1 En Dar¡us, die Meder, was twee en sestig jaar oud toe hy die koningskap ontvang het.
2 Dit het Dar¡us behaag om oor die koninkryk honderd en twintig landvoogde aan te stel wat in die hele koninkryk sou wees;
3 en oor hulle drie ministers, van wie Daniël een was, aan wie die landvoogde rekenskap moes gee, sodat die koning nie sou skade ly nie.
4 Toe het hierdie Daniël bo die ministers en die landvoogde uitgemunt, omdat 'n voortreflike gees in hom was; daarom was die koning van plan om hom oor die hele koninkryk aan te stel.
5 Toe het die ministers en die landvoogde gesoek om 'n grond vir 'n aanklag teen Daniël te vind met betrekking tot die regering, maar hulle kon geen enkele grond vir 'n aanklag of verkeerde handeling vind nie, omdat hy getrou was en geen nalatigheid of verkeerde handeling by hom te vinde was nie.
6 Daarop het die manne gesê: Ons sal teen hierdie Daniël geen enkele grond vir 'n aanklag vind nie, tensy ons dit teen hom vind in sy godsdiens.
7 Toe het hierdie ministers en landvoogde die koning bestorm en so vir hom gesê: Mag koning Dar¡us vir ewig lewe!
8 Al die ministers van die koninkryk, die bevelhebbers en die landvoogde, die raadsmanne en die goewerneurs het beraadslaag dat die koning 'n verordening moet uitvaardig en 'n verbod bekragtig dat elkeen wat gedurende dertig dae 'n versoek rig aan enige god of mens behalwe aan u, o koning, in die leeukuil gegooi sal word.
9 Stel nou 'n verbod vas, o koning, en laat 'n bevelskrif skrywe wat volgens die onveranderlike wet van Meders en Perse onherroeplik is.
10 Hierom het koning Dar¡us die bevelskrif en die verbod geskrywe.
11 En net toe Daniël verneem dat die bevelskrif geskrywe was, het hy in sy huis gegaan; en hy het in sy bo-kamer vensters gehad wat oop was in die rigting van Jerusalem, en hy het drie maal op 'n dag op sy knieë geval en gebid en lofprysinge uitgespreek voor sy God, net soos hy tevore gedoen het.
12 Daarop het daardie manne aangestorm en Daniël gevind terwyl hy bid en voor sy God om genade smeek.
13 Hulle het toe nader gekom en voor die koning oor die koninklike verbod gespreek: Het u nie 'n verbod geskrywe dat elkeen wat gedurende dertig dae 'n versoek doen aan enige god of mens behalwe aan u, o koning, in die leeukuil gegooi moet word nie? Die koning het geantwoord en gesê: Die saak staan vas volgens onherroeplike wet van Meders en Perse.
14 Toe het hulle geantwoord en voor die koning gesê: Daniël, een van die Joodse ballinge, het hom aan u, o koning, en aan u verbod wat u geskrywe het, nie gesteur nie, maar drie maal op 'n dag doen hy sy gebed.
15 Toe die koning die woord hoor, het dit hom baie mishaag, en hy het planne beraam om Daniël te verlos, ja, tot sonsondergang toe het hy moeite gedoen om hom te red.
16 Daarop het daardie manne die koning bestorm en aan die koning gesê: Weet, o koning, dat dit 'n wet van Meders en Perse is dat elke verbod of verordening wat die koning vasgestel het, nie verander mag word nie.
17 Toe het die koning bevel gegee, en hulle het Daniël gebring en in die leeukuil gegooi. Die koning het begin spreek en vir Daniël gesê: Mag jou God wat jy gedurigdeur vereer, jou verlos!
18 En 'n klip is gebring en op die opening van die kuil gelê, en die koning het dit met sy ring en met die ring van sy maghebbers verseël, sodat niks anders met Daniël sou gebeur nie.
19 Toe het die koning na sy paleis gegaan en met vas die nag deurgebring en die byvroue nie voor hom laat kom nie, en sy slaap het van hom weggevlug.
20 Daarop het die koning die môre vroeg toe dit lig word, opgestaan en haastig na die leeukuil gegaan.
21 En toe hy nader kom na die kuil, het hy met 'n droewige stem na Daniël geroep; die koning het gespreek en aan Daniël gesê: Daniël, kneg van die lewende God, was jou God wat jy gedurigdeur vereer, in staat om jou van die leeus te verlos?
22 Toe het Daniël met die koning gespreek: Mag die koning vir ewig lewe!
23 My God het sy engel gestuur en die bek van die leeus toegesluit, sodat hulle my geen leed aangedoen het nie, omdat ek voor Hom onskuldig bevind is en ek ook teen u, o koning, geen onreg gedoen het nie.
24 Toe het die koning baie bly geword en bevel gegee om Daniël uit die kuil op te trek. So is Daniël dan uit die kuil opgetrek sonder dat daar 'n letsel aan hom gevind is, omdat hy op sy God vertrou het.
