Daniel Chapter 9

¹ The First Year of Darius Son of Ahasuerus,

a Mede by Birth, King of the Babylonians

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

² I, Daniel, read in the scroll that the LORD had set 70 years for Jerusalem to lie in ruins, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet. ³ So I turned my attention to the Lord God and looked to him in prayer with fasting, burlap, and ashes. ⁴ I confessed,          

Dan 9:1-4a

 “LORD, great awesome God that keeps covenant and enduring love for those who love you and keep your commandments, ⁵ we’ve sinned, we’ve committed iniquity, we’ve acted sinfully and rebelled, we’ve turned away from your commandments and ordinances. ⁶ We’ve ignored your prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our officials, our ancestors, and the common people. ⁷ You’re good, but we’re openly shameful—people of Judah, Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far in all the countries where you’ve driven us for our unfaithfulness. [ ⁸ ] ⁹ You have mercy and forgiveness although we’ve rebelled, ¹⁰ haven’t obeyed, haven’t followed the laws your prophets set before us. ¹¹ Because Israel has sinned against your Law and turned aside from obeying you, you’ve poured out on us and our rulers the curse you swore in the Law of Moses. ¹² You’ve confirmed what you said by bringing this catastrophe on us. Nothing under heaven has ever been done like what you’ve done to Jerusalem. ¹³ This catastrophe has come on us, but we still haven’t sought your blessing by paying attention to your truth. ¹⁴ So you’ve brought on us the catastrophe you held in store. You’re good in everything you do, but we still haven’t obeyed you. ¹⁵ Lord our God who brought a people out of Egypt with a powerful hand and made a permanent name for yourself, we’ve sinned; we’ve been wicked. ¹⁶ In keeping with all your righteous acts, turn your anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Our ancestors’ iniquities and our own sins have made Jerusalem and your people a byword to everybody around us. ¹⁷ So listen to my prayer and supplication. For your honor, smile on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Turn your ear and listen; open your eyes and look at the city and our desolation. We’re not presenting our supplication because we have any merits, but because you have great mercy. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! forgive! do something! don’t delay! It’s your name the city and your people are wearing!                                                                         

Dan 9:4b-19

The Seventy-Week Prophecy

            ²⁰ While I was praying—confessing my sin and my people’s sin before the LORD my God on behalf of his holy mountain— ²¹ the man Gabriel that I’d seen at the beginning, came to me in my exhaustion about the time of the evening offering. ²² He instructed me,

      “Daniel, I’ve come to inform you. ²³ When you began your supplications, a decree went out. I’m here to tell you about it because you’re highly valued. Listen so you can understand the vision.

         ²⁴“Seventy sets of seven [hebdomads] have been decreed for your people and your holy city. That’s to end sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring everlasting goodness, to fulfill prophetic vision, to anoint a most holy place. ²⁵ Understand that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem till Messiah the Prince will be 7 sevens plus 62 sevens [hebdomads]. It will be rebuilt with streets and a moat in a stressful time. ²⁶ Then after 62 sevens, Messiah will be killed and have nothing, and the army of the ruler that will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood. To the end there’ll be war with desolations decreed. ²⁷ He’ll make a firm treaty with many for one set of seven [hebdomad]. In the middle of that set of seven, he’ll stop sacrifice and grain offering. As a result of his abominations, he will pour out total desolation—with destruction in turn decreed on the one that caused the desolation.”                                       

Dan 9:20-27