Daniel en el foso de los leones
1Para el control eficaz de su reino, Darío consideró prudente nombrar a ciento veinte sátrapas 2y tres administradores, uno de los cuales era Daniel. Estos sátrapas eran responsables ante los administradores, a fin de que los intereses del rey no se vieran afectados. 3Y tanto se distinguió Daniel por sus extraordinarias cualidades administrativas que el rey pensó en ponerlo al frente de todo el reino. 4Entonces los administradores y los sátrapas empezaron a buscar algún motivo para acusar a Daniel de malos manejos en los negocios del reino. Sin embargo, no encontraron de qué acusarlo porque, lejos de ser corrupto o negligente, Daniel era un hombre digno de confianza. 5Por eso concluyeron: «Nunca encontraremos nada de qué acusar a Daniel, a no ser algo relacionado con la ley de su Dios».
6Formaron entonces los administradores y sátrapas una comisión para ir a hablar con el rey, y estando en su presencia le dijeron:
―¡Que viva para siempre el rey Darío! 7Nosotros los administradores reales, junto con los prefectos, sátrapas, consejeros y gobernadores, convenimos en que el rey debería emitir y confirmar un decreto que exija que, durante los próximos treinta días, sea arrojado al foso de los leones todo el que adore a cualquier dios u hombre que no sea el rey. 8Expida el rey ahora ese decreto, y póngalo por escrito. Así, conforme a la ley de los medos y los persas, no podrá ser revocado.
9El rey Darío expidió el decreto y lo puso por escrito. 10Cuando Daniel se enteró de la publicación del decreto, se fue a su casa y subió a su dormitorio, cuyas ventanas se abrían en dirección a Jerusalén. Allí se arrodilló y se puso a orar y alabar a Dios, pues tenía por costumbre orar tres veces al día. 11Cuando aquellos hombres llegaron y encontraron a Daniel orando e implorando la ayuda de Dios, 12fueron a hablar con el rey respecto al decreto real:
―¿No es verdad que el rey publicó un decreto? Según entendemos, todo el que en los próximos treinta días adore a otro dios u hombre que no sea el rey será arrojado al foso de los leones.
―El decreto sigue en pie —contestó el rey—. Según la ley de los medos y los persas, no puede ser derogado.
13Ellos respondieron: —¡Pues Daniel, que es uno de los exiliados de Judá, no tiene en cuenta al rey ni el decreto que ha promulgado! ¡Todavía sigue orando a su Dios tres veces al día!
14Cuando el rey escuchó esto, se deprimió mucho y se propuso salvar a Daniel, así que durante todo el día buscó la forma de salvarlo. 15Pero aquellos hombres fueron a ver al rey y lo presionaron:
―No olvide el rey que, según la ley de los medos y los persas, ningún decreto ni edicto emitido por el rey puede ser derogado.
16El rey dio entonces la orden, y Daniel fue arrojado al foso de los leones. Allí, el rey animaba a Daniel:
―¡Que tu Dios, a quien siempre sirves, se digne salvarte!
17Trajeron entonces una piedra, y con ella taparon la boca del foso. El rey la selló con su propio anillo y con el de sus nobles para que la sentencia contra Daniel no pudiera ser cambiada. 18Luego volvió a su palacio y pasó la noche sin comer y sin divertirse, y hasta el sueño se le fue. 19Tan pronto como amaneció, se levantó y fue al foso de los leones. 20Ya cerca, lleno de ansiedad gritó:
―Daniel, siervo del Dios viviente, ¿pudo tu Dios, a quien siempre sirves, salvarte de los leones?
21―¡Que viva el rey para siempre! —contestó Daniel desde el foso—. 22Mi Dios envió a su ángel y cerró la boca a los leones. No me han hecho ningún daño, porque Dios bien sabe que soy inocente. ¡Tampoco he cometido nada malo contra ti!
23Sin ocultar su alegría, el rey ordenó que sacaran del foso a Daniel. Cuando lo sacaron, no se le halló un solo rasguño, pues Daniel confiaba en su Dios. 24Entonces el rey mandó traer a los que falsamente lo habían acusado y ordenó que los arrojaran al foso de los leones, junto con sus esposas y sus hijos. ¡No habían tocado el suelo cuando ya los leones habían caído sobre ellos y les habían triturado los huesos!
