Daniel 9:2-3

9:2 in the first year of his reign ¹  I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books ²  that, according to the word of the LORD ³  disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem ⁴  were seventy in number. 9:3 So I turned my attention ⁵  to the Lord God ⁶  to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. ⁷ 

Daniel 9:16-19

9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, ⁸  please turn your raging anger ⁹  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, accept ¹⁰  the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to ¹¹  your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. ¹²  9:18 Listen attentively, ¹³  my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins ¹⁴  and the city called by your name. ¹⁵  For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, ¹⁶  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.” ¹⁷ 

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¹ tc This phrase, repeated from v. 1, is absent in Theodotion.

² tn The Hebrew text has “books”; the word “sacred” has been added in the translation to clarify that it is Scriptures that are referred to.

³ sn The tetragrammaton (the four Hebrew letters which constitute the divine Name, YHWH) appears eight times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the book of Daniel.

⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵ tn Heb “face.”

⁶ tn The Hebrew phrase translated “Lord God” here is אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים (’adonay ha’elohim).

⁷ sn When lamenting, ancient Israelites would fast, wear sackcloth, and put ashes on their heads to show their sorrow and contrition.

⁸ tn Or “righteousness.”

⁹ tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).

¹⁰ tn Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.

¹¹ tn Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19.

¹² tn Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19.

¹³ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.

¹⁵ tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.

¹⁶ tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18.