Daniel Prays to the Lord
1It was the first year that Darius was king of Babylon. He was from Media and was the son of Xerxes. 2In that year I learned from the Scriptures that Jerusalem would remain destroyed for 70 years. That was what the Lord had told Jeremiah the prophet. 3So I prayed to the Lord God. I begged him. I made many appeals to him. I didn’t eat anything. I put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. And I sat down in ashes.
4I prayed to the Lord my God. I admitted that we had sinned. I said,
“Lord, you are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with all those who love you and obey your commandments. You show them your love. 5We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws. 6We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.
7“Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you. 8Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you. 9You are the Lord our God. You show us your tender love. You forgive us. But we have turned against you. 10You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t obeyed you. We haven’t kept the laws you gave us through your servants the prophets. 11All the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you.
“Curses and warnings are written down in the Law of Moses. He was your servant. Those curses have been poured out on us. That’s because we have sinned against you. 12The warnings you gave us and our rulers have come true. You have brought great trouble on us. Nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever happened anywhere else on earth. 13The curses that are written in the Law of Moses have fallen on us. We have received nothing but trouble. You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t asked for your favor. We haven’t turned away from our sins. We’ve refused to pay attention to the laws you gave us. 14Lord, you didn’t hold back from bringing this trouble on us. You always do what is right. But we haven’t obeyed you.
15“Lord our God, you used your mighty hand to bring your people out of Egypt. You made a name for yourself. It is still great to this day. But we have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. 16Lord, you saved your people before. So turn your great anger away from Jerusalem again. After all, it is your city. It’s your holy mountain. You have made those who live around us think little of Jerusalem and your people. That’s because we have sinned. Our people before us did evil things too.
17“Our God, hear my prayers. Pay attention to the appeals I make to you. Lord, have mercy on your temple that has been destroyed. Do it for your own honor. 18Our God, please listen to us. The city that belongs to you has been destroyed. Open your eyes and see it. We aren’t asking you to answer our prayers because we are godly. Instead, we’re asking you to do it because you love us so much. 19Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive us! Lord, hear our prayers! Take action for your own honor. Our God, please don’t wait. Your city and your people belong to you.”
Gabriel Tells Daniel About Seventy “Weeks”
20I was speaking and praying. I was admitting that I and my people Israel had sinned. I was making my appeal to the Lord my God. My appeal was about his holy mountain of Zion. 21While I was still praying, Gabriel came to me. I had seen him in my earlier vision. He flew over to me very quickly. It was about the time when the evening sacrifice is offered. 22He helped me understand. He said, “Daniel, I have come now to help you know and understand these things. 23You are highly respected. So as soon as you began to pray, the Lord gave you a message. I have come to tell you what it is. Here is how you must understand the vision.
24“The Lord has appointed 70 ‘weeks’ for your people and your holy city. During that time, acts against God’s law will be stopped. Sin will come to an end. And the evil things people do will be paid for. Then everyone will always do what is right. Everything that has been made known in visions and prophecies will come true. And the Most Holy Room in the temple will be anointed.
25“Here is what I want you to know and understand. There will be seven ‘weeks.’ Then there will be 62 ‘weeks.’ The seven ‘weeks’ will begin when an order is given to rebuild Jerusalem and make it like new again. At the end of the 62 ‘weeks,’ the Anointed King will come. Jerusalem will have streets and a water system when it is rebuilt. But that will be done in times of trouble. 26After the 62 ‘weeks,’ the Anointed King will be put to death. His followers will desert him. And everything he has will be taken away from him. The army of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the temple. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. The Lord has ordered that many places be destroyed. 27A covenant will be put into effect with many people for one ‘week.’ In the middle of the ‘week’ sacrifices and offerings will come to an end. And at the temple a hated thing that destroys will be set up. It will remain until that ruler who will come is destroyed. Then he will experience what the Lord has ordered.”
