Daniel 9

1In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—

2In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of the years about which the word of Yahweh had come to Jeremiah the prophet, for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem: seventy years.

3So I turned my face to the Lord God, to seek prayer and pleas for mercy, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

4And I prayed to Yahweh my God and confessed and said, “Please, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and steadfast love for those who love him and keep his commandments,”

5We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and your judgments.

6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our officials, our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us belongs shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands where you have driven them, because of their unfaithfulness that they committed against you.

8O Lord, to us belongs shame of face—to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers—because we have sinned against you.

9To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.

10and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us through his servants the prophets.

11All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, not listening to your voice. So the curse and the oath that are written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against him.

12He has confirmed his words that he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster such as had not been done under all heaven, as it was done in Jerusalem.

13Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of Yahweh our God by turning from our iniquities and by gaining insight into your truth.

14So Yahweh kept watch over the disaster and brought it upon us, for Yahweh our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not listened to his voice.

15And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made for yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned; we have acted wickedly.

16Lord, according to all your righteous acts, please let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because through our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all those around us.

17And now, our God, hear the prayer of your servant and his pleas for mercy, and let your face shine upon your sanctuary, which lies desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

18Incline your ear, my God, and hear; open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name. For we are not presenting our pleas before you because of our righteousnesses, but because of your abundant mercies.

19Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention and act! Do not delay, for your own sake, my God, because your name is called over your city and your people.

20While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God,

21while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening offering.

22He made me understand, and spoke with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.”

23At the beginning of your pleas, a word went out, and I have come to tell it, because you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision.

24Seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people and your holy city: to finish the transgression, to seal up sins, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place.

25So know and understand: from the issuing of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince, there will be seven weeks, and for sixty-two weeks it will be restored and rebuilt, with plaza and moat, but in troubled times.

26And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off and will have nothing. And the city and the sanctuary the people of the coming ruler will destroy. Its end will come with a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations are decreed.

27And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, and for half of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.