¹ In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--

² in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of the years about which the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the completion of the desolation of Jerusalem, seventy years.

³ And I turned to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God, and made this confession, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments.

⁵ We have sinned, and have done what is wrong and wicked, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your commandments and from your ordinances.

⁶ Neither have we listened to 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.

⁷ Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds that they have committed against you.

⁸ Lord, to us belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

⁹ To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.

¹⁰ And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

¹¹ Yes, all Israel has transgressed your law, and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. Therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.

¹² He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing on us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven such has not been done as has been done on Jerusalem.

¹³ As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us. Yet have we not tried to gain the favor of the Lord our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

¹⁴ Therefore has the Lord watched over the calamity, and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

¹⁵ "And now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, even to this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

¹⁶ Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

¹⁷ Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

¹⁸ My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our desolation, and the city which is called by your name. For we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercy.

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

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

²¹ while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came to me in my weariness about the time of the evening sacrifice.

²² He instructed me, and talked with me, and said, "Daniel, I have now come forth to give you wisdom and understanding.

²³ At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

²⁴ Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to put an end to the transgression, and to make an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.

²⁵ Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with open spaces and a moat, but in times of distress.

²⁶ After the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and his end shall come with a flood, and until the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed.

²⁷ He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who destroys, and even until a complete destruction, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."