Daniel's Prayer for His People
1 1In the first year of
2Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a
3Mede, who was made king over the realm of the
4Chaldeans--
2
in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to
5the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
3
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by
6prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4
I prayed to the LORD my God and
7made confession, saying,
8"O Lord, the
9great and awesome God, who
10keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5
11we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly
12and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
6
13We have not listened to
14your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to
15our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7
To you,
16O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel,
17those who are near and
18those who are far away, in
19all the lands to which you have driven them, because of
20the treachery that they have committed against you.
8
To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because
21we have sinned against you.
9
22To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him
10
23and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by
24his servants the prophets.
11
25All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside,
26refusing to obey your voice.
27And the curse and oath
28that are written in the Law of
29Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because
30we have sinned against him.
12
He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against
31our rulers who ruled us, by
32bringing upon us a great calamity.
33For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.
13
34As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God,
35turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
14
36Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us,
37for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and
38we have not obeyed his voice.
15
And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt
39with a mighty hand, and
40have made a name for yourself, as at this day,
41we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16
"O Lord,
42according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem,
43your holy hill,
44because for our sins, and for
45the iniquities of our fathers,
46Jerusalem and your people have become
47a byword among all who are around us.
17
Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,
48make your face to shine upon
49your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18
50O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see
51our desolations, and
52the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
19
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act.
53Delay not,
54for your own sake, O my God, because
55your city and
56your people are called by your name."
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 57While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for
58the holy hill of my God,
21
while I was speaking in prayer, the man
59Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first,
60came to me in swift flight at
61the time of the evening sacrifice.
22
62He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, "O Daniel, I have now come out to give you
63insight and understanding.
23
64At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out,
65and I have come to tell it to you, for
66you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word
67and understand the vision.