Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading will be from the book
of Daniel, chapters 9 and 10. Chapter 9 In the
first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of
the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over
the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year
of his reign, I, Daniel, understood by the books
the number of the years specified by the word
of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that
he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations
of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord
God to make request by prayer and supplications
with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed
to the Lord my God and made confession and said,
O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his
covenant and mercy with those who love him. and
with those who keep his commandments. We have
sinned and committed iniquity. We have done wickedly
and rebelled, even by departing from your precepts
and your judgments. Neither have we heeded your
servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name
to our kings and our princes, to our fathers
and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness
belongs to you, but to us shame of face as it
is this day. To the men of Judah. to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those
far off, in all the countries to which you have
driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which
they have committed against you. O Lord, to us
belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes,
and our fathers, because we have sinned against
you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness,
though we have rebelled against him. We have
not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk
in his laws, which he said before us by his servants,
the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed
your law and has departed so as not to obey your
voice. Therefore the curse and the oath written
in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have
been poured out on us because we have sinned
against him. And he has confirmed his words which
he spoke against us and against our judges who
judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster.
For under the whole heaven such has never been
done as what has been done to Jerusalem. As it
is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster
has come upon us. Yet we have not made our prayer
before the Lord our God, that we might turn from
our iniquities and understand your truth. Therefore
the Lord has kept the disaster in mind and brought
it upon us. For the Lord our God is righteous
in all the works which he does, though we have
not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God,
who brought your people out of the land of Egypt
with a mighty hand and made yourself a name.
As it is this day, we have sinned, we have done
wickedly. O Lord, according to all your righteousness,
I pray, let your anger and your fury be turned
away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain.
Because for our sins and for the iniquities of
our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are a
reproach to all those around us. Now therefore,
our God, hear the prayer of your servant and
his supplications, and for the Lord's sake, cause
your face to shine on your sanctuary, which is
desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear.
Open your eyes and see our desolations and the
city which is called by your name. For we do
not present our supplications before you because
of our righteous deeds, but because of your great
mercies. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord,
listen and act. Do not delay for your own sake,
my God, for your city and your people are called
by your name. Now while I was speaking, praying,
and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people
Israel, and presenting my supplication before
the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my
God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the
man Gabriel, whom I had seen in a vision at the
beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached
me about the time of the evening offering, and
he informed me and talked with me and said, O
Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill
to understand. At the beginning of your supplications
the command went out, and I have come to tell
you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider
the matter and understand the vision. Seventy
weeks are determined for your people and for
your holy city. To finish the transgression,
to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation
for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint
the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand
that from the going forth of the command to restore
and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince,
there shall be seven weeks and sixty -two weeks.
The street shall be built again, and the wall.
even in troublesome times. And after the sixty
-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not
for himself. And the people of the prince who
is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood. Until the
end of the war, desolations are determined. Then
he shall confirm a covenant with many for one
week. But in the middle of the week, he shall
bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on
the wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, even until the consummation which is
determined is poured out on the desolate. In
the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message
was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called
Belshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed
time was long, and he understood the message
and had understanding of the vision. In those
days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came
into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all,
till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Now on
the twenty -fourth day of the first month, as
I was by the side of the great river, that is,
the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and
behold, a certain man clothed in linen. whose
waist was girded with gold of Uphaz. His body
was like beryl, his face like the appearance
of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire,
his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color,
and the sound of his words like the voice of
a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision,
for the men who were with me did not see the
vision, but a great terror fell upon them, so
that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore
I was left alone when I saw this great vision,
and no strength remained in me, for my vigor
was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no
strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words,
and while I heard the sound of his words, I was
in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the
ground. Suddenly a hand touched me, which made
me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my
hands. And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly
beloved, understand the words that I speak to
you and stand upright, for I have now been sent
to you. While he was speaking this word to me,
I stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not
fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you
set your heart to understand and to humble yourself
before your God, your words were heard, and I
have come because of your words. But the prince
of the kingdom of Persia, withstood me twenty
-one days. And behold, Michael, one of the chief
princes, came to help me, for I had been left
alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have
come to make you understand what will happen
to your people in the latter days, for the vision
refers to many days yet to come. When he had
spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward
the ground and became speechless, and suddenly
one having the likeness of the sons of men touched
my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying
to him who stood before me, My lord, because
of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me,
and I have retained no strength. For how can
this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord?
As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor
is any breath left in me. Then again the one
having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened
me, and he said, O man greatly beloved, fear
not, peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong.
Then when he spoke to me, I was strengthened
and said, Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened
me. Then he said, Do you know why I have come
to you? And now I must return to fight with the
prince of Persia. And when I have gone forth,
indeed, the prince of Greece will come. But I
will tell you what is noted in the scripture
of truth. No one upholds me against these except
Michael, your prince. I hope you enjoyed today's
reading as much as I did. And I look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.