Daniel 6
1 It pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom 120 provincial governors who would rule over all the kingdom.
It pleside Darius, and he ordeynede sixe score duykis ouer the rewme, that thei schulden be in al his rewme.
2 Over them there were three chief administrators, and Daniel was one of them. These chief administrators were appointed so that they might supervise the provincial governors, so that the king should suffer no loss.
And ouer hem he ordeynede thre princes, of whiche Danyel was oon; that the duykis schulden yelde resoun to hem, and that the kyng schulde not suffre ony disese.
3 Daniel was distinguished above the other chief administrators and the provincial governors because he had an extraordinary spirit. The king was planning to put him over the whole kingdom.
Therfor Danyel ouercam alle the princes and duikis, for more spirit of God was in hym.
4 Then the other chief administrators and the provincial governors looked for mistakes in the work Daniel did for the kingdom, but they could find no corruption or failure in his duty because he was faithful. No mistakes or negligence was found in him.
Certis the kyng thouyte to ordeyne hym on al the rewme. Wherfor princes and duikis souyten to fynde occasioun to Danyel, of the side of the kyng; and thei miyten fynde no cause and suspicioun, for he was feithful, and no blame and suspicioun was foundun in hym.
5 Then these men said, “We cannot find any reason to complain against this Daniel unless we find something against him regarding the law of his God.”
Therfor tho men seiden, We schulen not fynde ony occasioun to this Danyel, no but in hap in the lawe of his God.
6 Then these administrators and governors brought a plan before the king. They said to him, “King Darius, may you live forever!
Thanne the princes and duykis maden fals suggestioun to the kyng, and spaken thus to hym, Kyng Darius, lyue thou with onten ende.
7 All the chief administrators of the kingdom, the regional governors, and the provincial governors, the advisors, and the governors have consulted together and decided that you, the king, should issue a decree and should enforce it, so that whoever makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, king, that person must be thrown into the den of lions.
Alle the princes of thi rewme, and magistratis, and duykis, senatours, and iugis, han maad a counsel, that a decree and comaundement of the emperour go out, that ech man that axith ony axyng of what euer god and man, til to thretti daies, no but of thee, thou kyng, he be sent in to the lake of liouns.
8 Now, King, issue a decree and sign the document so that it may not be changed, as directed by the laws of the Medes and Persians, so it cannot be repealed.”
Now therfor, kyng, conferme thou the sentence, and write thou the decree, that this that is ordeyned of Medeis and Perseis be not chaungid, nethir be it leueful to ony man to breke.
9 So king Darius signed the document making the decree into a law.
Forsothe Darius, the kyng, settide forth, and confermyde the decree.
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed into law, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his upper room toward Jerusalem), and he got down on his knees, as he did three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before.
And whanne Danyel hadde founde this thing, that is, the lawe ordeyned, he entride in to his hous; and the while the wyndows weren open in his soler ayens Jerusalem, in thre tymes in the dai he bowide hise knees, and worschipide, and knoulechide bifore his God, as he was wont to do bifore.
11 Then these men who had formed the plot together saw Daniel make requests and seek help from God.
Therfor tho men enqueriden ful bisili, and founden Danyel preiynge, and bisechynge his God.
12 Then they approached the king and spoke with him about his decree: “Did you not make a decree that everyone who makes a petition to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, king, must be throw into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The matter is settled, as directed by the law of the Medes and Persians; it cannot be repealed.”
And thei neiyiden and spaken to the kyng of the comaundement, Kyng, whether thou ordeynedist not, that ech man that axide ony of goddis and of men, til to thretti daies, no but thee, thou kyng, he schulde be sent in to the lake of liouns? To whiche men the kyng answeride, and seide, The word is soth, bi the decree of Medeis and Perseis, which it is not leueful to breke.
13 Then they replied to the king, “That person Daniel, who is one of the people of the exile from Judah, pays no attention to you, king, or to the decree that you have signed. He prays to his God three times a day.”
