9Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia.H259H8141H1867H1121H325H2233H4074H4427H4438H3778 2In the first year of his reign I was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the LORD had told the prophet Jeremiah.H259H8141H4427H1840H995H5612H4557H8141H1697H3068H3414H5030H4390H7657H8141H2723H3389 3And I prayed earnestly to the Lord God, pleading with him, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes.H5414H6440H136H430H1245H8605H8469H6685H8242H665 4I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed the sins of my people. I said, "Lord God, you are great, and we honor you. You are faithful to your covenant and show constant love to those who love you and do what you command.H6419H3068H430H3034H559H577H136H1419H3372H410H8104H1285H2617H157H8104H4687 5"We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what you commanded us to do and have turned away from what you showed us was right.H2398H5753H7561H4775H5493H4687H4941 6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and our whole nation.H8085H5650H5030H1696H8034H4428H8269H1H5971H776 7You, Lord, always do what is right, but we have always brought disgrace on ourselves. This is true of all of us who live in Judea and in Jerusalem and of all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far because they were unfaithful to you.H136H6666H1322H6440H3117H376H3063H3427H3389H3478H7138H7350H776H5080H4604H4603 8Our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors have acted shamefully and sinned against you, Lord.H136H1322H6440H4428H8269H1H2398 9You are merciful and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you.H136H430H7356H5547H4775 10We did not listen to you, O LORD our God, when you told us to live according to the laws which you gave us through your servants the prophets.H8085H6963H3068H430H3212H8451H5414H6440H3027H5650H5030 11All Israel broke your laws and refused to listen to what you said. We sinned against you, and so you brought on us the curses that are written in the Law of Moses, your servant.H3478H5674H8451H5493H8085H6963H423H5413H7621H3789H8451H4872H5650H430H2398 12You did what you said you would do to us and our rulers. You punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth,H6965H1697H1696H8199H8199H935H1419H7451H8064H6213H6213H3389 13giving us all the punishment described in the Law of Moses. But even now, O LORD our God, we have not tried to please you by turning from our sins or by following your truth.H3789H8451H4872H7451H935H2470H6440H3068H430H7725H5771H7919H571 14You, O LORD our God, were prepared to punish us, and you did, because you always do what is right, and we did not listen to you.H3068H8245H7451H935H3068H430H6662H4639H6213H8085H6963 15"O Lord our God, you showed your power by bringing your people out of Egypt, and your power is still remembered. We have sinned; we have done wrong.H136H430H3318H5971H3318H776H4714H2389H3027H6213H8034H3117H2398H7561 16You have defended us in the past, so do not be angry with Jerusalem any longer. It is your city, your sacred hill. All the people in the neighboring countries look down on Jerusalem and on your people because of our sins and the evil our ancestors did.H136H6666H639H2534H7725H5892H3389H6944H2022H2399H5771H1H3389H5971H2781H5439 17O God, hear my prayer and pleading. Restore your Temple, which has been destroyed; restore it so that everyone will know that you are God.H430H8085H8605H5650H8469H6440H215H4720H8076H136 18Listen to us, O God; look at us and see the trouble we are in and the suffering of the city that bears your name. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done right.H430H5186H241H8085H6491H5869H7200H8074H5892H7121H8034H5307H8469H6440H6666H7227H7356 19Lord, hear us. Lord, forgive us. Lord, listen to us, and act! In order that everyone will know that you are God, do not delay! This city and these people are yours."H136H8085H136H5545H136H7181H6213H309H408H430H5892H5971H7121H8034 20I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the LORD my God to restore his holy Temple.H1696H6419H3034H2403H2403H5971H3478H5307H8467H6440H3068H430H6944H2022H430 21While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered.H1696H8605H376H1403H7200H2377H8462H3286H3288H5060H6256H6153H4503 22He explained, "Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy.H995H1696H559H1840H3318H7919H998 23When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision.H8462H8469H1697H3318H935H5046H2532H995H1697H995H4758 24"Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated.H7657H7620H2852H5971H6944H5892H3607H6588H8552H2856H2403H3722H5771H935H5769H6664H2856H2377H5030H4886H6944H6944 25Note this and understand it: From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until God's chosen leader comes, seven times seven years will pass. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, and will stand for seven times sixty-two years, but this will be a time of troubles.H3045H7919H4161H1697H7725H1129H3389H4899H5057H7651H7620H8346H8147H7620H7339H1129H7725H2742H6695H6256 26And at the end of that time God's chosen leader will be killed unjustly. The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of a powerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which God has prepared.H310H8346H8147H7620H4899H3772H5971H5057H935H7843H5892H6944H7093H7858H7093H4421H8074H2782 27That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him."H1396H1285H7227H259H7620H2677H7620H2077H4503H7673H3671H8251H8074H3617H2782H5413H8074
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