1 In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood the number of the years by books, which had been a Word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.3 And I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek by prayer and holy desires, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.4 And I prayed to Jehovah my God, and made my confession, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and mercy of those who love Him, and to those who keep His commandments,5 we have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done evilly, and we have rebelled, even by departing from Your commandments and from Your judgments.6 And we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our rulers, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us the shame of our faces, as it is this day to the men of Judah, and to those living in Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near and who are afar through all the lands where You have driven them for their unfaithfulness which they have done against You.8 O Lord, shame of face belongs to us, to our kings, to our rulers and to our fathers, because we have sinned against You.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and pardons, for we have rebelled against Him.10 We 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 Yea, all Israel has transgressed Your Law and turned aside that they might not obey Your voice. For this reason the curse has 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.12 And He has confirmed His Words which He spoke against us, and against our judges who judge us, by bringing on us a great evil. For under the whole heavens it has not been done as it has been done to Jerusalem.13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we did not make our prayer before Jehovah our God that we might turn from our perversities and understand Your truth.14 And Jehovah has looked on the evil and has made it come on us. For Jehovah our God is righteous in all His works which He does. For we did not obey His voice.15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made for Yourself a name, as it is this day; we have sinned; we have done evilly.16 O Lord, I pray to You, according to all Your righteousness, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For because of our sins and of our fathers' iniquities, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.17 And now, hear, O our God, the prayer of Your servant and his holy desires, and cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary that is desolate, for the sake of the Lord.18 O my God, bow down Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our ruins and the city which is called by Your name. For we do not make our prayers fall before You on account of our righteousnesses, but because of Your great mercies.19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, attend to us and work! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God. For Your name is called on Your city and on Your people.20 And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and making my cry fall before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God,21 and while I was setting my prayer in order, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, touched me in my severe exhaustion about the time of the evening sacrifice.22 And he enlightened me and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I have now come out to give you skill in understanding.23 At the beginning of your prayers the word came forth, and I have come to explain it. For you are greatly beloved. Then consider the matter and understand the vision:24 Seventy weeks are decreed as to your people, and as to your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.25 Know, then, and understand that from the going out of a word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction.26 And after sixty two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. And the people of a coming ruler shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end shall be with the flood, and ruins are determined, and war shall be until the end.27 And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week. And in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on a corner of the altar will be abominations that desolate, even until the end. And that which was decreed shall pour out on the desolator.