Daniel 6
1 Och Darios syntes godt vara, att han skulle sätta öfver hela riket tjugu och hundrade landshöfdingar.
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 Öfver dessa satte han tre Förstar; den ene var Daniel, hvilkom de landshöfdingar skulle räkenskap göra, att Konungen dess mindre bekymmer hafva skulle.
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 Men Daniel gick alla de Förstar och landshöfdingar vidt öfver; ty en hög ande var i honom; derföre tänkte Konungen att sätta honom öfver hela riket.
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 Fördenskull foro de Förstar och landshöfdingar derefter, huru de kunde finna en sak med Daniel, den emot riket vore; men de kunde ingen sak eller missgerning finna; ty han var trogen, så att man ingen skuld eller ogerning med honom finna kunde.
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 Då sade männerne: Vi finne ingen sak med Daniel, utan om hans Gudstjenst.
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 Då kommo de Förstar och landshöfdingar tillhopa inför Konungen, och sade till honom alltså: Herre Konung, Darios, Gud unne dig länge lefva.
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 De Förstar i rikena, herrarna, landshöfdingarna, Rådet och ämbetsmännerna, hafva alle betänkt, att man skall låta utgå en Konungslig befallning, och ett strängt påbud, att ho som helst i tretio dagar någon ting vill bedja af någon Gud eller mennisko, utan af dig, Konung allena, han skall varda kastad för lejon uti gropena.
[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 Derföre, o Konung, måste du detta budet stadfästa, och underskrifva dig; på det att det icke skall omvändt varda, efter de Meders och Persers rätt, det ingen öfverträda djerfves.
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 Alltså underskref sig Konungen Darios.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Som nu Daniel förnam, att sådant bud underskrifvet var, gick han upp i sitt hus; och han hade i sino sommarhuse öppna fenster emot Jerusalem; der föll han tre resor om dagen på sin knä, bad, lofvade och tackade sin Gud, såsom han tillförene plägade göra.
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 Då kommo desse männerna hopetals, och funno Daniel bedjandes och åkallandes inför sin Gud.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 Så gingo de fram, och talade med Konungen om det Konungsliga budet: Herre Konung, hafver du icke underskrifvit ett bud, att ho som helst i tretio dagar något både af någon gud, eller af någon mennisko, utan af dig Konungenom allena, han skulle kastas för lejon i gropena? Konungen svarade, och sade: Det är sant, och de Meders och Persers rätt skall ingen öfverträda.
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 De svarade, och sade för Konungen: Daniel, en af Juda fångar, aktar hvarken dig, o Konung, eller ditt bud, som du underskrifvit hafver; ty han beder tre resor om dagen.
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 Då Konungen detta hörde, vardt han fast bedröfvad, och vinnlade sig storliga, att han måtte fria Daniel; och arbetade derom intill solen nedergick, att han måtte hjelpa honom.
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 Men männerne kommo samman till Konungen, och sade till honom: Du vetst, herre Konung, att de Meders och Persers rätt är, att all bud och befallningar, som Konungen beslutit hafver, skola oförvandlade blifva.
[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 Då befallde Konungen, att man skulle hafva Daniel fram, och de kastade honom för lejonen i gropena; men Konungen sade till Daniel: Din Gud, den du utan återvändo tjenar, han hjelpe dig.
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 Och de båro en sten fram, den lade de på locket af gropene; honom förseglade Konungen med sin egen ring, och med sina väldigas ring, på det att ingen skulle eljest något bruka på Daniel.
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 Och Konungen gick sin väg på sina borg, och åt intet, och lät ingen mat för sig bära, och kunde ej heller sofva.
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 Om morgonen bittida, då det dagades, stod Konungen upp, och gick med hast till gropena, der lejonen uti voro.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 Och som han kom till gropena, ropade han till Daniel med sorgeliga röst; och Konungen sade till Daniel: Daniel, du lefvandes Guds tjenare, hafver ock din Gud, den du utan återvändo tjenar, förmått frälsa dig för lejonen?
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 Då talade Daniel med Konungen: Herre Konung, Gud unne dig länge lefva!
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 Min Gud hafver sändt sin Ängel, hvilken lejonens mun tillhållit hafver, att de hafva ingen skada gjort mig; ty för honom är jag oskyldig funnen: Så hafver jag ej heller något gjort emot dig, Herre Konung.
[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 Då vardt Konungen ganska glad, och lät taga Daniel utu gropene; och de togo Daniel utu gropene, och man fann platt ingen skada gjord vara uppå honom; ty han hade trott sinom Gud.
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 Då lät Konungen komma fram de män, som Daniel beklagat hade, och kasta dem inför lejonen i gropena, samt med deras barn och hustrur; och förr än de kommo ned till bottnen, fingo lejonen dem fatt, förkrossade ock alla deras ben.
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 Sedan lät Konungen Darios skrifva till all land, och folk, och tungomål: Gud gifve eder mycken frid!
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 Detta är min befallning, att uti allt mins rikes herradöme skall man frukta och rädas Daniels Gud; ty han är den lefvande Gud, som blifver evinnerliga, och hans rike är oförgängeligit, och hans herradöme hafver ingen ända.
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 Han är en frälsare och nödhjelpare, och han gör tecken och under, både i himmelen och på jordene; han hafver frälst Daniel ifrå lejonen.
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 Och Daniel var väldig i Darios rike, och desslikes i Cores, den Persens, rike.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
