Daniel 9
1 Nʼafọ mbụ, nke Daraiọs nwa Ahasuerọs (onye agbụrụ Midia), onye e mere eze nke alaeze ndị Kaldịa,
[Now I am going to tell you about what happened] when Darius, who was from the Mede people-group and who was the son of Xerxes, ruled as the King of Babylonia.
2 nʼafọ mbụ nke ọchịchị ya, ka mụ onwe m, bụ Daniel ghọtara site nʼakwụkwọ, dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị nyere Jeremaya onye amụma, nke ga-emezu mgbe Jerusalem ga-anọ na mbibi iri afọ asaa.
During the first year that he was the king, I, Daniel, was studying/reading the [holy] books/Scriptures the message that Yahweh had given to the prophet Jeremiah. In that message Jeremiah had written that Jerusalem would [be destroyed and] remain ruined for seventy years.
3 Nʼihi nke a, echere m Onyenwe anyị Chineke ihu, rịọ ya arịrịọ, site nʼekpere na arịrịọ amara, nʼibu ọnụ, na iyikwa akwa mkpe na ntụ.
[After I read that], I pleaded to Yahweh my God [to help us], praying and (fasting/abstaining from eating food). [While doing that, I was wearing] rough cloth and [sitting in] ashes [to show that I was very sad about what was going to happen to us].
4 Ekpere m ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke m, ma kwupụta sị, “Onyenwe anyị, onye dị ukwuu, dị oke egwu. Onye na-edebe ọgbụgba ndụ nke ịhụnanya nke ndị hụrụ ya nʼanya na-edebekwa iwu ya niile.
I confessed [the sins that we had committed], and [this is what I] prayed: Lord, you are great and awesome! You have faithfully done what you said that you would do for us. You faithfully love those who love you and who do what you have commanded [that they should do].
5 Ma anyị emehiela meekwa ihe nʼadịghị mma megide gị. Anyị emeela ajọ omume, anyị enupula isi megide gị, gbakụtakwa iwu gị niile azụ.
But we [Israelis] have sinned. We have done things that are wrong. We have done wicked things, and we have rebelled [against you]. We have turned away from [obeying] your commands [DOU].
6 Anyị e geghịkwa ndị ozi gị bụ ndị amụma ntị, bụ ndị gwara ndị eze anyị, na ndị ọchịchị anyị, na nna anyị ha, ma mmadụ niile bi nʼala anyị okwu nʼaha gị.
Your prophets spoke for you [MTY], [giving your messages to] kings, to our other rulers, to our [other] ancestors, and to all the Israeli people, but we have refused to (pay attention to/heed) those prophets.
7 “Onyenwe anyị, ị bụ onye ezi omume, ma nʼụbọchị taa anyị bụ ndị ihere dịrị, ndị Juda, ndị Jerusalem na ndị Izrel niile, ndị nọ nso ma ndị nọ nʼebe dị anya ebe ị chụgara ha nʼihi ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi anyị nye gị.
Lord, you always do what is righteous/just/fair, but we have caused ourselves to be ashamed [IDM]. This is [still] true about all of the Israelis who live in Jerusalem and who live in other places in Judea. It is [also] true about all us Israelis whom you scattered, who [were taken to] other countries, some near [Israel] and some far away, because we were very unfaithful/disloyal to you.
8 Onyenwe anyị, ihere emegbuola anyị. Ihere dịrị ndị eze anyị, dịkwara ndịisi anyị na ndị nna anyị, nʼihi na anyị emeela mmehie megide gị.
Lord, we and our kings and our other rulers and our [other] ancestors have done very shameful things and have sinned against you.
9 Ma Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị ka obi ebere na mgbaghara niile dịrị, nʼihi na anyị enupurula gị isi.
Although we have rebelled against you, you act mercifully [toward us] and you [are willing/ready] to forgive us.
10 Anyị erubeghị isi nye Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị, maọbụ debe iwu ahụ o nyere anyị site nʼaka ndị ohu ha bụ ndị amụma.
Yahweh our God, when you gave your laws to your prophets who served you, and they told us to conduct our lives according to those laws, we did not (listen to/heed) you.
11 Ndị Izrel niile enupula isi nʼiwu gị, wezuga onwe ha, jụ ige gị ntị. “Ya mere, ọbụbụ ọnụ ahụ niile e dere nʼiwu Mosis, odibo nke Chineke adakwasịla anyị, nʼihi na anyị emehiela megide gị.
