1In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of Madai, who was made to reign over the royalty of Chaldea,2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood in the scrolls the number of the years that the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah the prophet, to complete seventy years for the desolations of Jerusalem.3So I set my face toward the LORD my God to seek him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.4I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, saying: O LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,5we have sinned and acted perversely and done wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and your judgments.6We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our fathers, and to all the people of the land.7Righteousness belongs to you, O LORD, but shame of face belongs to us this day—to the man of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all Israel, both near and far, in all the lands to which you banished them because of the unfaithfulness by which they were unfaithful to you.8O LORD, shame of face belongs to us, to our kings, to our rulers, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.9To the LORD our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.10We have not listened to the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.11All Israel has transgressed your instruction and turned aside, refusing to hear your voice; therefore the oath and the sworn oath written in the instruction of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we sinned against him.12He has caused his words to stand that he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great distress such as has never been done under all heaven as it has been done in Jerusalem.13As it is written in the instruction of Moses, all this distress has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the face of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and gaining insight into your truth.14The LORD watched over the distress and brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the deeds he has done, yet we have not listened to his voice.15And now, O LORD our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for yourself as it is this day—we have sinned and acted wickedly.16O LORD, in keeping with all your righteousnesses, please let your anger and your wrath return from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all around us.17And now, our God, hear the prayer of your servant and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is devastated, for the sake of the Lord.18Incline your ear, O my God, and hear; open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name; for we are not causing our supplications to fall before you on the ground of our righteousnesses, but on the ground of your great compassions.19O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive; O LORD, listen and act; do not delay, for your own sake, O my God, because your name is called upon your city and upon your people.