בִּשְׁנַת אַחַת לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ בֶּן־אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ מִזֶּרַע מָדָי אֲשֶׁר הָמְלַךְ עַל מַלְכוּת כַּשְׂדִּים

In the first year of Darius son of Ahashverosh, of Median descent, Darius I, who was crowned king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, Babylon, after his victory over the Babylonians (see 5:30, 6:1);

בִּשְׁנַת אַחַת לְמָלְכוֹ אֲנִי דָּנִיֵּאל בִּינֹתִי בַּסְּפָרִים מִסְפַּר הַשָּׁנִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא לְמַלֹּאות לְחָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, examined the books of calculations:The number of the years according to the word of the Lord that was with Jeremiah the prophet to complete the term of the desolations of Jerusalem was seventy years. Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jerusalem would remain destroyed for seventy years, after which Israel would be redeemed, but this did not seem to have occurred. The kingdom of Babylon no longer ruled over the Land of Israel, but the redemption had not arrived.

וָאֶתְּנָה אֶת־פָּנַי אֶל־אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַקֵּשׁ תְּפִלָּה וְתַחֲנוּנִים בְּצוֹם וְשַׂק וָאֵפֶר

I directed my attention, my thoughts, to the Lord God, to request with prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

וָאֶתְפַּלְלָה לַה' אֱלֹהַי וָאֶתְוַדֶּה וָאֹמְרָה אָנָּא אֲדֹנָי הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָיו

I prayed to the Lord my God, and I confessed and said, in my prayer and confession: Please O Lord, the great and awesome God, who maintains the covenant and kindness for those who love Him and who observe His commandments.

חָטָאנוּ וְעָוִינוּ הִרְשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרָדְנוּ וְסוֹר מִמִּצְוֹתֶךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶיךָ

Daniel follows his opening words of praise with the confession: We have sinned, have performed iniquity, been wicked, rebelled, and strayed from Your commandments and from Your ordinances.

וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל־עֲבָדֶיךָ הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ בְּשִׁמְךָ אֶל־מְלָכֵינוּ שָׂרֵינוּ וַאֲבֹתֵינוּ וְאֶל כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ

We did not heed Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. You warned us through Your prophets against sinning, but we did not listen.

לְךָ אֲדֹנָי הַצְּדָקָה וְלָנוּ בֹּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וּלְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּלְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקְּרֹבִים וְהָרְחֹקִים בְּכָל־הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתָּם שָׁם בְּמַעֲלָם אֲשֶׁר מָעֲלוּ־בָךְ

With You, O Lord, is the righteousness, and with us the shame, as it is this day, as we can currently see; with the men of Judah and with the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and with all Israel, near and far, who are scattered in all the lands where You have driven them. Apart from the tribe of Judah, all of Israel had been exiled many years earlier by the Assyrians, and apparently there were other known communities of exiles in various places, because of the trespass they have committed against You; due to their treacherous sins toward You.

ה' לָנוּ בֹּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים לִמְלָכֵינוּ לְשָׂרֵינוּ וְלַאֲבֹתֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר חָטָאנוּ לָךְ

O Lord, with us is the shame, with our kings, with our princes, and with our fathers, who have sinned against You. All of us, from the highest levels of leadership to the lowliest commoner, should be ashamed of ourselves.

לַאדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ הָרַחֲמִים וְהַסְּלִחוֹת כִּי מָרַדְנוּ בּוֹ

With the Lord our God is mercy and forgiveness, as we have rebelled against Him, and therefore all we can do is request His mercy and forgiveness;

וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ לָלֶכֶת בְּתוֹרֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְפָנֵינוּ בְּיַד עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים

and we did not heed the voice of the Lord our God, to follow His laws that He put before us by means of His servants, the prophets. We received the Torah, and we also heard the prophets’ words of reproof and instruction.

וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עָבְרוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתֶךָ וְסוֹר לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמוֹעַ בְּקֹלֶךָ וַתִּתַּךְ עָלֵינוּ הָאָלָה וְהַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר כְּתוּבָה בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי חָטָאנוּ לוֹ

All Israel have violated Your Torah, straying from the upright path in not heeding Your voice; and you poured out upon us the curse and the oath that is written in the Torah of Moses servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. Since we have abandoned God, all the curses that were written in sections of the Torah said upon our entrance into the covenant with God have come to pass.