All [of us] Israeli people have disobeyed your laws, and we have turned away from [obeying] what you said. We have sinned against you. As a result, [you] have caused us to experience the terrible things that your servant Moses said/wrote [would happen to us] if we sinned against you.
12 O meela ka okwu ya guzosie ike, bụ nke o kwuru megide anyị na ndị ndu anyị site nʼiwetara anyị oke mbibi a. Nke bụ na o nwebeghị mgbe ọbụla e merela ụdị ihe emere na Jerusalem nʼokpuru eluigwe.
You warned us and our rulers that you would punish Jerusalem severely by causing a great disaster there, a disaster that would be worse than any disaster that any other city had ever experienced, and you have done what you said that you would do.
13 Ọ bụ dịka e si dee ya nʼiwu Mosis, ka mbibi a niile bịakwasịrị anyị, ma anyị achọbeghị ihuọma Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị, na ichegharị site na mmehie anyị chee uche banyere eziokwu gị.
[You] punished us just like Moses wrote [that you would do]. But, Yahweh our God, we still have not tried, by turning away from our sinning and by heeding your truth, to persuade you to act mercifully toward us.
14 Onyenwe anyị kpachara anya mee ka nsogbu a bịakwasị anyị. Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị, Chineke anyị, bụ onye ezi omume nʼihe niile ọ na-eme, ma anyị jụrụ irubere ya isi.
So, because we did not obey you, you prepared to punish us, and [then] you did punish us, because you always do what is righteous/just/fair.
15 “Ma ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị Chineke, onye ji aka dị ike kpọpụta ndị nke ya nʼala Ijipt, i meere onwe gị aha nke na-adịgide ruo taa. Anyị mere mmehie, ma mejọọkwa.
O Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt by your great power [MTY], and by doing that you have caused people from that time until the present time to know that you are great [IDM] [even though] we have sinned and done wicked things.
16 Onyenwe anyị, dịka ezi omume gị si dị, wezuga iwe gị na oke iwe gị nʼebe Jerusalem nọ, bụ obodo gị, na ugwu nsọ gị. Mmehie anyị na njehie nna anyị ha emeela ka Jerusalem na ndị gị bụrụ ihe ịkwa emo nye ndị gbara anyị gburugburu.
Lord, Jerusalem is your city, and [your temple was built there] on your sacred hill. Now all the people who live in nearby [countries/nations] despise Jerusalem and [us] your people because of our sins and because of the evil things that our ancestors did. But [now], because you do what is righteous/just, [we ask you to] not be angry with Jerusalem any longer.
17 “Ma ugbu a, Chineke anyị, biko nụrụ ekpere na arịrịọ ohu gị. Nʼihi aha gị, Onyenwe anyị jiri amara mee ka ihe si nʼihu gị mụkwasị ụlọnsọ gị nke tọgbọrọ nʼefu.
O Lord our God, listen to what I am praying and pleading [for you to do]. (For your own sake/In order that people will know that you are very great), act kindly [IDM] concerning your temple, which was destroyed [by the armies of Babylonia].
18 Chineke m, tọọ ntị gị nʼala nụrụ arịrịọ m. Meghee anya gị abụọ ka ị hụrụ ọnọdụ mbibi nke obodo a na-akpọ aha gị nọ. Anyị anaghị arịọ ka i nyere anyị aka nʼihi na anyị bụ ndị ezi omume, kama anyị na-arịọ nʼihi na ebere gị dị ukwuu.
My God, listen [to my prayer]. Look [at us] and see our troubles, and see that this city that belongs to you [MTY] has been ruined/destroyed. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done what is right/good.
19 Onyenwe anyị nụrụ! Onyenwe anyị, gbaghara anyị! Onyenwe anyị biko, gee ntị ma zaa anyị. Nʼihi aha gị, O Chineke m, anọkwala ọdụ, nʼihi obodo gị, na ndị nke gị bụ aha gị ka a na-akpọ ha.”
Lord, listen [to us]! Lord, forgive us! Lord, this city and these people belong to you, so [we plead with you to] heed what we are saying and act [to help us] right now, (for your own sake/in order that people will know that you are very great)!
20 Mgbe m nọ na-ekwu okwu na-ekpe ekpere, na-ekwupụta mmehie m na mmehie ndị m Izrel, na-arịọkwa amara nʼihu Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke m maka ugwu dị nsọ nke Chineke m,
I continued praying and confessing the sins that my people and I had committed, and pleading with Yahweh my God that he would restore [the temple on] the sacred hill [in Jerusalem].
