Daniel Prays for His People
1 Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia. 2 In the first year of his reign I was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And I prayed earnestly to the Lord God, pleading with him, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed the sins of my people.
I said, “Lord God, you are great, and we honor you. You are faithful to your covenant and show constant love to those who love you and do what you command.
5 “We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what you commanded us to do and have turned away from what you showed us was right. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and our whole nation. 7 You, Lord, always do what is right, but we have always brought disgrace on ourselves. This is true of all of us who live in Judea and in Jerusalem and of all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far because they were unfaithful to you. 8 Our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors have acted shamefully and sinned against you, Lord. 9 You are merciful and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you. 10 We did not listen to you, O Lord our God, when you told us to live according to the laws which you gave us through your servants the prophets. 11 All Israel broke your laws and refused to listen to what you said. We sinned against you, and so you brought on us the curses that are written in the Law of Moses, your servant. 12 You did what you said you would do to us and our rulers. You punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth, 13 giving us all the punishment described in the Law of Moses. But even now, O Lord our God, we have not tried to please you by turning from our sins or by following your truth. 14 You, O Lord our God, were prepared to punish us, and you did, because you always do what is right, and we did not listen to you.
15 “O Lord our God, you showed your power by bringing your people out of Egypt, and your power is still remembered. We have sinned; we have done wrong. 16 You have defended us in the past, so do not be angry with Jerusalem any longer. It is your city, your sacred hill. All the people in the neighboring countries look down on Jerusalem and on your people because of our sins and the evil our ancestors did. 17 O God, hear my prayer and pleading. Restore your Temple, which has been destroyed; restore it so that everyone will know that you are God. 18 Listen to us, O God; look at us and see the trouble we are in and the suffering of the city that bears your name. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done right. 19 Lord, hear us. Lord, forgive us. Lord, listen to us, and act! In order that everyone will know that you are God, do not delay! This city and these people are yours.”
Gabriel Explains the Prophecy
20 I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the Lord my God to restore his holy Temple. 21 While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered. 22 He explained, “Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy. 23 When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision.
24 “Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated. 25 Note this and understand it: From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until God's chosen leader comes, seven times seven years will pass. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, and will stand for seven times sixty-two years, but this will be a time of troubles. 26 And at the end of that time God's chosen leader will be killed unjustly. The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of a powerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which God has prepared. 27 That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him.”
Daniel ma kumbire otjiwaṋa tje
1 Omumedi Darius ngwa ri omuzandu wa Kerkes wa honaparera ouhona wehi ra Babilon. 2 Mombura ondenga youhona we ami ee rihongo nawa omambo omayapuke nu ee ripura nozombura nḓa omirongo hambombari Jerusalem tji matji rire otjitambatundu otja Muhona pa raerere komuprofete Jeremia. 3 Ami mba kumba nomasa ku Muhona Ndjambi ame riyarikaṋa ku ye, ame ritjaere kovikurya, amba zara ozombanda zomakutu namba haama momutwe. 4 Ami mba kumba ku Muhona, Ndjambi wandje ne hepura ourunde wotjiwaṋa tjandje.
Ami mba tja nai: “Muhona Ndjambi, oove omunene neṱe twe ku yozika. Oove omuṱakame komerikutiropamwe woye, nu u raisa orusuvero orukarerere ku imba mbe ku suvera nu mbe ṱakamisa omatwako woye.
5 “Eṱe twa tjita ourunde, twa tjita ouvi natu tjiti ouhasemba. Eṱe twa nakaura imbi mbi wa rakiza kutja tu vi tjite, nu twa yandja etambo ku imbi mbi we tu raisira kutja ovyo ombi ri ovisemba. 6 Eṱe katu puratenene ko kovakarere voye, imba ovaprofete, mba hungirire mena roye kozombara zetu na kovanane vetu na kootate mukururume na kotjiwaṋa atjihe. 7 Ove, Muhona, aruhe u tjita imbi mbi ri ovisemba, nungwari eṱe oveni twe riyetera ondjambu. Ihi ouatjiri ku eṱe atuhe mbu twa tura mOjuda na mOjerusalem, na kOvaisrael mbu wa rimba momahi wopopezu nowokokure, owo tjinga ave ha ṱakamene move. 8 Ozombara zetu novanane vetu nootate mukururume va tjita oviṋa vyohoṋi nu va tjita ourunde komurungu woye, Muhona. 9 Oove omunatjari nu u tu isira nangarire kutja twe ku pirukira. 10 Katu puratenene ko kove, Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, indu tji we tu raera kutja tu hupe otja komatwako ngu wa yandja ku eṱe novinyo vyovakarere voye, imba ovaprofete. 11 Ovaisrael avehe va katuka omatwako woye nu ave panḓa okupuratena ku imbi mbi wa hungira. Twa tjita ourunde komurungu woye, nove otji wa eta omasengiro nga kombanda yetu nga tjangwa mEmbo rOmatwako ra Moses, omukarere woye. 12 Ove wa yenenisa imbi mbi wa tja mo tjiti ku eṱe na kovanane vetu. Ove wa vera Jerusalem tjinene nai povihuro avihe mouye, 13 amo tu pe omberero aihe ndja tjangwa mEmbo rOmatwako ra Moses. Nungwari nandarire nambano, Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, eṱe katu rorere okukunyandisa omutima mokuisa omauvi wetu na mokukongorera ouatjiri woye. 14 Ove, Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, we rimanena okutuvera, nu wa tjita nao, ove aruhe tjinga au tjita imbi mbi ri ovisemba, neṱe katu puratenene ko kove.
