Danihelis Prophetæ 6
1 Placuit Dario, et constituit super regnum satrapas centum viginti ut essent in toto regno suo.
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 Et super eos principes tres, ex quibus Daniel unus erat: ut satrapae illis redderent rationem, et rex non sustineret molestiam.
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 Igitur Daniel superabat omnes principes, et satrapas: quia spiritus Dei amplior erat in illo.
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 Porro rex cogitabat constituere eum super omne regnum: unde principes, et satrapae quaerebant occasionem ut invenirent Danieli ex latere regis: nullamque causam, et suspicionem reperire potuerunt, eo quod fidelis esset, et omnis culpa, et suspicio non inveniretur in eo.
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 Dixerunt ergo viri illi: Non invenimus Danieli huic aliquam occasionem, nisi forte in lege Dei sui.
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 Tunc principes, et satrapae surripuerunt regi, et sic locuti sunt ei: Dari rex in aeternum vive:
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 consilium inierunt omnes principes regni tui, magistratus, et satrapae, senatores, et iudices ut decretum imperatorium exeat, et edictum: Ut omnis, qui petierit aliquam petitionem a quocumque deo, et homine usque ad triginta dies, nisi a te rex, mittatur in lacum leonum.
[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 Nunc itaque rex confirma sententiam, et scribe decretum: ut non immutetur quod statutum est a Medis et Persis, nec praevaricari cuiquam liceat.
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 Porro rex Darius proposuit edictum, et statuit.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Quod cum Daniel comperisset, id est, constitutam legem, ingressus est domum suam: et fenestris apertis in coenaculo suo contra Ierusalem tribus temporibus in die flectebat genua sua, et adorabat, confitebaturque coram Deo suo sicut et ante facere consueverat.
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 Viri ergo illi curiosius inquirentes invenerunt Danielem orantem, et obsecrantem Deum suum.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 Et accedentes locuti sunt regi super edicto: Rex numquid non constituisti, ut omnis homo, qui rogaret quemquam de diis, et hominibus usque ad dies triginta, nisi te, rex, mitteretur in lacum leonum? Ad quos respondens rex, ait: Verus est sermo iuxta decretum Medorum, atque Persarum, quod praevaricari non licet.
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 Tunc respondentes dixerunt coram rege: Daniel de filiis captivitatis Iuda, non curavit de lege tua, et de edicto, quod constituisti: sed tribus temporibus per diem orat obsecratione sua.
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 Quod verbum cum audisset rex, satis contristatus est: et pro Daniele posuit cor ut liberaret eum, et usque ad occasum solis laborabat ut erueret illum.
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 Viri autem illi intelligentes regem dixerunt ei: Scito rex, quia lex Medorum, atque Persarum est ut omne decretum, quod constituerit rex, non liceat immutari.
[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 Tunc rex praecepit: et adduxerunt Danielem, et miserunt eum in lacum leonum. Dixitque rex Danieli: Deus tuus, quem colis semper, ipse liberabit te.
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 Allatusque est lapis unus, et positus est super os laci: quem obsignavit rex annulo suo, et annulo optimatum suorum, nequid fieret contra Danielem.
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 Et abiit rex in domum suam, et dormivit incoenatus, cibique non sunt allati coram eo, insuper et somnus recessit ab eo.
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 Tunc rex primo diluculo consurgens, festinus ad lacum leonum perrexit:
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 appropinquansque lacui, Danielem voce lacrymabili inclamavit, et affatus est eum: Daniel serve Dei viventis, Deus tuus, cui tu servis semper, putasne valuit te liberare a leonibus?
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 Et Daniel regi respondens ait: Rex in aeternum vive:
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 Deus meus misit angelum suum, et conclusit ora leonum, et non nocuerunt mihi: quia coram eo iustitia inventa est in me: sed et coram te, rex, delictum non feci.
[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 Tunc vehementer rex gavisus est super eo, et Danielem praecepit educi de lacu: eductusque est Daniel de lacu, et nulla laesio inventa est in eo, quia credidit Deo suo.
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 Iubente autem rege, adducti sunt viri illi, qui accusaverunt Danielem: et in lacum leonum missi sunt, ipsi, et filii, et uxores eorum: et non pervenerunt usque ad pavimentum laci, donec arriperent eos leones, et omnia ossa eorum comminuerunt.
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 Tunc Darius rex scripsit universis populis, tribubus, et linguis habitantibus in universa terra: PAX vobis multiplicetur.
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 A me constitutum est decretum, ut in universo imperio, et regno meo tremiscant, et paveant Deum Danielis. ipse est enim Deus vivens, et aeternus in saecula: et regnum eius non dissipabitur, et potestas eius usque in aeternum.
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 Ipse liberator, atque salvator, faciens signa, et mirabilia in caelo, et in terra: qui liberavit Danielem de lacu leonum.
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 Porro Daniel perseveravit usque ad regnum Darii, regnumque Cyri Persae.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
