Daniel 6
1 It pleside Darius, and he ordeynede sixe score duykis ouer the rewme, that thei schulden be in al his rewme.
Darius was pleased to put over the kingdom a hundred and twenty captains, who were to be all through the kingdom;
2 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.
And over them were three chief rulers, of whom Daniel was one; and the captains were to be responsible to the chief rulers, so that the king might undergo no loss.
3 Therfor Danyel ouercam alle the princes and duikis, for more spirit of God was in hym.
Then this Daniel did his work better than the chief rulers and the captains, because there was a special spirit in him; and it was the king's purpose to put him over all the kingdom.
4 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.
Then the chief rulers and the captains were looking for some cause for putting Daniel in the wrong in connection with the kingdom, but they were unable to put forward any wrongdoing or error against him; because he was true, and no error or wrong was to be seen in him.
5 Therfor tho men seiden, We schulen not fynde ony occasioun to this Danyel, no but in hap in the lawe of his God.
Then these men said, We will only get a reason for attacking Daniel in connection with the law of his God.
6 Thanne the princes and duykis maden fals suggestioun to the kyng, and spaken thus to hym, Kyng Darius, lyue thou with onten ende.
Then these chief rulers and the captains came to the king and said to him, O King Darius, have life for ever.
7 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.
All the chief rulers of the kingdom, the chiefs and the captains, the wise men and the rulers, have made a common decision to put in force a law having the king's authority, and to give a strong order, that whoever makes any request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole.
8 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.
Now, O King, put the order in force, signing the writing so that it may not be changed, like the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
9 Forsothe Darius, the kyng, settide forth, and confermyde the decree.
For this reason King Darius put his name on the writing and the order.
10 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.
And Daniel, on hearing that the writing had been signed, went into his house; (now he had windows in his room on the roof opening in the direction of Jerusalem; ) and three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his God, as he had done before.
11 Therfor tho men enqueriden ful bisili, and founden Danyel preiynge, and bisechynge his God.
Then these men were watching and saw Daniel making prayers and requesting grace before his God.
12 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.
Then they came near before the king and said, O King, have you not put your name to an order that any man who makes a request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole? The king made answer and said, The thing is fixed by the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
13 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.
Then they made answer and said before the king, Daniel, one of the prisoners of Judah, has no respect for you, O King, or for the order signed by you, but three times a day he makes his prayer to God.
14 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.
When this thing came to the king's ears, it was very evil to him, and his heart was fixed on keeping Daniel safe, and till the going down of the sun he was doing everything in his power to get him free.
15 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,
Then these men said to the king, Be certain, O King, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no order or law which the king has put into force may be changed.
16 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.
Then the king gave the order, and they took Daniel and put him into the lions' hole. The king made answer and said to Daniel, Your God, whose servant you are at all times, will keep you safe.
17 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.
Then they got a stone and put it over the mouth of the hole, and it was stamped with the king's stamp and with the stamp of the lords, so that the decision about Daniel might not be changed.
18 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.
Then the king went to his great house, and took no food that night, and no ... were placed before him, and his sleep went from him.
19 Thanne the kyng roos in the firste morewtid, and yede hastili to the lake of liouns;
Then very early in the morning the king got up and went quickly to the lions' hole.
20 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?
And when he came near the hole where Daniel was, he gave a loud cry of grief; the king made answer and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whose servant you are at all times, able to keep you safe from the lions?
21 And Danyel answeride the kyng, and seide, King, lyue thou with outen ende.
Then Daniel said to the king, O King, have life for ever.
22 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.
My God has sent his angel to keep the lions' mouths shut, and they have done me no damage: because I was seen to be without sin before him; and further, before you, O King, I have done no wrong.
23 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.
Then the king was very glad, and gave orders for them to take Daniel up out of the hole. So Daniel was taken up out of the hole and he was seen to be untouched, because he had faith in his God.
24 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.
And at the king's order, they took those men who had said evil against Daniel, and put them in the lions' hole, with their wives and their children; and they had not got to the floor of the hole before the lions overcame them and all their bones were broken.
25 Thanne Darius, the kyng, wroot to alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis, dwellynge in al erthe, Pees be multiplied to you.
Then King Darius sent a letter to all the peoples, nations, and languages, living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.
26 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.
It is my order that in all the kingdom of which I am ruler, men are to be shaking with fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, unchanging for ever, and his kingdom is one which will never come to destruction, his rule will go on to the end.
27 He is delyuerer and sauyour, makynge myraclis and merueils in heuene and in erthe, which delyuerede Danyel fro the lake of liouns.
He gives salvation and makes men free from danger, and does signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who has kept Daniel safe from the power of the lions.
28 Certis Danyel dwellide stabli `til to the rewme of Darius, and `til to the rewme of Sirus of Persey.
So this Daniel did well in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.