Thanne thei answeriden, and seiden bifore the kyng, Danyel, of the sones of caitifte of Juda, reckide not of thi lawe, and of the comaundement, which thou ordeynedist, but thre tymes bi the dai he preieth in his bisechyng.
14 When the king heard this, he was terribly distressed, and he applied his mind to rescue Daniel from this ruling. He labored until sunset to try to save Daniel.
And whanne the kyng hadde herd this word, he was sori ynow, and he settide the herte for Danyel, for to do delyuere hym; and til to the goyng doun of the sunne he trauelide for to do delyuere hym.
15 Then these men who had formed the plot gathered together with the king and said to him, “Know, king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree or statute that the king issues can be changed.”
But tho men vndurstoden the kyng, and seiden to hym, Wite thou, kyng, that it is the lawe of Medeis and of Perseis, that it is not leueful that ony decree be chaungid,
16 Then the king gave an order, and they brought in Daniel, and they threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.”
which the kyng ordeyneth. Thanne the kyng comaundide, and thei brouyten Danyel, and senten hym in to the lake of liouns. And the kyng seide to Danyel, Thi God, whom thou worschipist euere, he schal delyuere thee.
17 A stone was brought over the entrance to the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
And o stoon was brouyt, and was put on the mouth of the lake, which the kyng aselide with his ryng, and with the ryng of hise beste men, lest ony thing were don ayens Danyel.
18 Then the king went to his palace and he went through the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
Thanne the kyng yede in to his hous, and slepte with out soper, and metis weren not brouyte bifore hym; ferthermore and sleep yede awei fro hym.
19 Then at daybreak the king got up and he quickly went to the lions' den.
Thanne the kyng roos in the firste morewtid, and yede hastili to the lake of liouns;
20 As he came near to the den, he called out to Daniel in a sad voice, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?”
and he neiyide to the lake, and criede on Danyel with wepynge vois, and spak to hym, Danyel, the seruaunt of God lyuynge, gessist thou, whether thi God, whom thou seruest euere, miyte delyuere thee fro liouns?
21 Then said Daniel to the king, “King, live forever!
And Danyel answeride the kyng, and seide, King, lyue thou with outen ende.
22 My God has sent his messenger and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me. For I was found blameless before him and also before you, king, and I have done you no harm.”
My God sente his aungel, and closide togidere the mouthis of liouns, and tho noieden not me, for riytfulnesse is foundun in me bifore hym; but also, thou kyng, Y dide no trespas bifore thee.
23 Then the king was very happy. He gave an order that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den. No harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Thanne the kyng made ioie greetli on hym, and comaundide Danyel to be led out of the lake. And Danyel was led out of the lake, and noon hirtyng was foundun in hym, for he bileuede to his God.
24 The king gave an order, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel and threw them into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the floor, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones to pieces.
Forsothe the kyng comaundide, tho men, that accusiden Danyel, weren brouyt, and weren sent in to the lake of liouns, thei, and the sones of hem, and the wyues of hem; and thei camen not `til to the pawment of the lake, til the liouns rauyschiden hem, and al to-braken alle the boonys of hem.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that live in all the earth: “May peace increase for you.
Thanne Darius, the kyng, wroot to alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis, dwellynge in al erthe, Pees be multiplied to you.
26 I hereby make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and lives forever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed; his dominion shall be to the end.
Therfor a decree is ordeyned of me, that in al myn empire and rewme men tremble, and drede the God of Danyel; for he is God lyuynge, and euerlastynge in to worldis, and his rewme schal not be distried, and his power is `til in to with outen ende.
27 He makes us safe and rescues us, and he does signs and wonders in heaven and in earth; he has kept Daniel safe from the strength of the lions.”
He is delyuerer and sauyour, makynge myraclis and merueils in heuene and in erthe, which delyuerede Danyel fro the lake of liouns.
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Certis Danyel dwellide stabli `til to the rewme of Darius, and `til to the rewme of Sirus of Persey.
