Daniel 9

MSTC^{(i) 1} In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, which was of the seed of the Medes, and was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans: ² Yea, even in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, desired to know the yearly number out of the books, whereof the LORD spake unto Jeremiah the Prophet: that Jerusalem should lie waste seventy years: ³ and I turned me unto God the LORD, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes. ⁴ I prayed before the LORD my God, and knowledged, saying, "O LORD, thou great and fearful God, thou that keepest covenant and mercy with them which love thee, and do thy commandments: ⁵ We have sinned, we have offended, we have been disobedient and gone back: yea, we have departed from all thy precepts and judgments. ⁶ We would never follow thy servants the Prophets, that spake in thy name to our kings and princes, to our forefathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ O LORD righteousness belongeth unto thee; unto us pertaineth nothing but open shame: as it is come to pass this day unto every man of Judah, and to them that dwell at Jerusalem. Yea, unto all Israel, whether they be far or nigh, throughout all lands wherein thou hast strawed them, because of the offenses that they had done against thee. ⁸ Yea O LORD: Unto us, to our kings and princes, to our forefathers, even to us all that have offended thee, belongeth open shame. ⁹ But unto thee O LORD our God, pertaineth mercy and forgiveness. As for us, we are gone back from him, ¹⁰ and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he laid before us by his servants the Prophets. ¹¹ Yea, all Israel have transgressed, and gone back from thy law, so that they have not hearkened unto thy voice. Wherefore the curse and oath, that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, against whom we have offended, is poured upon us. ¹² And he hath performed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us: to bring upon us such a great plague, as never was under heaven, like as it is now come to pass in Jerusalem. ¹³ Yea, all this plague, as it is written in the law of Moses, is come upon us. Yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn again from our wickedness, and to be learned in thy verity. ¹⁴ Therefore hath the LORD made haste, to bring this plague upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doth. For why? We would not hearken unto his voice. ¹⁵ And now, O LORD our God, thou that with a mighty hand hast brought thy people out of Egypt, to get thyself a name, which remaineth this day: we have sinned, ¹⁶ O LORD, and done wickedly against all thy righteousness: Yet let thy wrathful displeasure be turned away, I beseech thee, from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill. And why? For our sins' sake, and for the wickedness of our forefathers is Jerusalem and thy people abhorred, of all them that are about us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his intercession. O let thy face shine over thy Sanctuary, that lieth waste. ¹⁸ O my God, incline thine ear, and hearken; at the least for thine own sake, open thine eyes. Behold how we be desolated: yea, and the city also, which is called after thy name. For we do not cast our prayers before thee in our own righteousnesses, no, but only in thy great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O forgive Lord; O Lord consider, tarry not over long: but for thine own sake do it. O my God: for thy city and thy people is called after thy name." ²⁰ As I was yet speaking at my prayers, knowledging mine own sins, and the sins of my people, making so mine intercession before the LORD my God, for the holy hill's sake of my God: ²¹ Yea, while I was yet speaking in my prayer, behold, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen afore in the vision, came flying to me, and touched me about the offering time in the evening. ²² He informed me, and spake unto me, "O Daniel," said he, "I am now come, to make thee understand it: ²³ For as soon as thou begannest to make thy prayer, it was so devised, and therefore am I come to show thee. And why? For thou art a man greatly beloved. Wherefore, ponder the matter well, that thou mayest learn to understand the vision. ²⁴ Seventy weeks are determined over thy people, and over the holy city: that the wickedness may be consumed, that the sin may have an end, that the offense may be reconciled, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to fulfill the visions and the Prophets, and to anoint the most holy one. ²⁵ Understand this then, and mark it well: That from the time it shall be concluded to go and repair Jerusalem again, unto Christ, the anointed Prince: there shall be seven weeks.Then shall the streets and walls be builded again sixty two weeks, but with hard troublous time. ²⁶ After these sixty two weeks, shall Christ be slain, and they shall have no pleasure in him. Then shall there come a people with the prince, and destroy the city and the Sanctuary: and his end shall come as the water flood. But the desolation shall continue till the end of the battle. ²⁷ 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 the abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation determined shall be poured upon the desolate."