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Daniel 9:18
ESV O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
NIV Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
NASB 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 are not presenting our pleas before You based on any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion.
CSB Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion.
NLT 'O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city — the city that bears your name — lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
KJV O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

What does Daniel 9:18 mean?

Daniel continues praying (Daniel 9:15–18). His earlier pleas were confessions of Israel's sin (Daniel 9:5–14) which led to their defeat and captivity (2 Kings 17:1–8; 2 Chronicles 36:5–7; Jeremiah 25:7–11). He asks God to grant his requests, made on behalf of all the Jewish people. He refers to "the city" of Jerusalem, which represented all Israel as its holiest city and the site of the temple. He asks God merely to "hear" and "see," implying that God's holy nature will lead to a certain response.

In all of this, Daniel is incredibly careful to point out that this request is not based in Israel's merits. He is not asking because he and his fellow people deserve forgiveness and restoration. Rather, he appeals only to God's profound mercy. The people of Israel deserved their punishment because they were unfaithful and evil. They had sneered at the Lord and acted wickedly. Yet Daniel knew the Lord's mercy was great and the discipline of seventy years in captivity was ending (Jeremiah 29:10–11).

No one can claim personal righteousness as grounds to ask anything from God. Isaiah 64:6 says, "All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." Titus 3:5 affirms: "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." We may ask in prayer (James 4:3; Hebrews 4:16), confidently believing that God wants what is best for us (Romans 8:28; Matthew 7:7–11). Yet proper prayer requests are anchored to the Lord's will and His grace, not as payment for our supposed virtues (Psalm 8:4).
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