¹In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,

²in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the Lord ’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.[#9:2 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “”, usually pronounced Yahweh).]

³I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said,

²⁰While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God—

²¹yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering.

²²He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding.

²³At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.

²⁴“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to put an end to sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

²⁵“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again with street and moat, even in troubled times.[#9:25 “Anointed One” can also be translated “Messiah” (same as “Christ”).]

²⁶After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined.[#9:26 “Anointed One” can also be translated “Messiah” (same as “Christ”).]

²⁷He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate. Even to the full end that is decreed, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”