21 ebe m ka nọ na-ekpere, Gebrel, nwoke ahụ m hụrụ nʼọhụ na mbụ, feere ọsịịsọ bịakwute m nʼoge a na-achụ aja nke uhuruchi.
While I was praying, Gabriel, the angel/one whom I had seen in the vision previously, came flying rapidly to me, at the time in the evening when [the priests] offered sacrifices.
22 Ọ bịara sị m, “Daniel, a bịara m ugbu a inye gị uche na nghọta.
He said to me, “Daniel, I have come to you to enable you to understand [DOU] clearly [the message that God gave to Jeremiah].
23 Na mbido oge ị malitere ịrịọ arịrịọ, ka okwu ọsịsa pụtara. Abịara m ịgwa gị ya, nʼihi na ị bụ onye a na-akwanyere ugwu nke ukwuu. Ya mere, tụgharịa uche nʼokwu a, ghọtakwa ọhụ a.
When you began to plead [with God], he gave me a message [to pass on to you]. He loves you very much, so [he has sent me] to tell you what he said to me. So [now] (pay attention/listen carefully) in order that you may understand the meaning of what he revealed [to Jeremiah].
24 “Iri izu ụka asaa, ka e dere nʼiwu nye ndị gị na obodo nsọ gị iji kwụsị njehie, ime ka mmehie kwụsị, na ịchụ aja maka ikpuchi ajọ omume na iweta ezi omume nke ga-adị ruo mgbe ebighị ebi, na ịkachi ọhụ na amụma ahụ akara, nakwa ite Ebe ahụ Kachasị Nsọ mmanụ.
[God] has determined/declared that there will be 490 years until he frees/saves your people from [the guilt of] their sins and to atone for the evil things that they have done. Then [God] will rule everyone justly, and he will do that forever. And [what you saw in] the vision and what [Jeremiah] prophesied will (come true/be fulfilled), and the sacred temple will be dedicated [to God again].
25 “Ma mara, werekwa uche ghọta nke a: Site nʼoge e nyere iwu ka e wugharịa Jerusalem tutu ruo mgbe Onye ahụ e tere mmanụ, onyendu ahụ ga-abịa, ga-abụ izu ụka asaa, na izu ụka iri isii na abụọ, a ga-ewughachi ya, na okporoụzọ ya, na olulu mmiri ya, maọbụ nʼime oge nsogbu.
You need to know and understand this: There will be 49 years from the time that [the king] commands that Jerusalem should be rebuilt until the leader/king that God has chosen will come. Then 434 years later, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and it will have streets and will have a (moat/deep ditch filled with water) around it [to protect the city]. But that will be a time when [God’s people] will have [a lot of] troubles/difficulties/suffering.
26 Mgbe izu ụka iri isii na abụọ gasịrị, Onye ahụ e tere mmanụ ka a ga-egbu, ma o nweghị ihe ọ ga-enwe. Usuu agha nke onye ọchịchị ga-abịa bibie obodo na ụlọnsọ. Oge ikpeazụ ga-abịa dịka idee mmiri; agha ga-adịgide ruo nʼoge ọgwụgwụ, e kpebiela na ịla nʼiyi ga-adị.
After those 434 years, the leader/king whom God has appointed will be killed [when it seems that] he will have accomplished nothing (unjustly/without having done anything wrong). After that, the temple will be destroyed by [the army of] a powerful ruler. The city and the temple will be destroyed like a flood [MET] [destroys everything]. That will be the beginning of the war and destruction that [God] has decreed [will happen].
27 Ya na ọtụtụ ndị mmadụ ga-enwe ọgbụgba ndụ nʼotu ‘izu ụka,’ ọ bụkwa nʼọkara izu ụka ahụ, ka ọ ga-eme ka ịchụ aja na inye onyinye kwụsị. Ọ ga-emekwa ihe arụ dị egwu nʼime ụlọnsọ ahụ, ruo mgbe a ga-awụkwasị ya ọgwụgwụ ahụ bụ nke akara aka nʼahụ onye ọjọọ ahụ.”
That ruler will make a strong agreement with many people. He will promise to do for seven years what he has said in that agreement. But when that time is half finished, he will prevent [priests from] giving any more offerings and sacrifices [to God]. A disgusting idol will be put on the highest part of the temple, and it will stay there until [God] gets rid of the one who put it there, which is what he said that he would do.”
