Daniel 9

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

In the inaugural year of Darius, Ahasuerus' son, from the lineage of the Medes, who was crowned king over the Chaldean kingdom;

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, realized through my readings that God had revealed to Jeremiah, the prophet, a prophecy. It stated that Jerusalem would endure seventy years of devastation.

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

I turned my heart towards God, seeking Him through heartfelt prayers and humble requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

I prayed to God and made my confession, saying, "Oh Lord, you are mighty and awe-inspiring, keeping your covenant and showing kindness to those who love you and keep your commandments."

We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

We've messed up, done wrong, acted wickedly, and rebelled, straying from your teachings and judgments.

Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

We've ignored your messengers, the prophets, who spoke your words to our leaders, our ancestors, and everyone in our land.

O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

God, you are the embodiment of righteousness. But we, your people, are covered with shame, as we are today. This applies to everyone, from the people of Judah and Jerusalem to all of Israel, both near and far, in all the lands where you have driven us because of our wrongdoings against you.

O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

Lord, we feel shame and guilt, our leaders and ancestors included, for we have wronged you.

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

Our Lord, full of compassion and forgiveness, still loves us despite our defiance.

Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

We've ignored God's call, failing to follow the rules He shared through His prophets.

Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

Indeed, we, the people of Israel, have strayed from your laws, ignoring your voice. As a result, we're now facing the consequences and the curse outlined in Moses' law, due to our sins against you.

And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

He has proven true to His words, spoken against us and our leaders, by inflicting a terrible disaster on us. Such a catastrophe has never been seen anywhere in the world as it has in Jerusalem.

As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

Despite the warnings in Moses' law, we've fallen into hardship. Yet, we failed to seek God's guidance, to repent for our wrongs, and grasp His truth.

Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

So the Lord kept this disaster ready and brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does. We didn't listen to Him.

And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

Our Lord, you led us from Egypt with strength, earning your fame. Yet, we've failed you, acting in sin and wickedness.

O LORD, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

Dear Lord, in your perfect righteousness, I humbly ask you to calm your anger towards Jerusalem, your sacred city. Our sins and our ancestors' wrongdoings have brought shame upon us and the city. Please, forgive us.

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

Please, dear God, listen to your servant's prayer and pleas. Let your light brighten your neglected sanctuary, for your own glory.

O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

Dear God, please listen and see our suffering and the ruin of your city. We don't ask this because we're perfect, but because of your immense compassion.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Dear Lord, please listen and forgive us. Act swiftly, for your sake, my God. Your city and people bear your name, don't delay.

And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

As I poured out my heart, confessing my sin and the sin of my people, Israel, I pleaded with God, seeking His mercy for His sacred mountain.

Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

As I was deep in prayer, Gabriel, the man I'd seen in my initial vision, came to me. He moved with such speed, reaching me just as the evening sacrifice was being made.

And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

He spoke to me, saying, "Daniel, I'm here now to gift you wisdom and insight."

At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

As soon as you began to pray, the answer was given, and I've come to share it with you because you are deeply loved. So, grasp the meaning and contemplate the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Seventy weeks are set for your people and your sacred city. This period will end their wrongdoings, wipe out their sins, and make atonement for their guilt. It will usher in a time of unending goodness, seal up the vision and the prophecy, and anoint the holiest of all.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Understand this, from the moment the order is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the arrival of the Messiah, it will be a period of seven weeks, then sixty-two weeks. Despite challenging times, the city's streets and walls will be reconstructed.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

After sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be taken away, not for his own sake. The future prince's people will ruin the city and the sacred place. The end will come like a flood, and until the war is over, devastation is inevitable.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

He will make a covenant with many for a week. Halfway through, he'll stop all sacrifices and offerings. Because of the spreading of abominations, he will make it desolate until the end, when the destruction that has been decreed is poured out on the desolate.