1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2. in the first year of his reign, I Daniel saw diligently in the books the number of the years, of which the Lord spoke unto Jeremiah the prophet, which would conclude the desolation of Jerusalem in seventy years.
3. And I turned my face unto the Lord God, seeking him in prayer and supplication, in fasting and sackcloth, and ashes:
4. and I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said, Now O Lord, thou great God who is worthy to be feared, who keeps the covenant and the mercy with those that love thee and keep thy commandments;