Daniel
Chapter 9
1 In the first year of Darius, son of Ahasuerus, from the Medes’ family, who became king of the Chaldean land;
2 In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, learned from the writings the number of years God told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be in ruins, which was seventy years.
3 I turned to God, to ask for help with prayers and pleas, fasting, wearing burlap, and sitting in ashes.
4 I prayed to God, my God, and confessed, saying, “Oh God, the great and awesome God, who keeps His promise and kindness to those who love Him and obey His commands.”
5 We have sinned, done wrong, acted badly, and rebelled by turning away from your commands and laws.
6 We did not listen to your prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and everyone in the country.
7 God, you are righteous, but we are ashamed because we have sinned, both in Judah, in Jerusalem, and among all Israel, near and far, in every country where you have scattered us because of our wrongdoings against you.
8 God, we deserve to be ashamed because we, our leaders, and our ancestors have sinned against you.
9 God is kind and forgiving, even when we disobey him.
10 We have not listened to God’s voice or followed his laws given to us through his prophets.
11 Yes, all Israel has broken your law by turning away and not listening to you; so the curse written in Moses’s Law has come upon us because we have sinned against you.
12 He has made his words come true, which he spoke against us and our leaders who judged us, by bringing a great disaster on us. Nothing like this has ever happened under the whole sky as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 The law of Moses says all this bad has happened to us. But we didn’t pray to God to turn away from our wrongs and know your truth.
14 So God has been watching the bad things and let them happen to us because God is fair in everything he does; we did not listen to what he said.
15 And now, our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with great power and made yourself famous as seen today, we have sinned and acted badly.
16 God, because of your goodness, I ask you to stop being angry with your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Our sins and the wrongs of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an embarrassment to everyone around us.
17 So now, our God, listen to your servant’s prayer and plea, and make your temple, that is empty, shine with your presence, for your own sake.
18 My God, please listen and hear us; look and see our ruins, and the city named after you. We ask for help, not because we are good, but because of your great kindness.
19 God, hear; God, forgive; God, listen and act; do not delay, for your own sake, my God: for your city and your people bear your name.
20 While I was talking, praying, admitting my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and asking God for help for his holy mountain;
21 Yes, as I was praying, the man Gabriel, who I had seen in my earlier vision, came quickly to me just when it was time for the evening offering.
22 He told me and said, “Daniel, I have come to give you wisdom and insight.”
23 As soon as you started to pray, a message was sent out, and I have come to tell you, for you are very loved. So pay attention to the message and think about the vision.
24 God has set apart seventy weeks for your people and your holy city to stop their rebellion, end their sins, make up for their wrongs, bring in eternal goodness, complete the vision and prophecy, and dedicate the holiest place.
25 Understand this: From the time the order is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the leader, the Messiah, comes, there will be seven sets of seven years and sixty-two sets of seven years. The city will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the difficult times.
26 After sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be killed, not for his own sake. The people of the coming prince will destroy the city and the holy place. The end will come like a flood, and until the war is over, ruins are destined.
27 He will make a strong agreement with many people for one week. In the middle of the week, he will stop the offerings and sacrifices. Because of widespread wicked acts, he will leave the place empty until the end that is decided pours out on the ruined city.