20. I was still praying to the Lord, my God, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition concerning the holy mountain of my God—
21. I was still praying, when the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, came to me in flight at the time of the evening offering.
22. He instructed me in these words: “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding.
23. When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.
24. “Seventy weeks are decreedfor your people and for your holy city:Then transgression will stop and sin will end,guilt will be expiated,Everlasting justice will be introduced,vision and prophecy ratified,and a holy of holies will be anointed.
25. Know and understand:From the utterance of the wordthat Jerusalem was to be rebuiltUntil there is an anointed ruler,there shall be seven weeks.In the course of sixty-two weeksit shall be rebuilt,With squares and trenches,in time of affliction.
26. After the sixty-two weeksan anointed one shall be cut downwith no one to help him.And the people of a leader who will comeshall destroy the city and the sanctuary.His end shall come in a flood;until the end of the war, which is decreed,there will be desolation.
27. For one week he shall makea firm covenant with the many;Half the weekhe shall abolish sacrifice and offering;In their place shall be the desolating abominationuntil the ruin that is decreedis poured out upon the desolator.”