וַיָּקֶם אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר עָלֵינוּ וְעַל־שֹׁפְטֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר שְׁפָטוּנוּ לְהָבִיא עָלֵינוּ רָעָה גְדֹלָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נֶעֶשְׂתָה תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר נֶעֶשְׂתָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

He fulfilled His word that He had spoken against us, and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring upon us great harm that had not been done under the entire heavens as had been done to Jerusalem.

כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת בָּאָה עָלֵינוּ וְלֹא־חִלִּינוּ אֶת־פְּנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ לָשׁוּב מֵעֲוֹנֵינוּ וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ

As it is written in the Torah of Moses, all this harm came upon us and we did not implore the Lord our God, to repent of our iniquities, and to become wise in Your truth, to learn and reflect on Your truth. As predicted in the sections in the Torah that speak of retribution, minor misfortunes occurred, but we paid no attention; greater disasters befell us and still we ignored them. Therefore, we are deserving of punishment.

וַיִּשְׁקֹד ה' עַל־הָרָעָה וַיְבִיאֶהָ עָלֵינוּ כִּי־צַדִּיק ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל־כָּל־מַעֲשָׂיו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּקֹלוֹ

The Lord was intent on harm, punishing us at the appropriate time, and He brought it upon us, as the Lord our God is righteous in all His actions that He has done, and we can have no complaints, as He warned us ahead of time, and we did not heed His voice.

וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ אֶת־עַמְּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וַתַּעַשׂ־לְךָ שֵׁם כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה חָטָאנוּ רָשָׁעְנוּ

Now, O Lord our God, who took Your people from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and you have made for Yourself a name, the fame of Your greatness and deeds has spread through the world, as it is known this day; we confess before You: We have sinned, and we have acted wickedly.

אֲדֹנָי כְּכָל־צִדְקֹתֶךָ יָשָׁב נָא אַפְּךָ וַחֲמָתְךָ מֵעִירְךָ יְרוּשָׁלִַם הַר־קָדְשֶׁךָ כִּי בַחֲטָאֵינוּ וּבַעֲוֹנוֹת אֲבֹתֵינוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְעַמְּךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לְכָל־סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ

O Lord, with all Your righteousness, please may Your anger and Your fury be diminished and turn from Your city Jerusalem, Your sacred mountain; after You have stricken us, please forgive us, for with our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are in disgrace to all those around us. It is a disgrace that Israel has become the archetype of a nation without a land and a safe haven.

וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶל־תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל־תַּחֲנוּנָיו וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ עַל־מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם לְמַעַן אֲדֹנָי

Our God, heed now the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and shine Your face upon Your Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. Act for Your sake; that is all I can hope to ask.

הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמָע פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה שֹׁמְמֹתֵינוּ וְהָעִיר אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עָלֶיהָ כִּי לֹא עַל־צִדְקֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כִּי עַל־רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים

Incline Your ear, My God, and hear, open Your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city upon which Your name is called; observe the terrible state of the city that was once Your city and in which Your Temple stood. For it is not based on our righteousness that we lay, spread out, our supplications before You, as we do not claim to be righteous and worthy, but rather, it is based on Your great mercy. We appeal to Your boundless mercy.

אֲדֹנָי שְׁמָעָה ; אֲדֹנָי סְלָחָה אֲדֹנָי הַקְשִׁיבָה וַעֲשֵׂה אַל־תְּאַחַר לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהַי כִּי־שִׁמְךָ נִקְרָא עַל־עִירְךָ וְעַל־עַמֶּךָ

O Lord, hear, O Lord, forgive, O Lord, listen and act, fulfill our request, and do not delay; all this do for Your sake, my God, because Your name is called upon Your city and Your people. Since Your name is upon us, and Jerusalem is Your city, we ask for forgiveness and pardon in order to prevent a desecration of Your name.

וְעוֹד אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר וּמִתְפַּלֵּל וּמִתְוַדֶּה חַטָּאתִי וְחַטַּאת עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַפִּיל תְּחִנָּתִי לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהַי עַל הַר קֹדֶשׁ אֱלֹהָי

I was still speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and laying my supplication before the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God,

ְעוֹד אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בַּתְּפִלָּה וְהָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי בֶחָזוֹן בַּתְּחִלָּה מֻעָף בִּיעָף נֹגֵעַ אֵלַי כְּעֵת מִנְחַת־עָרֶב

and I was still speaking in prayer, and the man Gavriel, the angel whom I had seen in the form of a man in the previous vision, was flying swiftly; he reached me at the time of the daily evening offering in the Temple, toward the end of the day, when the second daily offering and the meal offering and libations that accompanied it were offered. It seems that Daniel fasted and prayed all day, until the angel visited him at the end of the day.

