In the firstyear of his reign I Danielunderstood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORDcame to Jeremiah the prophet, that he wouldaccomplishseventyyears in the desolations of Jerusalem.
And I prayedunto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to themthatlove him, and to themthatkeep his commandments;
Neitherhave we hearkenedunto thy servants the prophets, whichspake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousnessbelongethuntothee, 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 countrieswhitherthouhastdriventhem, because of theirtrespassthattheyhavetrespassedagainstthee.
Yea, all Israelhavetransgressed thy law, even by departing, thattheymight not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is pouredupon us, and the oaththat is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we havesinnedagainst him.
And he hathconfirmed his words, which he spakeagainst us, and against our judgesthatjudged us, by bringingupon us a greatevil: for under the wholeheavenhath not beendone as hathbeendoneuponJerusalem.
As it is written in the law of Moses, all thisevil is comeupon us: yet made we not our prayerbefore the LORD our God, that we mightturnfrom our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Thereforehath the LORDwatchedupon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his workswhich he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
And now, O Lord our God, thathastbrought thy peopleforth out of the land of Egyptwith a mightyhand, and hastgottentheerenown, as at this day; we havesinned, we havedonewickedly.
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseechthee, let thineanger and thy fury be turnedawayfrom thy cityJerusalem, thy holymountain: 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.
Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shineupon thy sanctuarythat is desolate, for the Lord’ssake.
O my God, inclinethine ear, and hear; openthineeyes, and behold our desolations, and the citywhich is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplicationsbeforethee for our righteousnesses, but for thy greatmercies.
And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my peopleIsrael, and presenting my supplicationbefore the LORD my God for the holymountain of my God;
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, beingcaused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the eveningoblation.
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandmentcameforth, and I am come to shewthee; for thou art greatlybeloved: thereforeunderstand the matter, and consider the vision.
Seventyweeks are determinedupon thy people and upon thy holycity, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to makereconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlastingrighteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the mostHoly.
Knowtherefore and understand, thatfrom the goingforth of the commandment to restore and to buildJerusalemunto the Messiah the Princeshall be sevenweeks, and threescore and two weeks: the streetshall be builtagain, and the wall, even in troubloustimes.
And afterthreescore and two weeksshallMessiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the princethatshallcomeshalldestroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereofshall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
And he shallconfirm the covenantwithmany for one week: and in the midst of the week he shallcause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shallmake it desolate, evenuntil the consummation, and thatdeterminedshall be pouredupon the desolate.