25 En die koning het bevel gegee, en hulle het daardie manne gebring wat Daniël aangeklaag het, en hulle, hulle kinders en hulle vroue in die leeukuil gegooi; en hulle het nog nie die bodem van die kuil bereik nie of die leeus het hulle oorweldig en al hulle bene vermorsel.
26 Toe het koning Dar¡us aan al die volke, nasies en tale wat op die hele aarde woon, geskrywe: Mag julle vrede groot wees!
27 Deur my word bevel gegee dat hulle in die hele magsgebied van my koninkryk moet bewe en sidder voor die God van Daniël, want Hy is die lewende God en Hy bestaan in ewigheid en sy koninkryk is een wat nie vernietig kan word nie en sy heerskappy duur tot die einde toe.
28 Hy verlos en red en doen tekens en wonders in die hemel en op aarde, Hy wat Daniël uit die mag van die leeus verlos het. [ (Daniel 6:29) En hierdie Daniël was voorspoedig onder die regering van Dar¡us en onder die regering van Kores, die Pers. ]
1 \5:31\And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being then about sixty-two years old.
2 \6:1\Darius was pleased to put over the kingdom a hundred and twenty captains, who were to be all through the kingdom;
3 \6:2\And over them were three chief rulers, of whom Daniel was one; and the captains were to be responsible to the chief rulers, so that the king might undergo no loss.
4 \6:3\Then this Daniel did his work better than the chief rulers and the captains, because there was a special spirit in him; and it was the king's purpose to put him over all the kingdom.
5 \6:4\Then the chief rulers and the captains were looking for some cause for putting Daniel in the wrong in connection with the kingdom, but they were unable to put forward any wrongdoing or error against him; because he was true, and no error or wrong was to be seen in him.
6 \6:5\Then these men said, We will only get a reason for attacking Daniel in connection with the law of his God.
7 \6:6\Then these chief rulers and the captains came to the king and said to him, O King Darius, have life for ever.
8 \6:7\All the chief rulers of the kingdom, the chiefs and the captains, the wise men and the rulers, have made a common decision to put in force a law having the king's authority, and to give a strong order, that whoever makes any request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole.
9 \6:8\Now, O King, put the order in force, signing the writing so that it may not be changed, like the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
10 \6:9\For this reason King Darius put his name on the writing and the order.
11 \6:10\And Daniel, on hearing that the writing had been signed, went into his house; (now he had windows in his room on the roof opening in the direction of Jerusalem;) and three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his God, as he had done before.
12 \6:11\Then these men were watching and saw Daniel making prayers and requesting grace before his God.
13 \6:12\Then they came near before the king and said, O King, have you not put your name to an order that any man who makes a request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole? The king made answer and said, The thing is fixed by the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
14 \6:13\Then they made answer and said before the king, Daniel, one of the prisoners of Judah, has no respect for you, O King, or for the order signed by you, but three times a day he makes his prayer to God.
15 \6:14\When this thing came to the king's ears, it was very evil to him, and his heart was fixed on keeping Daniel safe, and till the going down of the sun he was doing everything in his power to get him free.
16 \6:15\Then these men said to the king, Be certain, O King, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no order or law which the king has put into force may be changed.
17 \6:16\Then the king gave the order, and they took Daniel and put him into the lions' hole. The king made answer and said to Daniel, Your God, whose servant you are at all times, will keep you safe.
18 \6:17\Then they got a stone and put it over the mouth of the hole, and it was stamped with the king's stamp and with the stamp of the lords, so that the decision about Daniel might not be changed.
19 \6:18\Then the king went to his great house, and took no food that night, and no ... were placed before him, and his sleep went from him.
20 \6:19\Then very early in the morning the king got up and went quickly to the lions' hole.
21 \6:20\And when he came near the hole where Daniel was, he gave a loud cry of grief; the king made answer and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whose servant you are at all times, able to keep you safe from the lions?
22 \6:21\Then Daniel said to the king, O King, have life for ever.
23 \6:22\My God has sent his angel to keep the lions' mouths shut, and they have done me no damage: because I was seen to be without sin before him; and further, before you, O King, I have done no wrong.
24 \6:23\Then the king was very glad, and gave orders for them to take Daniel up out of the hole. So Daniel was taken up out of the hole and he was seen to be untouched, because he had faith in his God.
25 \6:24\And at the king's order, they took those men who had said evil against Daniel, and put them in the lions' hole, with their wives and their children; and they had not got to the floor of the hole before the lions overcame them and all their bones were broken.
26 \6:25\Then King Darius sent a letter to all the peoples, nations, and languages, living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.
27 \6:26\It is my order that in all the kingdom of which I am ruler, men are to be shaking with fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, unchanging for ever, and his kingdom is one which will never come to destruction, his rule will go on to the end.
28 \6:27\He gives salvation and makes men free from danger, and does signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who has kept Daniel safe from the power of the lions.
29 \6:28\So this Daniel did well in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.