Daniel 6
1 Og Mederen Darius modtog Riget, da han omtrent var to og tresindstyve aar gammel.2 Det behagede Darius at beskikke over Riget hundrede og, tyve Statholdere, som skulde være I det hele Rige,3 og for disse tre overordnede, af hvilke Daniel var een, til hvilke disse Statholdere skulde aflægge Regnskab, at Kongen ikke skulde lide Skade.4 Da overgik denne Daniel de overordnede og Statholderne, fordi der var en ypperlig Aand i ham; og Kongen tænkte paa at beskikke ham over det hele Rige.5 Da søgte de overordnede og Statholderne at finde Sag imod Daniel, hvad Regeringen angik; men de kunde ingen ag eller slet Handling finde, fordi han var tro, og ingen Forseelse eller slet Handling fandtes hos ham.6 Da sagde disse Mænd: Vi finde ingen Sag imod denne Daniel, med mindre vi kunde finde den imod ham i hans Guds Lov. Da kom disse overordnede og Statholdere i hobetal tal Kongen, og de sagde saaledes til ham: Kong Darius leve evindelig!7 He kom disse overordnede og Statholderne i Hobetal til Kongen, og de sagde saaledes til ham: Kong Darius leve evingelig8 Alle overordnede i Riget, Befalingsmændene og Statholderne, Raadsherrerne og Landshævdingerne havde raadslaget med hverandre om, at Kongen skal stadfæste en Befaling og bekræfte og bekræfte et Forbud, at hver, som beder en Bøn til nogen Gud eller noget Menneske i tredive Dage uden til dig, o Konge! skal kastes i Løvekulen.9 Nu, o Konge! skal du stadfæste Forbudet og opsætte det skrifligt, at det ikke kan forandres, efter Medernes og Persernes Lov, som ikke kan tilbagekaldes.10 Derfor opsatte Kong Darius Skliftet og Forbudet.11 Og den Daniel havde faaet at vide, at Skriftet var opsat, gik han ind i sit Hus, hvilket paa sin øverste Sal havde Vinduer aabne imod Jerusalem; og tre Tider om Dagenfaldt han paa sine Knæ og bad og lovpriste Gud, alt som han havde gjort tilforn.12 Da kom disse Mænd i Hobetal og fandt Daniel bedende og bønfaidende for sin Gud.13 Da kom de frem og talte for Kongen om Kongens Forbud: Har du ikke opsat et Forbud om, at hvert Menneske, som beder nogen Gud eller noget Menneske om noget i tredive Dage uden dig, o Konge! skal kastes i Løvekulen? Kongen svarede og sagde: Ordet staar fast efter Medernes og Persernes Lov, som ikke kan tilbagekaldes.14 Da svarede de og sagde til Kongen: Daniel, en af de bortførte fra Juda, har ikke agtet paa dig, o Konge! eller paa Forbudet, som du har opsat, men beder sin Bøn tre Tider om Dagen.15 Der Kongen hørte det Ord, blev han meget bedrøvet og vendte sin Hu til Daniel for at udfri ham; og indtil Solen gik ned, gjorde han sig Umage for at redde ham.16 Da kom disse Mænd i Hobetal til Konge og de sagde tre Kongen: Vid, Konge at det er Medernes og Persernes Lov, at intet forbud og ingen Befaling, som Kongen stadfæster, kan forandres.17 Da gav Kongen Befaling, og de førte Daniel frem og kastede ham i Løvekulen; af Kongen svarede og sagde til Daniel: Din Gud, som du stedse dyrker; han frelse dig!18 Og der blev bragt en Sten og lagt for Aabningen af Kulen, og Kongen forseglede den med sin Ring og med sine Fyrsters Ringe, at intet angaaende Daniel skulde forandres.19 Da gik Kongen til sit Palads og tilbragte Natten uden at have spist og lod ingen Medhustru føre ind til sig, og hans Søvn veg fra ham.20 Da stod Kongen op om Morgenen i Dagningen og gik hastelig hen til Løvekulen:21 Og der han kom nær til Kulen, til Daniel, raabte han med bedrøvet Røst; Kongen talte og sagde til Daniel: Daniel! du den levende Guds Tjener, mon din Gud, som du stedse har dyrket, har kunnet udfri dig fra Løverne?22 Da talte Daniel med Kongen: Kongen leve evindelig!23 Min Gud sendte sin Engel og lukkede Løvernes Mund, saa at de ikke have gjort mig Skade, efterdi jeg er funden uskyldig for ham, og heller ikke for dig: har jeg begaaet nogen Misgerning, o Konge!24 Da blev Kongen meget glad og befalede, at man skulde drage Daniel op af Kulen; og Daniel blev dragen op af Kulen, og der blev ingen Skade funden paa ham, fordi han havde troet paa sin Gud.25 Da gav Kongen Befaling, og man førte ger disse Mænd, som havde anklaget Daniel, frem og kastede dem og deres Børn og deres Hustruer i Løvekulen; og de kom ikke til Bunden i Kulen, førend Løverne bemægtigede sig dem og knuste alle deres Ben.26 Da skrev Kong Cyrius til alle Folk, Stammer og Tungemaal, som boede paa den hele Jord: Eders Fred være mangfoldig!27 Af mig er givet Befaling, at man udi mit hele Riges Herredom skal skælve og frygte for Daniels Gud; thi han er den levende Gud, og den; som nliver evindelig; og hans Rige er et uforkrænkeligt, og hans Herredømme varer til Verdens Ende.28 Han er den; som udfrier, og som redder og gør Tegn og underfulde Ting i Himmelen og paa Jorden, han, som udfriede Daniel af Løvernes Vold. Og denne Daniel havde Lykke under Darius's Regering og under Perseren Kyrus's Regering.
