sinned against him. 12He has fulfilled the word he spoke against us and the rulers who ruled us, bringing great disaster upon us. Nothing under all heaven has been done like what was done to Jerusalem. 13All this disaster came upon us just as it is written in Moses’ instruction. Yet we did not seek the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our wrongdoing and giving attention to your truth. 14The LORD kept watch over the disaster and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in everything he has done, but we have not obeyed him. 15“And now, Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt with a strong hand and made a name for yourself that remains to this day. We have sinned; we have acted wickedly. 16Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, please turn your anger and fury away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and our ancestors’ wrongdoing, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace to everyone around us. 17Now, our God, hear your servant’s prayer and pleas for mercy. For the Lord’s sake, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary. 18My God, incline your ear and hear! Open your eyes and see our devastation and the city that bears your name. We lay our pleas before you because of your great mercy, not because of our righteous acts. 19Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention and act! Do not delay, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people bear your name.”

Gabriel’s answer

20I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and laying my plea before the LORD my God concerning my God’s holy mountain. 21While I was still speaking in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight at about the time of the evening offering. 22He instructed me and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23A word went out when you began your pleas, and I have come to tell you, because you are greatly treasured. So consider the word and understand the vision.

Seventy sevens

24“Seventy sevens have been decreed for your people and your holy city: to restrain rebellion, bring sin to an end, make atonement for wrongdoing, bring everlasting righteousness, seal vision and prophet, and anoint a most holy place. 25Know and understand: from the issuing of a word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed ruler comes, there will be seven sevens. For sixty-two sevens it will be rebuilt, with square and trench, but in troubled times. 26After the sixty-two sevens, an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a ruler who is to come will destroy the city and sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood; war will continue to the end. Desolations have been decreed. 27He will make a covenant strong for the many for one seven. Halfway through the seven he will stop sacrifice and offering. On a wing of abominations will be one who devastates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the devastator.”