25Más tarde el rey Darío firmó este decreto:
«A todos los pueblos, naciones y lenguas de este mundo:
»¡Paz y prosperidad para todos!
26»He decretado que en todo lugar de mi reino la gente adore y honre al Dios de Daniel.
»Porque él es el Dios vivo,
y permanece para siempre.
Su reino jamás será destruido,
y su dominio jamás tendrá fin.
27Él rescata y salva;
hace prodigios en el cielo
y maravillas en la tierra.
¡Ha salvado a Daniel
de las garras de los leones!»
28Fue así como Daniel prosperó durante los reinados de Darío y de Ciro el Persa.
Daniel Is Thrown Into a Den of Lions
1It pleased Darius to appoint 120 royal rulers over his entire kingdom. 2He placed three leaders over them. One of the leaders was Daniel. The royal rulers were made accountable to the three leaders. Then the king wouldn’t lose any of his wealth. 3Daniel did a better job than the other two leaders or any of the royal rulers. He was an unusually good and able man. So the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. 4But the other two leaders and the royal rulers heard about it. So they looked for a reason to bring charges against Daniel. They tried to find something wrong with the way he ran the government. But they weren’t able to. They couldn’t find any fault with his work. He could always be trusted. He never did anything wrong. And he always did what he was supposed to. 5Finally these men said, “We want to bring charges against this man Daniel. But it’s almost impossible for us to come up with a reason to do it. If we find a reason, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God.”
6So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, “King Darius, may you live forever! 7All the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We’ve agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it’s obeyed. Your Majesty, here is the command you should make your people obey for the next 30 days. Don’t let any of your people pray to any god or human being except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions’ den. 8Now give the order. Write it down in the law of the Medes and Persians. Then it can’t be changed.” 9So King Darius put the order in writing.
10Daniel found out that the king had signed the order. In spite of that, he did just as he had always done before. He went home to his upstairs room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem. He went to his room three times a day to pray. He got down on his knees and gave thanks to his God. 11Some of the other royal officials went to where Daniel was staying. They saw him praying and asking God for help. 12So they went to the king. They spoke to him about his royal order. They said, “Your Majesty, didn’t you sign an official order? It said that for the next 30 days your people could pray only to you. They could not pray to anyone else, whether god or human being. If they did, they would be thrown into the lions’ den.”
The king answered, “The order must still be obeyed. It’s what the law of the Medes and Persians requires. So it can’t be changed.”
13Then they spoke to the king again. They said, “Daniel is one of the prisoners from Judah. He doesn’t pay any attention to you, Your Majesty. He doesn’t obey the order you put in writing. He still prays to his God three times a day.” 14When the king heard this, he was very upset. He didn’t want Daniel to be harmed in any way. Until sunset, he did everything he could to save him.
15Then the men went as a group to King Darius. They said to him, “Your Majesty, remember that no order or command you give can be changed. That’s what the law of the Medes and Persians requires.”
16So the king gave the order. Daniel was brought out and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to him, “You always serve your God faithfully. So may he save you!”
17A stone was brought and placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed it with his own special ring. He also sealed it with the rings of his nobles. Then nothing could be done to help Daniel. 18The king returned to his palace. He didn’t eat anything that night. He didn’t ask for anything to be brought to him for his enjoyment. And he couldn’t sleep.
19As soon as the sun began to rise, the king got up. He hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said, “Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?”
21Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me at all. That’s because I haven’t done anything wrong in God’s sight. I’ve never done anything wrong to you either, Your Majesty.”
23The king was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. So they did. They didn’t see any wounds on him. That’s because he had trusted in his God.
24Then the king gave another order. The men who had said bad things about Daniel were brought in. They were thrown into the lions’ den. So were their wives and children. Before they hit the bottom of the den, the lions attacked them. And the lions crushed all their bones.
25Then King Darius wrote to people of all nations, no matter what language they spoke. He said,
“May you have great success!
26“I order people in every part of my kingdom to respect and honor Daniel’s God.
“He is the living God.
He will live forever.
His kingdom will not be destroyed.
His rule will never end.
27He sets people free and saves them.
He does miraculous signs and wonders.
He does them in the heavens and on the earth.
He has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So Daniel had success while Darius was king. Things went well with Daniel during the rule of Cyrus, the Persian.
