< ダニエル書 6 >
1 ダリヨスはその國に百二十人の牧伯を立ることを善とし即ちこれを立て全國を治理しめ
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 また彼らの上に監督三人を立たりダニエルはその一人なりき是その州牧をして此三人の前にその職を述しめて王に損失の及ぶこと無らしめんためなりき
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 ダニエルは心の殊勝たる者にしてその他の監督および州牧等に勝りたれば王かれを立て全國を治めしめんとせり
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 是においてその監督と州牧等國事につきてダエルを訟ふる隙を得んとしたりしが何の隙をも何の咎をも見いだすことを得ざりき其は彼は忠義なる者にてその身に何の咎もなく何の過失もなかりければなり
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 是においてその人々言けるはこのダニエルはその神の例典について之が隙を獲にあらざればついにこれを訟るに由なしと
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 すなはちその監督と州牧等王の許に集り來りて斯王に言りダリヨス王よ願くは長壽かれ
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 國の監督將軍州牧牧伯方伯等みな相議りて王に一の律法を立て一の禁令を定めたまはんことを求めんとす王よその事は是の如し即ち今より三十日の内は唯汝にのみ願事をなさしめ若汝をおきて神または人にこれをなす者あらば凡て獅子の穴に投いれんといふ是なり
[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 然ば王よねがはくはその禁令を立てその詔書を認めメデアとペルシヤの廢ることなき律法のごとくに之をして變らざらしめたまへと
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.”
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 茲にダニエルはその詔書を認めたることを知りて家にかへりけるがその二階の窓のヱルサレムにむかひて開ける處にて一日に三度づつ膝をかがめて祷りその神に向て感謝せり是その時の前よりして斯なし居たればなり
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 斯りしかばその人々馳よりてダニエルがその神にむかひて祷りかつ求めをるを見あらはせり
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 而して彼ら進みきたり王の禁令の事につきて王に奏上して言けるは王よ汝は禁令をしたため出し今より三十日の内には只なんぢにのみ願事をなさしめ若し汝をおきて神または人にこれをなす者あらば凡てその者を獅子の穴に投いれんと定めたまへるならずやと王こたへて言ふ其事は眞實にしてメデアとペルシヤの律法のごとく廢べからざる者なり
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 彼らまた對へて王の前に言けるは王よユダの俘擄人なるダニエルは汝をも汝の認め出し給ひし禁令をも顧みずして一日に三度づつ祈祷をなすなりと
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 王この事を聞てこれがために大に愁ひダニエルを救はんと心を用ひ即ちこれを拯けんと力をつくして日の入る頃におよびければ
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 その人々また王の許に集ひきたりて王に言けるは王よ知りたまへメデアとペルシヤの律法によれば王の立たる禁令または法度は變べからざる者なりと
[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 是において王命を下しければダニエルを曳きたりて獅子の穴に投いれたり王ダニエルに語りて言ふ願くは汝が恒に事ふる神汝を救はんことをと
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 時に石を持きたりてその穴の口を塞ぎければ王おのれの印と大臣等の印をもてこれに封印をなせり是ダニエルの處置をして變ることなからしめんためなりき
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 斯て後王はその宮にかへりけるがその夜は食をなさずまた嬪等を召よせずして全く寝ることをせざりき
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 而して王は朝まだきに起いでてその獅子の穴に急ぎいたりしが
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 穴にいたりける時哀しげなる聲をあげてダニエルを呼りすなはち王ダニエルに言けるは活神の僕ダニエルよ汝が恒に事ふる神汝を救ふて獅子の害を免れしむることを得しや
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?”
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 吾神その使をおくりて獅子の口を閉させたまひたれば獅子は我を害せざりき其は我の辜なき事かれの前に明かなればなり王よ我は汝にも惡しき事をなさざりしなりと
[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 是において王おほいに喜びダニエルを穴の中より出せと命じければダニルは穴の中より出されけるがその身に何の害をも受をらざりき是は彼おのれの神を賴みたるによりてなり
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 かくて王また命を下しかのダニエルを讒奏せし者等を曳きたらせて之をその妻子とともに獅子の穴に投いれしめたるにその穴の底につかざる内に獅子はやくも彼らを攫みてその骨までもことごとく咬碎けり
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 是においてダリヨス王全世界に住る諸民諸族諸音に詔書を頒てり云く願くは大なる平安なんぢらにあれ
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 今我詔命を出す我國の各州の人みなダニエルの神を畏れ敬ふべし是は活神にして永遠に立つ者またその國は亡びずその權は終極まで続くなり
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 是は救を施し拯をなし天においても地においても休徴をほどこし奇蹟をおこなふ者にてすなはちダニエルを救ひて獅子の力を免れしめたりと
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 このダニエルはダリヨスの世とペルシヤ人クロスの世においてその身榮えたり
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.