Daniel 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 It was the first year of Darius son of Artaxerxes, a Mede by race who assumed the throne of Chaldaea.	1 It was the first year that Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, was studying the scriptures, counting over the number of years --as revealed by Yahweh to the prophet Jeremiah -- that were to pass before the desolation of Jerusalem wouldcome to an end, namely seventy years.	2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, tried to understand in the Scriptures the counting of the years of which the LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: that for the ruins of Jerusalem seventy years must be fulfilled.
3 I turned my face to the Lord God begging for time to pray and to plead, with fasting, sackcloth andashes.	3 I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 I pleaded with Yahweh my God and made this confession: 'O my Lord, God great and to be feared, youkeep the covenant and show faithful love towards those who love you and who observe your commandments:	4 I prayed to the LORD, my God, and confessed, "Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments!
5 we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed yourcommandments and rulings and turned away from them.	5 We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our chiefmen, our ancestors and al people of the country.	6 We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.
7 Saving justice, Lord, is yours; we have only the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah,the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you havedispersed us because of the treachery we have committed against you.	7 Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you.
8 To us, our kings, our chief men and our ancestors, belongs the look of shame, O Yahweh, since wehave sinned against you.	8 O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you.
9 And it is for the Lord our God to have mercy and to pardon, since we have betrayed him,	9 But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you
10 and have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God nor fol owed the laws he has given us throughhis servants the prophets.	10 and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.
11 The whole of Israel has flouted your Law and turned away, unwil ing to listen to your voice; and thecurse and imprecation written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have come pouring down on us, becausewe have sinned against him.	11 Because all Israel transgressed your law and went astray, not heeding your voice, the sworn malediction, recorded in the law of Moses, the servant of God, was poured out over us for our sins.
12 He has carried out the threats which he made against us and the chief men who governed us -- thathe would bring so great a disaster down on us that the fate of Jerusalem would find no paral el under al heaven.	12 You carried out the threats you spoke against us and against those who governed us, by bringing upon us in Jerusalem the greatest calamity that has ever occurred under heaven.
13 And now, as written in the Law of Moses, this whole calamity has befallen us; even so, we have notappeased Yahweh our God by renouncing our crimes and learning your truth.	13 As it is written in the law of Moses, this calamity came full upon us. As we did not appease the LORD, our God, by turning back from our wickedness and recognizing his constancy,
14 Yahweh has watched for the right moment to bring disaster on us, since Yahweh our God is just in allhis dealings with us, and we have not listened to his voice.	14 so the LORD kept watch over the calamity and brought it upon us. You, O LORD, our God, are just in all that you have done, for we did not listen to your voice.
15 And now, Lord our God, who by your mighty hand brought us out of Egypt -- the renown you won thenendures to this day -- we have sinned, we have done wrong.	15 "Now, O Lord, our God, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and made a name for yourself even to this day, we have sinned, we are guilty.
16 Lord, by al your acts of saving justice, turn away your anger and your fury from Jerusalem, your city,your holy mountain, for as a result of our sins and the crimes of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people areobjects of scorn to al who surround us.	16 O Lord, in keeping with all your just deeds, let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. On account of our sins and the crimes of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become the reproach of all our neighbors.
17 And now, our God, listen to the prayer and pleading of your servant. For your own sake, Lord, let yourface smile again on your desolate sanctuary.	17 Hear, therefore, O God, the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, O Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary.
18 Listen, my God, listen to us; open your eyes and look at our plight and at the city that bears yourname. Relying not on our upright deeds but on your great mercy, we pour out our plea to you.	18 Give ear, O my God, and listen; open your eyes and see our ruins and the city which bears your name. When we present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy.
19 Listen, Lord! Forgive, Lord! Hear, Lord, and act! For your own sake, my God, do not delay -- sinceyour city and your people alike bear your name.'	19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, pardon! O Lord, be attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, O my God, because this city and your people bear your name!"
20 I was stil speaking, still at prayer, confessing my own sins and the sins of my people Israel, andplacing my plea before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God,	20 I was still occupied with my prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition to the LORD, my God, on behalf of his holy mountain--
21 still speaking, still at prayer, when Gabriel, the being I had originally seen in vision, swooped on me inful flight at the hour of the evening sacrifice.	21 I was still occupied with this prayer, when Gabriel, the one whom I had seen before in vision, came to me in rapid flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.
22 He came, he spoke, he said to me, 'Now, Daniel; I have come down to teach you how to understand.	22 He instructed me in these words: "Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding.
23 When your pleading began, a word was uttered, and I have come to tel you. You are a man speciallychosen. Grasp the meaning of the word, understand the vision:	23 When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.
24 'Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city, for putting an end to transgression, forplacing the seal on sin, for expiating crime, for introducing everlasting uprightness for setting the seal on visionand on prophecy, for anointing the holy of holies.	24 "Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your holy city: Then transgression will stop and sin will end, guilt will be expiated, Everlasting justice will be introduced, vision and prophecy ratified, and a most holy will be anointed.
25 Know this, then, and understand: From the time there went out this message: "Return and rebuildJerusalem" to the coming of an Anointed Prince, seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, with squares and rampartsrestored and rebuilt, but in a time of trouble.	25 Know and understand this: From the utterance of the word that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt Until one who is anointed and a leader, there shall be seven weeks. During sixty-two weeks it shall be rebuilt, With streets and trenches, in time of affliction.
26 And after the sixty-two weeks an Anointed One put to death without his . . . city and sanctuary ruinedby a prince who is to come. The end of that prince wil be catastrophe and, until the end, there wil be war and althe devastation decreed.	26 After the sixty-two weeks an anointed shall be cut down when he does not possess the city; And the people of a leader who will come shall destroy the sanctuary. Then the end shall come like a torrent; until the end there shall be war, the desolation that is decreed.
27 He wil strike a firm al iance with many people for the space of a week; and for the space of one half-week he wil put a stop to sacrifice and oblation, and on the wing of the Temple will be the appal ing abominationuntil the end, until the doom assigned to the devastator.'	27 For one week he shall make a firm compact with the many; Half the week he shall abolish sacrifice and oblation; On the temple wing shall be the horrible abomination until the ruin that is decreed is poured out upon the horror."