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.”
A Oração de Daniel
1Dario, filho de Xerxes9.1 Hebraico: Assuero, variante do nome persa Xerxes., da linhagem dos medos, foi constituído governante do reino babilônio9.1 Hebraico: caldeu.. 2No primeiro ano do seu reinado, eu, Daniel, compreendi pelas Escrituras, conforme a palavra do Senhor dada ao profeta Jeremias, que a desolação de Jerusalém iria durar setenta anos. 3Por isso me voltei para o Senhor Deus com orações e súplicas, em jejum, em pano de saco e coberto de cinza.
4Orei ao Senhor, o meu Deus, e confessei:
“Ó Senhor, Deus grande e temível, que manténs a tua aliança de amor com todos aqueles que te amam e obedecem aos teus mandamentos, 5nós temos cometido pecado e somos culpados. Temos sido ímpios e rebeldes, e nos afastamos dos teus mandamentos e das tuas leis. 6Não demos ouvido aos teus servos, os profetas, que falaram em teu nome aos nossos reis, aos nossos líderes e aos nossos antepassados, e a todo o teu povo.
7“Senhor, tu és justo, e hoje estamos envergonhados. Sim, nós, o povo de Judá, de Jerusalém e de todo o Israel, tanto os que estão perto como os que estão distantes, em todas as terras pelas quais nos espalhaste por causa de nossa infidelidade para contigo. 8Ó Senhor, nós e nossos reis, nossos líderes e nossos antepassados estamos envergonhados por termos pecado contra ti. 9O Senhor nosso Deus é misericordioso e perdoador, apesar de termos sido rebeldes; 10não te demos ouvidos, Senhor nosso Deus, nem obedecemos às leis que nos deste por meio dos teus servos, os profetas. 11Todo o Israel transgrediu a tua lei e se desviou, recusando-se a te ouvir.
“Por isso as maldições e as pragas escritas na Lei de Moisés, servo de Deus, têm sido derramadas sobre nós, porque pecamos contra ti. 12Cumpriste a palavra proferida contra nós e contra os nossos governantes, trazendo-nos grande desgraça. Debaixo de todo o céu jamais se fez algo como o que foi feito a Jerusalém. 13Conforme está escrito na Lei de Moisés, toda essa desgraça nos atingiu, e ainda assim não temos buscado o favor do Senhor, o nosso Deus, afastando-nos de nossas maldades e obedecendo à tua verdade. 14O Senhor não hesitou em trazer desgraça sobre nós, pois o Senhor, o nosso Deus, é justo em tudo o que faz; ainda assim nós não lhe temos dado atenção.
15“Ó Senhor nosso Deus, que tiraste o teu povo do Egito com mão poderosa e que fizeste para ti um nome que permanece até hoje, nós temos cometido pecado e somos culpados. 16Agora, Senhor, conforme todos os teus feitos justos, afasta de Jerusalém, da tua cidade, do teu santo monte, a tua ira e a tua indignação. Os nossos pecados e as iniquidades de nossos antepassados fizeram de Jerusalém e do teu povo objeto de zombaria para todos os que nos rodeiam.
17“Ouve, nosso Deus, as orações e as súplicas do teu servo. Por amor de ti, Senhor, olha com bondade para9.17 Hebraico: faze resplandecer o teu rosto sobre. o teu santuário abandonado. 18Inclina os teus ouvidos, ó Deus, e ouve; abre os teus olhos e vê a desolação da cidade que leva o teu nome. Não te fazemos pedidos por sermos justos, mas por causa da tua grande misericórdia. 19Senhor, ouve! Senhor, perdoa! Senhor, vê e age! Por amor de ti, meu Deus, não te demores, pois a tua cidade e o teu povo levam o teu nome.”
As Setenta Semanas
20Enquanto eu estava falando e orando, confessando o meu pecado e o pecado de Israel, meu povo, e trazendo o meu pedido ao Senhor, o meu Deus, em favor do seu santo monte— 21enquanto eu ainda estava em oração, Gabriel, o homem que eu tinha visto na visão anterior, veio voando rapidamente para onde eu estava, à hora do sacrifício da tarde. 22Ele me instruiu e me disse: “Daniel, agora vim para dar a você percepção e entendimento. 23Assim que você começou a orar, houve uma resposta, que eu trouxe a você porque você é muito amado. Por isso, preste atenção à mensagem para entender a visão:
24“Setenta semanas estão decretadas para o seu povo e sua santa cidade a fim de acabar com9.24 Ou para restringir a transgressão, dar fim ao pecado, expiar as culpas, trazer justiça eterna, cumprir a visão e a profecia, e ungir o santíssimo9.24 Ou o Lugar Santíssimo.
25“Saiba e entenda que, a partir da promulgação do decreto que manda restaurar e reconstruir Jerusalém até que o Ungido, o príncipe, venha, haverá sete semanas, e sessenta e duas semanas. Ela será reconstruída com ruas e muros9.25 Ou trincheiras, mas em tempos difíceis. 26Depois das sessenta e duas semanas, o Ungido será morto, e já não haverá lugar para ele. A cidade e o Lugar Santo serão destruídos pelo povo do governante que virá. O fim virá como uma inundação: guerras continuarão até o fim, e desolações foram decretadas. 27Com muitos ele fará uma aliança que durará uma semana. No meio da semana ele dará fim ao sacrifício e à oferta. E numa ala do templo será colocado o sacrilégio terrível, até que chegue sobre ele9.27 Ou sobre isso o fim que lhe está decretado”.