Daniel 6
Daniel is Thrown into a Lions’ Den
1 It seemed like a good idea to Dariust to appoint over the kingdom 120 satrapst who would be in charge of the entire kingdom.2 Over them would be three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountablet to them, so that the king’s interests might not incur damage.3 Now this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the other supervisors and the satraps, for he had an extraordinary spirit. In fact, the king intended to appoint him over the entire kingdom.4 Consequently the supervisors and satraps were trying to findt some pretext against Daniel in connection with administrative matters.t But they were unable to find any such damaging evidence,t because he was trustworthy and guilty of no negligence or corruption.t
5 So these men concluded,t “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it ist in connection with the law of his God.”
6 So these supervisors and satraps came by collusiont to the king and saidt to him, “O King Darius, live forever!7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prayst to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions.8 Now let the king issue a written interdictt so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.t
9 So King Darius issued the written interdict.
10 When Daniel realizedt that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windowss in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem.s Threes times daily he wass kneelingts and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.11 Then those officials who had gone to the kingt came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God.12 So they approached the king and said to him,st “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct,t according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.”
13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captivest from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.”t
14 When the king heard this,t he was very upset and began thinking aboutt how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoont he was struggling to find a way to rescue him.15 Then those men came by collusion to the king ands said to him,t “Recall,t O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed.”16 So the king gave the order,t and Daniel was brought and thrown into a dens of lions. The king consoledt Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!”17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the openingt to the den. The king sealeds it with his signet ring and with thoset of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel.
18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversionst were brought to him. He was unable to sleep.t
God Rescues Daniel from the Lions
19 In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions’ den.
20 As he approached the den, he called out to Daniel in a worried voice,t “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God whom you continually serve able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke tot the king, “O king, live forever!
22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.”
23 Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God.
24 The king gave another order,t and those men who had maliciously accusedt Daniel were brought and thrownt into the lions’ den – they, their children, and their wives.s They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: “Peace and prosperity!t
26 I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God;
he endures forever.
His kingdom will not be destroyed;
his authority is forever.t
27 He rescues and delivers
and performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the powert of the lions!”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius andt the reign of Cyrus the Persian.