וַיָּבֶן וַיְדַבֵּר עִמִּי וַיֹּאמַר דָּנִיֵּאל עַתָּה יָצָאתִי לְהַשְׂכִּילְךָ בִינָה

He explained, and spoke with me, and said: Daniel, I have now come out to teach you understanding.

בִּתְחִלַּת תַּחֲנוּנֶיךָ יָצָא דָבָר וַאֲנִי בָּאתִי לְהַגִּיד כִּי חֲמוּדוֹת אָתָּה וּבִין בַּדָּבָר וְהָבֵן בַּהמַּרְאֶה

Already at the beginning of your supplications the word came out, it was decreed that you deserve a response, and I have come to relate it, to tell you what you wish to know, as you are splendid, a dear and precious man; comprehend the word, focus your mind on the matter, and understand the meaning of the vision.

שָׁבֻעִים שִׁבְעִים נֶחְתַּךְ עַל־עַמְּךָ וְעַל־עִיר קָדְשֶׁךָ לְכַלֵּא הַפֶּשַׁע וּלְהָתֵם חַטָּאת וּלְכַפֵּר עָוֹן וּלְהָבִיא צֶדֶק עֹלָמִים וְלַחְתֹּם חָזוֹן וְנָבִיא וְלִמְשֹׁחַ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים

Seventy periods of seven, seven units of time in exile, which might be seven years or seventy years, are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city. The purpose of the lengthy exile and the extended suffering until that time is to eliminate the transgression, to expiate sins, to atone for iniquity, to bring everlasting righteousness, an indication that this vision is not referring to the near future but to the distant future, to conclude vision and prophecy, and to anoint, raise up and crown, sacred sacrament, the holy Temple, which will return in all its glory. When this period of time is concluded, the kingdom will be rebuilt once again. It is possible that the “seventy weeks” is a reference to the Second Temple period rather than the period of exile.

וְתֵדַע וְתַשְׂכֵּל מִן־מֹצָא דָבָר לְהָשִׁיב וְלִבְנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם עַד מָשִׁיחַ נָגִיד שָׁבֻעִים שִׁבְעָה וְשָׁבֻעִים שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם תָּשׁוּב וְנִבְנְתָה רְחוֹב וְחָרוּץ וּבְצוֹק הָעִתִּים

You should know and understand, from the issuing of the word from God about restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem until the anointing of a ruler of Jerusalem; during these seventy “weeks,” there will be periods of ups and downs, and these will be in seven periods of seven, in a time that lasts for sixty-two periods of seven, and then it will be rebuilt, a plaza and a moat; the streets of the city and its defenses will be rebuilt, and this will occur in times of distress.

וְאַחֲרֵי הַשָּׁבֻעִים שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם יִכָּרֵת מָשִׁיחַ וְאֵין לוֹ וְהָעִיר וְהַקֹּדֶשׁ יַשְׁחִית עַם נָגִיד הַבָּא וְקִצּוֹ בַשֶּׁטֶף וְעַד קֵץ מִלְחָמָה נֶחֱרֶצֶת שֹׁמֵמוֹת

After the sixty-two periods, the anointed one will be eliminated, and will be no more, or will no longer have a place. The ruling people who will come will destroy the city and the Sanctuary; its end, the end that this people will bring, will be quick and intense; and by the end of the final war, it will be devastated to desolation, Jerusalem will be ruined and deserted.

וְהִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ יַשְׁבִּית זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל כְּנַף שִׁקּוּצִים מְשׁוֹמֵם וְעַד־כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה תִּתַּךְ עַל שׁוֹמֵם

He will promote a covenant, or the covenant will be strengthened with the multitudes for one period of seven; there will be a period of widespread unity; and half of the period of seven he will abolish the offering and the meal offering, and upon it, upon the place of the offerings, the wing of a detestable thing, the winged idol, that causes desolation, the destructive force, as the idol will stand in the place of the sacrifice and offering; and that situation will last until elimination and devastation, all the destruction and the expurgation, will be poured out on the desolation, or upon the devastated place. Daniel does not receive words of comfort here, nor even a clear answer to his question concerning Jeremiah’s prophecy. Perhaps due to his greatness he is allowed a glimpse of the broader picture, and therefore the angel Gavriel explains to him that the end will arrive only after a period that will last hundreds, if not thousands of years. In the future there will be a great war, leaving desolation and destruction in its wake, as is recorded in a number of other places in the Bible as well. There might be some betrayers, while others will remain faithful, but there is hope for the end of the process, as will be stated below.