1 حسن عند داريوس ان يولي على المملكة مئة وعشرين مرزبانا يكونون على المملكة كلها.2 وعلى هؤلاء ثلاثة وزراء احدهم دانيال لتؤدي المرازبة اليهم الحساب فلا تصيب الملك خسارة.3 ففاق دانيال هذا على الوزراء والمرازبة لان فيه روحا فاضلة وفكر الملك في ان يوليه على المملكة كلها.4 ثم ان الوزراء والمرازبة كانوا يطلبون علّة يجدونها على دانيال من جهة المملكة فلم يقدروا ان يجدوا علّة ولا ذنبا لانه كان امينا ولم يوجد فيه خطأ ولا ذنب.5 فقال هؤلاء الرجال لا نجد على دانيال هذا علّة الا ان نجدها من جهة شريعة الهه.6 حينئذ اجتمع هؤلاء الوزراء والمرازبة عند الملك وقالوا له هكذا ايها الملك داريوس عش الى الابد.7 ان جميع وزراء المملكة والشحن والمرازبة والمشيرين والولاة قد تشاوروا على ان يضعوا أمرا ملكيا ويشددوا نهيا بان كل من يطلب طلبة حتى ثلاثين يوما من اله او انسان الا منك ايها الملك يطرح في جب الأسود.8 فثبّت الآن النهي ايها الملك وامض الكتابة لكي لا تتغيّر كشريعة مادي وفارس التي لا تنسخ.9 لاجل ذلك امضى الملك داريوس الكتابة والنهي10 فلما علم دانيال بامضاء الكتابة ذهب الى بيته وكواه مفتوحة في عليته نحو اورشليم فجثا على ركبتيه ثلاث مرات في اليوم وصلّى وحمد قدام الهه كما كان يفعل قبل ذلك.11 فاجتمع جميع حينئذ هؤلاء الرجال فوجدوا دانيال يطلب ويتضرع قدام الهه.12 فتقدموا وتكلموا قدام الملك في نهي الملك. ألم تمض ايها الملك نهيا بان كل انسان يطلب من اله او انسان حتى ثلاثين يوما الا منك ايها الملك يطرح في جب الأسود. فاجاب الملك وقال الامر صحيح كشريعة مادي وفارس التي لا تنسخ.13 حينئذ اجابوا وقالوا قدام الملك ان دانيال الذي من بني سبي يهوذا لم يجعل لك ايها الملك اعتبارا ولا للنهي الذي امضيته بل ثلاث مرات في اليوم يطلب طلبته.14 فلما سمع الملك هذا الكلام اغتاظ على نفسه جدا وجعل قلبه على دانيال لينجيه واجتهد الى غروب الشمس لينقذه.15 فاجتمع اولئك الرجال الى الملك وقالوا للملك اعلم ايها الملك ان شريعة مادي وفارس هي ان كل نهي اوامر يضعه الملك لا يتغيّر.16 حينئذ امر الملك فاحضروا دانيال وطرحوه في جب الأسود. اجاب الملك وقال لدانيال ان الهك الذي تعبده دائما هو ينجيك.17 وأتي بحجر ووضع على فم الجب وختمه الملك بخاتمه وخاتم عظمائه لئلا يتغيّر القصد في دانيال18 حينئذ مضى الملك الى قصره وبات صائما ولم يؤت قدامه بسراريه وطار عنه نومه.19 ثم قام الملك باكرا عند الفجر وذهب مسرعا الى جب الأسود.20 فلما اقترب الى الجب نادى دانيال بصوت اسيف. اجاب الملك وقال لدانيال يا دانيال عبد الله الحي هل الهك الذي تعبده دائما قدر على ان ينجيك من الأسود.21 فتكلم دانيال مع الملك يا ايها الملك عش الى الابد.22 الهي ارسل ملاكه وسدّ افواه الأسود فلم تضرّني لاني وجدت بريئا قدامه وقدامك ايضا ايها الملك لم افعل ذنبا.23 حينئذ فرح الملك به وامر بان يصعد دانيال من الجب فأصعد دانيال من الجب ولم يوجد فيه ضرر لانه آمن بالهه.24 فامر الملك فاحضروا اولئك الرجال الذين اشتكوا على دانيال وطرحوهم في جب الأسود هم واولادهم ونساءهم. ولم يصلوا الى اسفل الجب حتى بطشت بهم الأسود وسحقت كل عظامهم25 ثم كتب الملك داريوس الى كل الشعوب والامم والألسنة الساكنين في الارض كلها. ليكثر سلامكم.26 من قبلي صدر امر بانه في كل سلطان مملكتي يرتعدون ويخافون قدام اله دانيال لانه هو الاله الحي القيوم الى الابد وملكوته لن يزول وسلطانه الى المنتهى27 هو ينجي وينقذ ويعمل الآيات والعجائب في السموات وفي الارض. هو الذي نجى دانيال من يد الأسود28 فنجح دانيال هذا في ملك داريوس وفي ملك كورش الفارسي

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts to them, and the king should have no damage.3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; for as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live for ever.7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not.9 Why king Darius signed the writing and the decree.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king' decree; Have you not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not.13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regards not you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.15 Then these men assembled to the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.17 And a stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him.19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions.20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel: and the king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?21 Then said Daniel to the king, O king, live for ever.22 My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions'mouths, that they have not hurt me: for as much as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no hurt.23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he believed in his God.24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even to the end.27 He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.