1 I n the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—

Darius the son of Ahasuerus, who was born a Mede, was made king over the nation of the Babylonians.

2 I n the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years.

In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, understood the books which were given by the Lord through Jeremiah that Jerusalem would lie waste for seventy years.

3 A nd I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;

So I turned to the Lord God in prayer and did not eat. I dressed in cloth made from hair, and threw ashes on myself.

4 A nd I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

I prayed to the Lord my God and told him the sins of my people, saying, “O Lord, you are great and we fear You. You keep Your agreement and show loving-kindness to those who love You and keep Your Laws.

5 W e have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.

“But we have sinned. We have done wrong and have acted in sin. We have turned against You and against Your Laws.

6 N either have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

We have not listened to Your servants who spoke for You, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the trespass which they have committed against You.

You are right and good, O Lord. But we are all covered with shame, all the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel. The people both near and far away in all the countries where You have driven us are covered with shame because they have not been faithful to You.

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

We, our kings, our leaders and our fathers are all covered with shame, O Lord, because we have sinned against You.

9 T o the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;

O Lord our God, You are kind and forgiving, even when we would not obey You.

10 A nd we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.

We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following the Laws He gave us through His servants who spoke for Him.

11 Y es, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.

All Israel has sinned against Your Law and turned away, not obeying Your voice. So the curses and punishments have been poured out on us, which were written about in the Law of God’s servant Moses. For we have sinned against Him.

12 A nd He has carried out intact His words which He threatened against us and against our judges who ruled us, and He has brought upon us a great evil; for under the whole heavens there has not been done before as done against Jerusalem.

He has done what He said He would do against us and our leaders, and has brought much trouble upon us. For under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.

13 J ust as it is written in the Law of Moses as to all this evil, so it has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth.

All this trouble has come upon us just as it is written in the Law of Moses. Yet we have not looked for the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sin and following Your truth.

14 T herefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity (evil) and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does; and we have not obeyed His voice.

So the Lord brought trouble upon us. For the Lord our God is right and good in all He does, but we have not obeyed His voice.

15 A nd now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and secured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

“O Lord our God, You have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a powerful hand. And You have made a name for Yourself that is known to this day. Now we have sinned. We have done sinful things.

16 O Lord, according to all Your rightness and justice, I beseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach and a byword to all who are around about us.

O Lord, because You are right and good in what You do, do not be angry any longer with Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For because of our sins and the sins of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have been put to shame by everyone around us.

17 N ow therefore, O our God, listen to and heed the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and for Your own sake cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary which is desolate.

So now, our God, listen to Your servant’s prayer and what he is asking. And for Your good, O Lord, look with favor upon the House of God which now lies waste.

18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You for our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy and loving-kindness.

O my God, turn Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our trouble and the city that is called by Your name. We are not asking this of You because we are right or good, but because of Your great loving-pity.

19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! For Your own good, O my God, do not wait, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” Daniel Tells about the Future

20 W hile I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God—

I was speaking and praying, and telling the Lord my sin and the sin of my people Israel. I was asking the Lord my God to show favor to His holy mountain.

21 Y es, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice.

And while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in the dream, flew to me in a hurry at about the time when the evening gift is given in worship.

22 H e instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding.

He talked to me and told me things, saying, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding.

23 A t the beginning of your prayers, the word went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.

As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you. For you are loved very much. So listen to what I say and understand the special dream.

24 S eventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish and put an end to transgression, to seal up and make full the measure of sin, to purge away and make expiation and reconciliation for sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness (permanent moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint a Holy of Holies.

“Seventy weeks are given for your people and your holy city to finish the wrong-doing and put an end to sin. By the end of this time, you must pay for your sins and follow what is right and good forever. You must finish what was shown in the special dream and what has been spoken in My name, and set apart the most holy place.

25 K now therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Anointed One, a Prince, shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it shall be built again with square and moat, but in troublous times.

Know and understand that seven weeks and sixty-two weeks will pass from the time the people are told to build Jerusalem again until the Chosen One comes. It will be built again, with streets and with a ditch of water around it. But that will be a troubled time.

26 A nd after the sixty-two weeks shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing belonging to Him. And the people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed.

After the sixty-two weeks, the Chosen One will be killed and have nothing. And the people of the ruler who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end will come like a flood. Even to the end there will be war. For the Lord has said that much will be destroyed.

27 A nd he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.

That ruler will make a strong agreement with many for one week. But when half that time is past, he will put a stop to burnt gifts and grain gifts. And a very sinful man-made god will be put there. It will stay there until the one who put it there is destroyed.”