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 and 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 make an end of sins , 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 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 ; and even to the decreed full end , wrath will be poured out on the desolate .”