Daniel’s Prayer
9 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Ahasuerus was king over ·Babylon [L the Chaldeans; C 539 bc]. He was ·a descendant [L from the seed] of the Medes [C a people group within the Persian empire]. 2 During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was ·reading in [pondering/reflecting on] the Scriptures. I saw ·that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years [L the number of years which were according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the ruin of Jerusalem was seventy years; 2 Chr. 36:20–22; Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10].
3 Then I turned [L my face] to the Lord God and ·prayed [L sought in prayer] and ·asked him for help [supplication]. ·To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in [L …with fasting, and sackcloth, and] ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and ·told him about all of our sins [made confession]. I said, “Lord, you are a great ·God who causes fear and wonder [L and awesome God]. You ·keep [guard] ·your agreement of love [covenant and loyalty] with all who love you and ·obey [keep; guard] your commands.
5 “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and ·turned [rebelled] against you, your commands, and your ·laws [judgments]. 6 We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke ·for you [L in your name] to our kings, our ·leaders [princes], our ·ancestors [fathers], and all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, ·you are good and right [L to you is righteousness], but ·we are full of shame [L to us is shame of face] today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you ·scattered [drove away] among many nations because they were ·not loyal [treacherous] to you. 8 Lord, ·we are all ashamed [L to us is shame of face]. Our kings and ·leaders [princes] and our ·fathers [ancestors] are ·ashamed [shame-faced], because we have ·sinned against [or failed] you.
9 “But, Lord our God, you ·show us mercy [have compassion] and forgive us even though we have ·turned [rebelled] against you. 10 We have not ·obeyed [L listened to the voice of] the Lord our God or the ·teachings [instructions; laws] he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 11 All the people of Israel have ·disobeyed [transgressed] your ·teachings [instructions; laws] and have turned away, refusing to ·obey you [L listen to your voice]. So you ·brought [poured] on us the curses and ·promises of punishment [oaths] written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses [Deut. 28:64–68], the servant of God, because we ·sinned against [failed] you.
12 “·You said these things would happen to us and our ·leaders [judges], and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. Nothing has ever been done ·on earth [L under all the heavens] like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 All this disaster came to us just as it is written in the ·Teachings [Instructions; Laws] of Moses [Deut. 28:15–68]. But we have not ·pleaded [entreated] with the Lord our God. We have not ·stopped [turned from] ·sinning [iniquity]. We have not ·paid attention to [considered; pondered; reflected on] your ·truth [faithfulness]. 14 The Lord ·was ready to bring [L kept watch on and brought] the disaster on us, and he did it because the Lord our God is ·right [righteous] in everything he does. But we still did not ·obey him [L listen to his voice].
15 “Lord our God, ·you used your power and [L by your strong hand you] brought us out of Egypt [Ex. 12–15]. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have sinned and ·have done wrong [acted wickedly]. 16 Lord, ·you do what is right, but [L according to all your righteousness,] ·please do not be angry with [L turn aside your anger and your wrath from] Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill [C Zion, the location of the Temple]. Because of our sins and the ·evil things [iniquity] done by our ·ancestors [fathers], people all around ·insult and make fun of [scorn; reproach] Jerusalem and your people.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my ·prayer for help [supplication], and for ·your [L the Lord’s] sake ·do good things for [L make your face shine on] your ·holy place [sanctuary] that is in ruins. 18 My God, ·pay attention [L extend/incline your ear] and hear me. Open your eyes and see all ·the terrible things that have happened to us [L our desolation/destruction] and the city that is called by your name. We do not ·ask these things [present our supplication] because ·we are good [of our righteousness]; instead, we ask because of your ·mercy [compassion]. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, ·hear us [pay attention] and do something! For your sake, don’t ·wait [delay], because your city and your people are called by your name.”
Gabriel’s Explanation
20 While I was ·saying these things in my prayer [L speaking and praying] to the Lord, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel and ·praying [L laying down my supplication] for God’s holy hill [C Zion, the location of the Temple], 21 Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my ·last vision [L vision in the beginning; 8:1].) ·He came flying quickly to me [or…when I was tired and weary] about the time of the evening sacrifice, while I was still praying. 22 He ·taught me [L made me understand] and said to me, “Daniel, I have come [L out now] to give you wisdom and to help you understand. 23 ·When you first started praying [L At the beginning of your supplication], an ·answer [L word] ·was given [L went out], and I came to tell you, because ·God loves you very much [L you are favored/coveted/desired]. So ·think about [consider; reflect; ponder] the ·message [L word] and ·understand [consider; reflect; ponder] the vision.
24 “·God has ordered four hundred ninety years [L Seventy sevens/weeks are given] for your people and your holy city [C for the following reasons]: to ·stop [finish] ·people from turning against God [transgression]; to put an end to sin; to ·take away [atone for] ·evil [iniquity]; to bring in ·goodness that continues forever [everlasting righteousness]; to ·bring about [seal] the vision and prophecy; and to ·appoint [anoint] a most holy place.
25 “Learn and understand these things. A command will come to ·rebuild [L restore and build] Jerusalem. The time from this command until the ·appointed leader [anointed prince] comes will be ·forty-nine years [L seven sevens/weeks] and ·four hundred thirty-four years [L sixty-two sevens/weeks]. Jerusalem will be ·rebuilt [L restored and built] with ·streets [or public squares] and a ·trench filled with water around it [moat; or conduits], but it will be built in times of ·trouble [oppression]. 26 After the ·four hundred thirty-four years [L sixty-two sevens/weeks] the ·appointed leader [L anointed one] will be ·killed [L cut off]; he will have nothing. The ·people [or troops] of the ·leader [prince] who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of ·the city [L it/or him] will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. ·God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed [L Desolation/Destruction is decreed]. 27 ·That leader [L He] will make firm an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with many people for ·seven years [L one seven/week]. He will ·stop [make cease] the offerings and sacrifices after ·three and one-half years [L a half a seven/week]. ·A destroyer will do blasphemous things until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city [L …and upon a wing will be the horrible abominations until the decreed end overwhelms the desolator].”