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Daniel Prays for the People

1-2 (A) Daniel wrote:

Some years later, Darius the Mede,[a] who was the son of Xerxes,[b] had become king of Babylonia. And during his first year as king, I found out from studying the writings of the prophets that the Lord had said to Jeremiah, “Jerusalem will lie in ruins for 70 years.”[c] 3-4 Then, to show my sorrow, I went without eating and dressed in sackcloth[d] and sat in ashes. I confessed my sins and earnestly prayed to the Lord my God:

Our Lord, you are a great and fearsome God, and you faithfully keep your agreement with those who love and obey you.

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Footnotes

  1. 9.1,2 Darius the Mede: See 5.31.
  2. 9.1,2 Xerxes: Hebrew “Ahasuerus.”
  3. 9.1,2 70 years: See Jeremiah 25.11-13; 29.10.
  4. 9.3,4 sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy(A) years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(B) and in sackcloth and ashes.(C)

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:(D)

“Lord, the great and awesome God,(E) who keeps his covenant of love(F) with those who love him and keep his commandments,

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