Daniel’s Prayer

9 These things happened during the first year Darius son of Ahasuerus was king over ·Babylon [^Lthe Chaldeans; ^C539 bc]. He was ·a descendant [^Lfrom the seed] of the Medes [^Ca people group within the Persian empire]. ² During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was ·reading in [pondering/reflecting on] the Scriptures. I saw ·that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years [^Lthe number of years which were according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the ruin of Jerusalem was seventy years; 2 Chr. 36:20–22; Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10].

³ Then I turned [^Lmy face] to the Lord God and ·prayed [^Lsought in prayer] and ·asked him for help [supplication]. ·To show my sadness, I fasted, put on rough cloth, and sat in [^L…with fasting, and sackcloth, and] ashes. ⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and ·told him about all of our sins [made confession]. I said, “Lord, you are a great ·God who causes fear and wonder [^Land awesome God]. You ·keep [guard] ·your agreement of love [covenant and loyalty] with all who love you and ·obey [keep; guard] your commands.

⁵ “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and ·turned [rebelled] against you, your commands, and your ·laws [judgments]. ⁶ We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who spoke ·for you [^Lin your name] to our kings, our ·leaders [princes], our ·ancestors [fathers], and all the people of the land.

⁷ “Lord, ·you are good and right [^Lto you is righteousness], but ·we are full of shame [^Lto us is shame of face] today—the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, those near and far whom you ·scattered [drove away] among many nations because they were ·not loyal [treacherous] to you. ⁸ Lord, ·we are all ashamed [^Lto us is shame of face]. Our kings and ·leaders [princes] and our ·fathers [ancestors] are ·ashamed [shame-faced], because we have ·sinned against [or failed] you.