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20 I was still praying to the Lord, my God, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition concerning the holy mountain of my God— 21 I was still praying, when the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, came to me in flight at the time of the evening offering.[a] 22 He instructed me in these words: “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding. 23 When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.

24 “Seventy weeks[b] are decreed
    for your people and for your holy city:
Then transgression will stop and sin will end,
    guilt will be expiated,
Everlasting justice will be introduced,
    vision and prophecy ratified,
    and a holy of holies will be anointed.
25     Know and understand:
From the utterance of the word
    that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt[c]
Until there is an anointed ruler,
    there shall be seven weeks.
In the course of sixty-two weeks
    it shall be rebuilt,
With squares and trenches,
    in time of affliction.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:21 At the time of the evening offering: between three and four in the afternoon.
  2. 9:24 Seventy weeks: i.e., of years. Just as Jeremiah’s seventy years was an approximation (see note on v. 2), the four hundred and ninety years here is not to be taken literally. Similarly, the distribution of the “weeks” in the following verses indicates only relative proportions of the total figure. A holy of holies: or “most holy”; could be understood as a place (e.g., the Jerusalem Temple) or a person (cf. 1 Chr 23:13).
  3. 9:25 From the utterance…to be rebuilt: from the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Anointed ruler: either Cyrus, who was called the anointed of the Lord to end the exile (Is 45:1), or the high priest Jeshua who presided over the rebuilding of the altar of sacrifice after the exile (Ezr 3:2). Seven weeks: forty-nine years, an approximation of the time of the exile. In the course of sixty-two weeks…rebuilt: a period of four hundred thirty-four years, roughly approximating the interval between the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile and the beginning of the Seleucid persecution.

The Seventy “Sevens”

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing(A) my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill(B) 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel,(C) the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.(D) 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.(E) 23 As soon as you began to pray,(F) a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.(G) Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:(H)

24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[a] are decreed for your people and your holy city(I) to finish[b] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone(J) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness,(K) to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[c]

25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild(L) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[d](M) the ruler,(N) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:24 Or ‘weeks’; also in verses 25 and 26
  2. Daniel 9:24 Or restrain
  3. Daniel 9:24 Or the most holy One
  4. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one; also in verse 26