Daniel

¹In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by descent, who was made king over the Babylonian empire,

²in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the holy books the number of years that Yahweh had spoken about to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of Jerusalem's desolation, which was seventy years.

³I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking him with prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

⁴I prayed to Yahweh my God and confessed, saying, 'Oh, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and shows faithful love to those who love him and obey his commands,'

⁵'we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled, turning away from your instructions and your laws.'

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

⁷'Lord, you are righteous, but we are covered with shame, as it is today—the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered them because of the unfaithfulness they showed toward you.'

⁸'Lord, we are covered with shame—our kings, our officials, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against you.'

⁹'To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against him.'

¹⁰'We have not obeyed Yahweh our God by following his laws, which he set before us through his servants the prophets.'

¹¹'Indeed, all Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. Therefore, the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against him.'

¹²'He has made good on his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who governed us, by bringing a great disaster upon us. For under the whole heaven, nothing has happened like what has happened to Jerusalem.'

¹³It is written in the Law of Moses that all this disaster has come upon us. Yet, we have not tried to please Yahweh our God by turning from our wickedness and understanding your truth.

¹⁴Therefore, Yahweh has brought this disaster upon us, because he was watching for it. Yahweh our God is fair in everything he does, but we have not obeyed him.

¹⁵Now, Lord our God, you led your people out of Egypt with your great power, and you are famous to this day. We have sinned and acted wickedly.

¹⁶Lord, because of all your goodness, please turn your anger and wrath away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are scorned by everyone around us.

¹⁷So now, our God, listen to your servant's prayer and requests. Make your face shine on your temple, which is in ruins, for your own sake, Lord.

¹⁸My God, listen and hear me. Open your eyes and see our ruined state, and the city that is called by your name. We are not making our requests to you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

¹⁹Lord, hear us! Lord, forgive us! Lord, listen and act! Do not delay, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.

²⁰While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my request before Yahweh my God for his holy mountain,

²¹yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the first vision, flew swiftly and touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice.

²²He explained things to me and said, "Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding."

²³"At the beginning of your prayers, a command was given, and I have come to tell you, because you are very precious. So, consider the message and understand the vision."

²⁴"Seventy 'weeks' have been decided for your people and your holy city, to put an end to rebellion, to finish sins, to correct wrongdoing, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to fulfill vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place."

²⁵"Know and understand this: from the time the command is issued to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the Ruler, there will be seven 'weeks' and sixty-two 'weeks'. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in difficult times."

²⁶"After the sixty-two 'weeks', the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the coming ruler will destroy the city and the temple. The end will come like a flood; war will continue until the end, and desolations are certain."

²⁷"He will make a strong agreement with many for one 'week'. In the middle of that 'week', he will stop sacrifices and offerings. On the highest point of the temple, the one who brings destruction will set up a disgusting idol, until the determined end is poured out on the one who causes desolation."