Daniel 6
1 It pleside Darius, and he ordeynede sixe score duykis ouer the rewme, that thei schulden be in al his rewme.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole 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 three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss.
3 Therfor Danyel ouercam alle the princes and duikis, for more spirit of God was in hym.
Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the local governors, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
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 presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found 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 won’t find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning 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 presidents and local governors assembled together to the king, and said this to him, “King Darius, live forever!
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 presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the local governors, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a strong decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
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, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.”
9 Forsothe Darius, the kyng, settide forth, and confermyde the decree.
Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.
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.
When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room towards Jerusalem) and he knelt on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.
11 Therfor tho men enqueriden ful bisili, and founden Danyel preiynge, and bisechynge his God.
Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication 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, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: “Haven’t you signed a decree that every man who makes a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, “This thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.”
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 answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
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.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he laboured until the going down of the sun to rescue him.
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 assembled together to the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes 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 commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.”
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.
A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
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 palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
19 Thanne the kyng roos in the firste morewtid, and yede hastili to the lake of liouns;
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions.
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?
When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you 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, live forever!
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, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me, because innocence was found in me before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
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 exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted 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.
The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.
25 Thanne Darius, the kyng, wroot to alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis, dwellynge in al erthe, Pees be multiplied to you.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.
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.
“I 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 steadfast forever. His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed. His dominion will be even 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 delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel 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 prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