但以理为同胞祷告
1玛代人亚哈随鲁的儿子大流士被立为迦勒底国的王元年， 2即他统治的第一年，我但以理从经书上耶和华给耶利米先知的话得知，耶路撒冷必荒凉七十年。
3我便禁食，身披麻衣，头蒙灰尘，向主上帝祷告祈求。 4我向我的上帝耶和华祷告、认罪，说：“主啊，你是伟大而可畏的上帝，你向那些爱你、遵守你诫命的人信守你的慈爱之约。 5我们犯罪作恶，行为邪恶叛逆，偏离你的诫命和典章， 6没有听从你的仆人——众先知奉你的名向我们的君王、首领、先祖及国中百姓所说的话。 7主啊，你是公义的，我们今日满面羞愧，我们犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民，以及因对你不忠而被驱散到远近各地的以色列人都满面羞愧。 8主啊，我们和我们的君王、首领、先祖因得罪了你而满脸羞愧。 9虽然我们背叛了主——我们的上帝，祂却有怜悯和饶恕之心。 10我们没有听从我们的上帝耶和华的话，没有遵行祂借祂的仆人——众先知给我们颁布的律法。 11以色列人都违背你的律法，偏离正道，不听从你的话。你仆人摩西的律法书上所记载的咒诅和审判都落在了我们身上，因为我们得罪了你。 12你把大灾难降在我们身上，应验了你警告我们和我们官长的话。耶路撒冷遭遇的灾祸普天之下从未有过。 13这一切灾祸降在了我们身上，正如摩西律法书的记载。然而，我们的上帝耶和华啊，我们却没有离开罪恶，认识你的真理，以便恳求你施恩。 14所以耶和华决意使灾祸降在我们身上，因为我们的上帝耶和华的一切作为都是公义的，我们却没有听从祂的话。
15“主——我们的上帝啊，你曾用大能的手把你的子民领出埃及，使自己威名远扬直到今日。我们却犯罪作恶。 16主啊，你一向公义，求你不要向你的耶路撒冷城——你的圣山发烈怒。由于我们的罪恶和我们祖先的过犯，耶路撒冷和你的子民成了四围邻人嘲讽的对象。 17我们的上帝啊，求你垂听仆人的祷告祈求，为你自己的缘故，笑颜垂顾你荒凉的圣所。 18我的上帝啊，求你侧耳垂听，睁眼眷顾我们荒凉的土地和属于你名下的城。我们向你祈求，并非因为我们有什么义行，乃是因为你充满怜悯。 19主啊，求你垂听！主啊，求你赦免！主啊，求你应允，立刻行动！我的上帝啊，为你自己的缘故，求你不要耽延，因为这城和这民都属于你的名下。”
加百列解释预言
20我继续祷告，承认我和同胞以色列人的罪，为我上帝耶和华的圣山在祂面前祈求。 21我正祷告的时候，先前在异象中看见的那位加百列奉命疾飞而来。那是献晚祭的时候。 22他向我解释说：“但以理啊，我来是要使你有智慧和悟性。 23你刚开始祈求，就已赐下答复，我是来告诉你的，因为你倍受眷爱。所以你要留意以下的信息，明白异象的意思。
24“已经为你的同胞和圣城定了七十个七，以终结叛逆，除掉罪恶，赎尽过犯，带来永远的公义，封住异象和预言，膏抹至圣所9:24 “至圣所”或译“至圣者”。。 25你要知道，也要明白，从重建耶路撒冷的命令发出，到受膏的君王来临，其间有七个七加六十二个七。耶路撒冷城及其广场和壕沟必得重建，且是在艰难时期。 26六十二个七之后，受膏者必被杀害，一无所有。另有一王要兴起，他的臣民要毁灭这城和圣所。结局必如洪水冲来，战争将持续到末了，到处一片荒凉——这已经注定。 27那王必与许多人缔结一七之久的盟约。一七之半，他必终止祭牲和供物，并且设立带来毁灭的可憎之物，直到所定的结局临到这恶者。”