15 “Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, ove wa raisa omasa woye mokupitisa otjiwaṋa tjoye mehi ra Engipte, nomasa woye ingee ye zemburukwa nga mba. Eṱe twa tjita ourunde nu twa tjita ouvi. 16 Ove moruveze ndwa kapita we tu yeura, nu o uhara amo pindikire Jerusalem rukwao. Otjo otjihuro tjoye, indji ondundu yoye ondjapuke. Ovature avehe vomahi omararanganda ve tara nonyengo kOjerusalem na kotjiwaṋa tjoye mena romauvi wetu na mena rourunde mbwa tjitwa i ootate mukururume. 17 Ndjambi, zuva ongumbiro nomeriyarikaṋeno wandje. Yarura ko ondjuwo yoye ndja nyonwa; i yarura ko kokutja auhe a tjiwe kutja oove ngu u ri Ndjambi. 18 Puratena ku eṱe, Ndjambi. Tara ku eṱe nu u mune oumba mu tu ri, nondatumisiro yotjihuro tji tji nena roye. Matu kumbu kove, tjinga au ri omunatjari, nu kamena rokutja eṱe twa tjita ousemba. 19 Muhona, tu zuvira. Muhona, tu isira. Muhona, puratena ku eṱe nu arikana u tjite nao! Kokutja auhe a tjiwe kutja oove ngu u ri Ndjambi, o wombo ko! Otjihuro hi notjiwaṋa hi ovyoye.”
Gabriel ma handjaura imbi mbya ukwa
20 Ami mba kumba komurungu ame hepura ourunde wandje nowotjiwaṋa tjandje tja Israel name riyarikaṋa ku Muhona, Ndjambi wandje kutja a yarure ko ondjuwo ye. 21 Ngunda ame kumbu, Gabriel, ngu mba mwine motjirimunikise ihi otjitenga, otja raukira poṋa pu mba ri. Orwo rwa ri oruveze rwombunguhiro yongurova. 22 Eye wa hungira a tja: “Daniel, ami mbe ya mba okukuvatera kutja u tjiwe inga omaprofetero. 23 Ove tji wa uta okuriyarikaṋa ku Ndjambi, eye we ku zuvira. Eye we ku suvera, nami otji mbe ya okukuraera eziriro. Nambano puratena nawa ami ngunda ame ku handjaurire omaheero wa ihi otjirimunikise.
24 “Ozombura omirongo hambombari povikando hambombari ombu ri oure woruveze Ndjambi ndwa zikamisa kokutja a kuture otjiwaṋa tjeṋu notjihuro tjeṋu otjiyapuke kouvi na kourunde. Ouvi mau isirwa, nousemba waaruhe mau zikamisiwa, kokutja otjirimunikise nomaprofetero vi rire ouatjiri, nokutja ondjuwo ya Muhona i yapurwe rukwao. 25 Tjiwa otjiṋa hi nu u tji zuve nawa: Okuza koruveze ndwi rwomarakiziro wokutungurura Jerusalem tji rwa yandjewa ngandu omunane omutoororwa wa Ndjambi tje ya, mape kapita ozombura hambombari povikando hambombari. Jerusalem matji tungururwa, nomivanda noviyeure ovinamasa wina, nu matji kurama oure wozombura omirongo hamboumwe na mbari povikando hambombari, nungwari orwo maru rire oruveze rwomaumba. 26 Nu komaandero woruveze ndo omunane omutoororwa ma ṱu nokuhinombanguriro osemba. Otjihuro nondjuwo ya Muhona mavi nyonwa i otjimbumba tjovita otjindandi tjomunane omunauvara. Omaandero maye ya otja omupupo mbu mau eta ovita nonyoneno Ndjambi mbya rongerere rukuru. 27 Omunane ngwi ma kara nomazuvasaneno omazikame puna oviwaṋa ovingi oure wozombura hambombari, norumbembera rumwe rworuveze ndwi tji rwa kapita, eye ma yandja ozombunguhiro zovinamuinyo nozovikurya. Otjiyaukise Otjitirise matji zikwa kotjikoro tjotjipunguhiro, notjo matji kara ngo ngandu ingwi ngwe tji zika mbo tja munu omaandero Ndjambi nge mu ṱunina.”
