Daniel 9:24-26

Contemporary English Version

²⁴God has decided that for 70 weeks,^[a] your people and your holy city must suffer as the price of their sins. Then evil will disappear, and justice will rule forever; the visions and words of the prophets will come true, and a most holy place will be dedicated.^[b]

²⁵You need to realize that from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Chosen Leader,^[c] it will be 7 weeks and another 62 weeks.^[d] Streets will be built in Jerusalem, and a trench will be dug around the city for protection, but these will be difficult times.^[e] ²⁶At the end of the 62 weeks,^[f] the Chosen Leader^[g] will be killed and left with nothing.^[h]

A foreign ruler and his army will sweep down like a mighty flood, leaving both the city and the temple in ruins, and war and destruction will continue until the end, just as God has decided.

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Footnotes

9.24 70 weeks: Or “70 times 7 years.”
9.24 a most holy place will be dedicated: Or “God's Holy One will appear.”
9.25 the Chosen Leader: Or “a chosen leader.” In Hebrew the word “chosen” means “to pour oil (on someone's head).” In Old Testament times it was the custom to pour oil on a person's head when that person was chosen to be a priest or a king.
9.25 7 weeks and another 62 weeks: Or “7 times 7 years and another 62 times 7 years.”
9.25 it will be 7 … difficult times: Or “it will be 7 weeks. Then streets will be built in Jerusalem, and a trench will be dug around the city for protection. But Jerusalem will have difficult times for 62 weeks.”
9.26 62 weeks: Or “62 times 7 years.”
9.26 the Chosen Leader: See the note at 9.25.
9.26 left with nothing: Or “no one will take his place.”