Daniel 9

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

1 *ch. 11:1In the first year of *See ch. 5:31Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a *[ch. 8:20] Mede, who was made king over the realm of the *ch. 5:30Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to *[Ezra 1:1;Jer. 25:12]the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by *ver. 17, 18, 23;[Neh. 1:4]prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and *ver. 20;[Ezra 10:1;Neh. 1:6] made confession, saying, *Neh. 1:5;9:32"O Lord, the *Neh. 1:5;9:32great and awesome God, who *Deut. 7:9keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 *ver. 15we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly *Lam. 3:42and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 *2 Chr. 36:15,16We have not listened to *Ezra 9:11;Zech. 1:6your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to *Ezra 9:7;Neh. 9:34our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, *[ver. 14; Lam. 1:18] O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, *[Esth. 9:20] those who are near and *[Esth. 9:20] those who are far away, in *See Jer. 8:3all the lands to which you have driven them, because of *Lev. 26:40the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because *[See ver. 5above]we have sinned against you. 9 *Neh. 9:17;Ps. 86:15To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 *[See ver. 6above] and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by *[See ver. 6above]his servants the prophets. 11 *See Isa. 1:4-6All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, *[Jer. 40:3;44:23] refusing to obey your voice. *Jer. 44:22And the curse and oath *See Lev. 26:14-45;Deut. 28:15-68that are written in the Law of *1 Chr. 6:49;2 Chr. 24:9;Neh. 10:29Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because *[See ver. 5above]we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against *[Ps. 82:2,3] our rulers who ruled us,*9:12 Or our judges who judged us by *Jer. 39:16bringing upon us a great calamity. *Ezek. 5:9;[Lam. 1:12]For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 *[See ver. 11above] As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, *Hos. 7:10turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 *[Jer. 1:12] Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, *Neh. 9:33; See ver. 7for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and *ver. 10we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt *Ex. 32:11;[Ex. 6:1;Neh. 1:10] with a mighty hand, and *Ex. 14:18;Neh. 9:10have made a name for yourself, as at this day, *See ver. 5we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 "O Lord, *Ps. 31:1;71:2according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, *ver. 20;ch. 11:45;Jer. 31:23;Zech. 8:3your holy hill, *Lam. 1:5because for our sins, and for *[Ex. 20:5] the iniquities of our fathers, *Lam. 2:15,16Jerusalem and your people have become *Ps. 44:13;79:4;Ezek. 36:4;Mic. 6:16a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,*9:17 Hebrew for the Lord’s sake*Num. 6:25make your face to shine upon *Lam. 5:18your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 *2 Kgs. 19:16;Isa. 37:17O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see *ver. 26;See ver. 27our desolations, and *Jer. 25:29the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. *Ps. 40:17;70:5Delay not, *Ps. 25:11;79:9for your own sake, O my God, because *[See ver. 18above] your city and *Jer. 14:9your people are called by your name."

Gabriel Brings an Answer

20 *Isa. 65:24While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for *See ver. 16the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man *See ch. 8:16Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, *See ch. 8:18came to me in swift flight at *Ex. 29:39;[1 Kgs. 18:36;Ezra 9:4,5]the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 *[ch. 8:16] He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, "O Daniel, I have now come out to give you *[ch. 1:4,17]insight and understanding. 23 *[ver. 20] At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, *[ch. 10:12,14] and I have come to tell it to you, for *ch. 10:11,19you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word *[Matt. 24:15;Mark 13:14]and understand the vision.

The Seventy Weeks

24 *[Ezek. 4:6] "Seventy weeks*9:24 Or sevens; also twice in verse 25 and once in verse 26 are decreed about your people and *Neh. 11:1your holy city, to finish *ch. 8:13the transgression, to put an end to sin, *[Ps. 78:38;Heb. 2:17]; See Jer. 31:34and to atone for iniquity, *Rom. 3:25,26;See Jer. 23:5,6to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and *[Ps. 45:7;Isa. 61:1;Acts 4:26,27]to anoint a most holy place.*9:24 Or thing, or one25 *[ver. 23] Know therefore and understand that *[2 Chr. 36:23;Ezra 1:3;4:24;6:15;Neh. 6:15] from the going out of the word to restore and *[Ps. 51:18] build Jerusalem to the coming of an *John 1:41anointed one, a *Isa. 55:4prince, there shall be seven weeks. And for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again*9:25 Or there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again with squares and moat, *See Neh. 4:7,8,16-18but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall *Isa. 53:8;[Mark 9:12;Luke 24:26] be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come *[Matt. 24:2;Mark 13:2;Luke 19:43,44] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. *Nah. 1:8;[ch. 11:10, 22, 26, 40] Its*9:26 Or His end shall come with a flood, *Matt. 24:6,14and to the end there shall be war. *ver. 18;See ver. 27Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,*9:27 Or seven; twice in this verse and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. *Matt. 24:15;Mark 13:14;[Luke 21:20] And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until *Isa. 10:23the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."