Daniel · Chapter 9

[ edit] In þe firſt ȝeer of Darius, ſone of Aſſuerus, of þe ſeed of Meedis, whiche comaundide vpon þe rewme of Caldeis, in oo ȝeer of his rewme, Y, Danyel, vndirſtode in bokis þe noumbre of ȝeeris, of whiche þe word of þe Lord is maad to Jeremye, þe prophete, þat ſeuenty ȝeeris of deſolacioun of Jeruſalem ſhulden be fulfillid. And Y putte my face to þe Lord my God, for to preye and byſeche in faſtyngis, ſac, and aſhe. And Y preyede þe Lord my God, and I knawlechide, and ſayde, Y biſeche, þou Lord God, grete and dreedful, kepynge couenaunt and mercy to men louynge þee, and kepynge þi maundementis.

We han ſynned, we han don wickidneſſe, vnpytouſly we diden, and wenten awey, and bowiden awey fro þi maundementis and domys. We obeyeden not to þi ſeruauntis, prophetis, þat ſpaken in þi name to our kyngis, oure princis, oure fadris, and to al peple of þe lond. Lord, to þee riȝtwiſneſſe, forſoþe to vs confuſioun of face, as is to day to man of Juda, and dwellers of Jeruſalem, and to al Yrael, to þeſe þat ben niȝ, and to þeſe þat ben fer in alle londis, to whom þou caſtidiſt hem out for þe wickidneſſis of hem, in whiche þei ſynnyden in þee, Lord. To vs confuſioun of face, to oure kyngis, oure princis, and to oure fadris, þat ſynneden; forſoþe to þee, Lord oure God, mercye and helpe.

For we wenten awey fro þee, and herden not þe voice of þe Lord oure God, þat we ſhulde walke in his lawe, whiche he puttide to vs by his ſeruauntis, prophetis. And al Yrael braken þi lawe, and bowiden awey, þat þei herden not þi voice; and curſſe droppide on vs, and wlatyngneſſe, þat is writen in þe boke of Moyſes, ſeruaunt of God, for we han ſynned to hym. And he ordeynyde his wordis, whiche he ſpac vpon vs, and vpon oure princis, þat demyden vs, þat þei ſhulden aboue lede yn in to vs grete yuel, what maner was neuer vndir al heuen, vp þat it is don in Jeruſalem, as it is writen in þe lawe of Moyſes.

Al þis yuel came vpon vs, and we preyeden not þi face, Lord oure God, þat we ſhulden turne aȝein fro oure wickidneſſis, and ſhulden þinke þi trewþe. And þe Lord wakide on his malice, and brouȝt it vpon vs; iuſt þe Lord oure God in alle his werkis whiche he dide, forſoþe we herden not þe voice of hym. And now, Lord oure God, þat leddiſt out þi peple of þe lond of Egypt in ſtrong hond, and madiſt to þee a name vp þis day, we han ſynned, we diden wickidneſſe, Lord, in to al þi riȝtwiſneſſe.

Y biſeche, be þi wraþ turned awey and þi woodneſſe fro þi citee Jeruſalem, and fro þin holy hill; forſoþe for oure ſynnes, and wickidneſſis of oure fadris, Jeruſalem and al þi peple ben in ſhenſhipe, to alle men bi oure cumpas. Now forſoþe, oure God, heere þe oriſoun of þi ſeruaunt, and preyeres of hym, and ſhewe þi face on þi ſayntuarye, þat is deſert. For þi ſelf þou, my God, bowe þin eere, and heere; opyn þin eeȝen, and ſee oure deſolacioun, and þe cite, on whom þi name is yn clepid. Forſoþe neþer in oure iuſtifiyngus we caſten forþ preeyeres byfore þi face, bot in þi manye doyngus of mercy.

Heer þou, Lord; be þou pleſid, Lord, perceyue, and do; dwelle þou, or tarye, not, for þi ſelf, Lord my God, for þi name is in clepid vpon þe cytee, and vpon þi peple. And whan ȝit I ſpac, and preyede, and knowlachide my ſynnes, and ſynnys of my peple Yrael, þat Y ſhedde out preyers in ſiȝt of my God, for þe holy hill of my God, ȝit me ſpekynge in my preyer, loo! þe man Gabriel, whom I ſawȝ in viſioun fro þe bygynnynge, ſoone fleeȝinge touchide me in tyme of euen ſacrifice; and tauȝt me, and ſpac to me, and ſaide, Danyel, now Y am gon out, þat Y ſhulde teche þee, and þou ſhuldiſte vndirſtonde. Fro þe bygynnyng of þi preyers a word paſſide out.

Forſoþe Y came for to ſhewe to þee, for þou art a man of deſijris; forſoþe perceyue þou þe word, and vndirſtonde þe viſioun. Seuenty weekis ben abreggid on þi peple, and vpon þin holi citee, and treſpaſſyng ſhal ben eendid, and ſynne ſhal take eend, and wickidneſſe ſhal be don awey, and riȝtwyſneſſe euerlaſtynge ſhal be led to, and þe viſioun ſhal be fulfillid, and prophecie, and þe holy of halewis ſhal be anoyntid. Þerfore wite þou, and perceyue; fro bygynnynge of þe word, þat Jeruſalem eftſone be beeldid, til to Criſt, duyk, ſeuen weekis and two and ſixti weekis ſhuln be; and eftſoone þe ſtrete ſhal be beeldid, and wallis, in anguyſhe, or ſtreytneſſe, of tymes.

And after two and ſixti weekis Criſt ſhal be ſlayn. And it ſhal not be þe peple of hym, þat is to denyinge hym. And þe peple ſhal diſtruye þe citee and ſayntuarie, wiþ þe duyke to commynge; and þe eende of hym waaſtynge, and after þe eende of bataile ordeynd deſolacioun. Forſoþe he ſhal conferme þe couenaunt wiþ manye oo weeke, and in þe half of a weeke ooſt and ſacrifice ſhal fayle; and in þe temple abomynacioun of deſolacioun ſhal be, and vnto þe eendynge and eende þe deſolacioun ſhal laſt.