1. IN THE first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans–
2. In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass by before the desolations [which had been] pronounced on Jerusalem should end; and it was seventy years. [Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10.]
3. And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes;
4. And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy, and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
5. We have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.
6. Neither have we listened to and heeded 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.
7. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day–to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the [treacherous] trespass which they have committed against You.
8. O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face–to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers–because we have sinned against You.
9. To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;
10. And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.
11. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, even turning aside that they might not obey Your voice. Therefore the curse has been poured out on us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. [Lev. 26:14-45; Deut. 28:15-68.]