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大流士王立但以理为三总长之一

大流士随心所愿,立一百二十个总督,治理通国。 又在他们以上立总长三人,但以理在其中,使总督在他们三人面前回复事务,免得王受亏损。 因这但以理有美好的灵性,所以显然超乎其余的总长和总督,王又想立他治理通国。

众臣妒但以理欲寻隙讼之

那时总长和总督寻找但以理误国的把柄,为要参他,只是找不着他的错误过失,因他忠心办事,毫无错误过失。 那些人便说:“我们要找参这但以理的把柄,除非在他神的律法中,就寻不着。”

奏请降诏谕民三旬内唯王是求

于是,总长和总督纷纷聚集来见王,说:“愿大流士王万岁! 国中的总长、钦差、总督、谋士和巡抚彼此商议,要立一条坚定的禁令[a],三十日内,不拘何人,若在王以外,或向神或向人求什么,就必扔在狮子坑中。 王啊,现在求你立这禁令,加盖玉玺,使禁令决不更改,照玛代波斯人的例是不可更改的。” 于是大流士王立这禁令,加盖玉玺。

但以理仍日三次祷告神

10 但以理知道这禁令盖了玉玺,就到自己家里(他楼上的窗户开向耶路撒冷),一日三次双膝跪在他神面前祷告感谢,与素常一样。 11 那些人就纷纷聚集,见但以理在他神面前祈祷恳求。 12 他们便进到王前,提王的禁令,说:“王啊,三十日内不拘何人,若在王以外,或向神或向人求什么,必被扔在狮子坑中。王不是在这禁令上盖了玉玺吗?”王回答说:“实有这事,照玛代波斯人的例是不可更改的。” 13 他们对王说:“王啊,那被掳之犹大人中的但以理不理你,也不遵你盖了玉玺的禁令,他竟一日三次祈祷。” 14 王听见这话就甚愁烦,一心要救但以理,筹划解救他,直到日落的时候。 15 那些人就纷纷聚集来见王,说:“王啊,当知道玛代人和波斯人有例,凡王所立的禁令和律例都不可更改。”

王依禁令投之于狮坑

16 王下令,人就把但以理带来,扔在狮子坑中。王对但以理说:“你所常侍奉的神,他必救你。” 17 有人搬石头放在坑口,王用自己的玺和大臣的印封闭那坑,使惩办但以理的事毫无更改。 18 王回宫,终夜禁食,无人拿乐器到他面前,并且睡不着觉。

主护但以理不为狮伤

19 次日黎明王就起来,急忙往狮子坑那里去。 20 临近坑边,哀声呼叫但以理,对但以理说:“永生神的仆人但以理啊,你所常侍奉的神能救你脱离狮子吗?” 21 但以理对王说:“愿王万岁! 22 我的神差遣使者封住狮子的口,叫狮子不伤我,因我在神面前无辜,我在王面前也没有行过亏损的事。” 23 王就甚喜乐,吩咐人将但以理从坑里系上来。于是但以理从坑里被系上来,身上毫无伤损,因为信靠他的神。

讼但以理者遭报见噬

24 王下令,人就把那些控告但以理的人连他们的妻子、儿女都带来,扔在狮子坑中。他们还没有到坑底,狮子就抓住[b]他们,咬碎他们的骨头。

王谕全国敬畏神

25 那时大流士王传旨,晓谕住在全地,各方、各国、各族的人说:“愿你们大享平安! 26 现在我降旨晓谕我所统辖的全国人民,要在但以理的神面前战兢恐惧。因为他是永远长存的活神,他的国永不败坏,他的权柄永存无极。 27 他护庇人,搭救人,在天上地下施行神迹奇事,救了但以理脱离狮子的口。”

28 如此,这但以理大流士王在位的时候和波斯居鲁士在位的时候,大享亨通。

Footnotes

  1. 但以理书 6:7 或作:求王下旨要立一条云云。
  2. 但以理书 6:24 “抓住”原文作“胜了”。

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

1-3 Darius reorganized his kingdom. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. Over them were three vice-regents, one of whom was Daniel. The governors reported to the vice-regents, who made sure that everything was in order for the king. But Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.

4-5 The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel’s life that they could use against him, but they couldn’t dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. So they finally gave up and said, “We’re never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can scheme up something religious.”

6-7 The vice-regents and governors conspired together and then went to the king and said, “King Darius, live forever! We’ve convened your vice-regents, governors, and all your leading officials, and have agreed that the king should issue the following decree:

For the next thirty days no one is to pray to any god or mortal except you, O king. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown into the lions’ den.

“Issue this decree, O king, and make it unconditional, as if written in stone like all the laws of the Medes and the Persians.”

King Darius signed the decree.

10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God.

11-12 The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help. They went straight to the king and reminded him of the royal decree that he had signed. “Did you not,” they said, “sign a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god or man except you for the next thirty days? And anyone caught doing it would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

“Absolutely,” said the king. “Written in stone, like all the laws of the Medes and Persians.”

13 Then they said, “Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, ignores you, O king, and defies your decree. Three times a day he prays.”

14 At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix he’d put him in. He worked at it the whole day long.

15 But then the conspirators were back: “Remember, O king, it’s the law of the Medes and Persians that the king’s decree can never be changed.”

16 The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and thrown into the lions’ den. But he said to Daniel, “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.”

17 A stone slab was placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed the cover with his signet ring and the signet rings of all his nobles, fixing Daniel’s fate.

18 The king then went back to his palace. He refused supper. He couldn’t sleep. He spent the night fasting.

19-20 At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?”

21-22 “O king, live forever!” said Daniel. “My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I’ve been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I’ve done nothing to harm you.”

23 When the king heard these words, he was happy. He ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. When he was hauled up, there wasn’t a scratch on him. He had trusted his God.

24 Then the king commanded that the conspirators who had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. Before they hit the floor, the lions had them in their jaws, tearing them to pieces.

25-27 King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color, and creed on earth:

    Peace to you! Abundant peace!
        I decree that Daniel’s God shall be worshiped and feared
    in all parts of my kingdom.
        He is the living God, world without end. His kingdom
    never falls.
        His rule continues eternally.
        He is a savior and rescuer.
        He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth.
        He saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

* * *

28 From then on, Daniel was treated well during the reign of Darius, and also in the following reign of Cyrus the Persian.