Daniel Prays for the People

^1-2Daniel wrote:[#Jr 25.11; 29.10.]

Some years later, Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, had become king of Babylonia. And during his first year as king, I found out from studying the writings of the prophets that the Lord had said to Jeremiah, “Jerusalem will lie in ruins for 70 years.”

^3-4Then, to show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the Lord my God:[#9.3,4 A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.]

The Seventy Weeks

²⁰I was still confessing my sins and those of all Israel to the Lord my God, and I was praying for the good of his holy mountain,[#9.20 Jerusalem (see verse 16) or the temple.]

²¹when Gabriel suddenly came flying in at the time of the evening sacrifice. This was the same Gabriel I had seen in my vision,[#Lk 1.19,26.]

²²and he explained: