1 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,
2 in the first year of his reign—I, Daniel, understood from the books that according to the word of Adonai to Jeremiah the prophet, the number of the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 years.
3 So I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
4 “I prayed to Adonai my God and confessed, saying: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot,
5 we have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have acted wickedly; we have rebelled; we have turned away from Your mitzvot and from Your rulings.
6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.