Daniel 6
1 It pleased Darius to set ouer the kingdome an hundreth and twentie gouernours, which should be ouer the whole kingdome,
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 And ouer these, three rulers (of whome Daniel was one) that the gouernours might giue accompts vnto them, and the King should haue no domage.
He also appointed me and two other men to be administrators, to supervise the governors and to be sure that they did the king’s work [properly], in order that the king would not have to worry about anything.
3 Now this Daniel was preferred aboue the rulers and gouernours, because the spirit was excellent in him, and the King thought to set him ouer the whole realme.
I soon showed that I was (more capable/able to do the work better) than all the other administrators and the governors. Because of that, the king planned to appoint me to be in charge of the entire empire.
4 Wherefore the rulers and gouernours sought an occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdome: but they could finde none occasion nor fault: for he was so faithfull that there was no blame nor fault found in him.
Then, the [other] administrators and the governors [became jealous. So they began to] try to find something that they could criticize about the way I was working for the king. But I always did my work faithfully and honestly, and was never lazy. So they could not find anything to criticize.
5 Then sayd these men, We shall not finde an occasion against this Daniel, except we finde it against him concerning the Law of his God.
They concluded, “The only way we can find something for which we can criticize Daniel will be something concerning the laws that his god [his given him].”
6 Therefore the rulers and these gouernours went together to the King, and sayde thus vnto him, King Darius, liue for euer.
So the administrators and governors went as one group to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), we wish that you will live a long time!
7 All the rulers of thy kingdome, the officers and gouernours, the counsellers, and dukes haue consulted together to make a decree for the King and to establish a statute, that whosoeuer shall aske a petition of any god or man for thirtie dayes saue of thee, O King, he shalbe cast into the denne of lyons.
[We] administrators and governors and district governors and advisors and other officials have all agreed that you should make a law that everyone must obey. We want you to command that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you. If anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he must be thrown into [a pit of] lions.
8 Nowe, O King, confirme the decree, and seale the writing, that it be not changed according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
And because laws made by [our governments of] Media and Persia cannot be changed, [we want] you, [the head of our government], to sign it.”
9 Wherefore King Darius sealed the writing and the decree.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Now when Daniel vnderstood that he had sealed the writing, hee went into his house, and his window being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem, he kneeled vpon his knees three times a day, and prayed and praysed his God, as he did aforetime.
But when I found out that [the king] had [written and] signed that law, I went home. I knelt down in my upstairs room and prayed. I looked toward Jerusalem, and the windows were open [with the result that everyone could see me while I was praying]. I prayed three times each day, just as I always did, thanking God.
11 Then these men assembled, and founde Daniel praying, and making supplication vnto his God.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 So they came and, spake vnto the King concerning the Kings decree, Hast thou not sealed the decree, that euery man that shall make a request to any god or man within thirtie dayes, saue to thee, O King, shall be cast into the denne of lyons? The King answered, and sayd, The thing is true, according to the Lawe of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
So they returned to the king and said to him, “[Do you remember] that you wrote a law stating that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you, and if anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he will be thrown into [a pit of] lions?” The king replied, “[Yes, that is the law that I wrote]. It is a law of [our governments of] Media and Persia, which cannot be canceled.”
13 Then answered they, and sayd vnto the King, This Daniel which is of the children of the captiuitie of Iudah, regardeth not thee, O King, nor the decree, that thou hast sealed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Then they said to the king, “Well, that [man] Daniel, one of the men who were brought from Judah, is not paying any attention to you or the law that you [signed]. He prays [to his god] three times each day!”
14 When the King heard these wordes, hee was sore displeased with himselfe, and set his heart on Daniel, to deliuer him: and he laboured till the sunne went downe, to deliuer him.
When the king heard that, he was very distressed. He tried to find a way to save me. All the rest of that day he tried to think of a way to rescue me.
15 Then these men assembled vnto the King, and sayde vnto ye King, Vnderstand, O King, that the lawe of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the King confirmeth, may be altered.
[In the evening, many of] [HYP] the officials went together to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), you know that [our governments of] Media and Persia have declared that no law that the king signs can be canceled/changed. [So Daniel must be thrown to the lions!]”
16 Then the King commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the denne of lyons: now the King spake, and said vnto Daniel, Thy God, whome thou alway seruest, euen he will deliuer thee.
So the king gave the order, and his servants brought me and threw me into a pit where the lions [were]. [Before they threw me in], the king said to me, “I hope/wish that your God, whom you worship regularly, will rescue you!”
17 And a stone was brought, and layed vpon the mouth of the denne, and the King sealed it with his owne signet, and with the signet of his princes, that the purpose might not be changed, concerning Daniel.
They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the pit. Then the king [fastened a string across the entrance and put wax at each end, and stamped the wax with] the seal from his [ring] and the seals [of the rings] of his officials, in order that no one could [secretly] rescue me.
18 Then the King went vnto his palace, and remained fasting, neither were the instruments of musike brought before him, and his sleepe went from him.
Then the king returned to his palace. That night he refused to eat any food. He would not allow anyone to entertain him [because he did not want to be happy, with the result that he would forget about me. And that night] he was unable to sleep [because he was worried about me].
19 Then the King arose early in the morning, and went in all haste vnto the denne of lyons.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 And when he came to the denne, he cryed with a lamentable voyce vnto Daniel: and the King spake, and saide to Daniel, O Daniel, the seruant of ye liuing God, is not thy God (whom thou alway seruest) able to deliuer thee from the lyons?
When he came near it, he was very worried. He called out, “Daniel, you who serve the all-powerful God! Was your God, whom you worship regularly, able to save you from the lions?”
21 Then saide Daniel vnto the King, O King, liue for euer.
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the lyons mouthes, that they haue not hurt mee: for my iustice was founde out before him: and vnto thee, O King, I haue done no hurt.
[Yes], my God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, in order that they would not harm me! [He did that] because [he knows that] I have done nothing that he thinks is wrong. And, (Your Majesty/O king), I never did anything wrong to you!”
23 Then was the King exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel out of the denne: so Daniel was brought out of the denne, and no maner of hurt was found vpon him, because he beleeued in his God.
The king was extremely happy, and he commanded [his servants] to lift me out of the pit. [When they did that, they] saw that the lions had not wounded me at all. [God had protected me] because I trusted in him.
24 And by the commandement of the King these me which had accused Daniel, were brought, and were cast into the denne of lions, euen they, their children, and their wiues: and the lyons had the mastry of them, and brake all their bones a pieces, or euer they came at the groud of the denne.
Then the king commanded that the men who had accused me should be seized and be thrown, along with their wives and children, into the pit where the lions were. [When they were thrown into the pit], the lions leaped on them and crushed their bones before they fell onto the bottom of the pit!
25 Afterwarde King Darius wrote, Vnto all people, nations and languages, that dwel in all the world: Peace be multiplied vnto you.
Then King Darius wrote [this message and sent it throughout his kingdom] to the people of every people-group and nation and from all language groups: “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!
26 I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdome, men tremble and feare before the God of Daniel: for he is the liuing God, and remayneth for euer: and his kingdome shall not perish, and his dominion shalbe euerlasting.
I command that everyone in my kingdom should fear and revere the God that Daniel [worships]. He is the all-powerful God, and he will live forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; he will rule forever.
27 Hee rescueth and deliuereth, and hee worketh signes and wonders in heauen and in earth, who hath deliuered Daniel from the power of the lyons.
He rescues and saves [his people]. He performs all kinds of miracles in heaven and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reigne of Darius and in the reigne of Cyrus of Persia.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
