Daniel Prays for His People

9:1 In the first year of Darius1 son of Ahasuerus,2 who was of Median descent and who had been3 appointed king over the Babylonian4 empire—9:2 in the first year of his reign5 I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books6 that, according to the word of the LORD7 disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem8 were seventy in number. 9:3 So I turned my attention9 to the Lord God10 to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.11 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:

“O Lord,12 great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant13 with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority14 to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors,15 and to all the inhabitants16 of the land as well.

9:7 “You are righteous,17 O Lord, but we are humiliated this day18—the people19 of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 9:8 O LORD, we have been humiliated20—our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against you. 9:9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving,21 even though we have rebelled against him. 9:10 We have not obeyed22 the LORD our God by living according to23 his laws24 that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

9:11 “All Israel has broken25 your law and turned away by not obeying you.26 Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened27 in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.28 9:12 He has carried out his threats29 against us and our rulers30 who were over31 us by bringing great calamity on us—what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify32 the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom33 from your reliable moral standards.34 9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just35 in all he has done,36 and we have not obeyed him.37

9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power38 and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day—we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice,39 please turn your raging anger40 away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.

9:17 “So now, our God, accept41 the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to42 your devastated sanctuary for your own sake.43 9:18 Listen attentively,44 my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins45 and the city called by your name.46 For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you,47 but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.”48