1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3Then 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; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.6.6 assembled…: or, came tumultuously 7All 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 whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.6.7 decree: or, interdict 8Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.6.8 altereth not: Chaldee, passeth not 9Wherefore 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 upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, 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 altereth not. 13Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17And a stone was brought, and laid upon 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 musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.6.18 instruments…: or, table 19Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23Then was the king exceeding 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 upon 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 brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
25¶ Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26I 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 stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.6.27 power: Chaldee, hand 28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel i løvekulen
1Efter Belshazzars død overtog mederen Dareios6,1 Det er ikke den samme Dareios, som er nævnt i Ezra og Nehemias. Adskillige konger bar samme navn. magten over det babyloniske storrige i en alder af 62 år. 2Han opdelte riget i 120 provinser og indsatte en guvernør i hver provins. 3Over dem satte han tre statholdere, som de skulle stå til regnskab for, så riget blev effektivt administreret. Daniel var en af dem.
4Daniel udviste større administrative evner end de andre statholdere og guvernører, for han sad inde med en helt speciel visdom, og kong Dareios overvejede at gøre ham til rigets øverste administrative leder. 5De andre statholdere og guvernører blev derfor misundelige på Daniel, og de søgte at finde noget ved hans embedsførelse, som de kunne anklage ham for. Men de kunne ikke finde noget at kritisere, for Daniel var ærlig og ikke det mindste korrupt eller forsømmelig. 6„Vi kan ikke finde noget at anklage ham for, hvad hans arbejde angår,” konstaterede de. „Men måske vi kan finde noget i hans gudsdyrkelse.”
7I samlet trop gik de derfor til kongen og sagde: „Deres Majestæt længe leve! 8Vi statholdere, guvernører, rådgivere og andre højtstående embedsmænd er blevet enige om, at De burde udstede en lov, som siger, at hvis nogen i de næste 30 dage beder en bøn til nogen anden end Dem—det være sig til en gud eller til et menneske—skal de kastes for løverne. 9Vi opfordrer Dem til personligt at underskrive denne lov, så den ifølge medisk-persisk tradition ikke kan omstødes.” 10Kong Dareios udstedte da en sådan lov.
11Selvom Daniel vidste besked med den nye lov, gik han alligevel hjem og knælede, som han plejede, i det værelse ovenpå, hvor vinduerne stod åbne i retning af Jerusalem. Han blev ved med at bede og takke Gud tre gange dagligt, som han altid havde gjort. 12De misundelige embedsmænd stormede da ind i Daniels hus og fandt ham i færd med at bede til Gud. 13Straks gik de hen til kongen. „Deres Majestæt husker nok den lov, De lige har udstedt,” begyndte de. „Hvis nogen i de næste 30 dage beder en bøn til nogen anden end Dem—det være sig til en gud eller til et menneske—så skal de kastes for løverne.”
„Jo,” svarede kongen, „det står fast efter den medisk-persiske tradition. Loven kan ikke trækkes tilbage.”
14„Men Daniel, en af de bortførte judæere, er ligeglad med Dem og Deres lov. Han beder stadig til sin Gud tre gange om dagen.”
15Da kongen hørte det, blev han meget ked af det og spekulerede på, hvordan han mon kunne redde Daniel. Hele resten af dagen prøvede han at finde en udvej til at hjælpe Daniel.
16Om aftenen troppede mændene igen op hos kongen. „Deres Majestæt,” sagde de. „Vi vil gerne minde Dem om, at De ifølge medisk-persisk tradition ikke kan tilbagetrække en lov, De selv har underskrevet.”
17Så blev Daniel hentet og kongen sagde til ham: „Gid din Gud, som du tjener så trofast, må redde dig ud af det her!” Derpå blev Daniel kastet ned til løverne, 18og man hentede en stor sten, som blev lagt over løvekulens åbning. Til sidst forseglede kongen stenen både med det kongelige segl og regeringens segl, så det var umuligt at ændre noget i den sag. 19Derpå vendte kongen tilbage til paladset. Men han ville ikke spise, aflyste sin sædvanlige aftenunderholdning og lukkede ikke et øje hele natten.
20Næste morgen ved daggry stod kongen op og skyndte sig hen til løvekulen. 21Endnu inden han var nået helt derhen, råbte han sørgmodigt: „Åh, Daniel, du den levende Guds tjener! Mon den Gud, som du tjente så trofast, kunne redde dig fra løverne?” 22Straks svarede Daniel: „Deres Majestæt længe leve! 23Min Gud sendte en engel og lukkede løvernes gab, så de ikke kunne skade mig. I Guds øjne er jeg nemlig uskyldig, og jeg har heller ikke gjort noget forkert over for Dem, Deres Majestæt.”
24Kongen var ude af sig selv af glæde. Han fik straks Daniel hejst op fra løvekulen. Ikke en skramme havde han fået, for han havde sat sin lid til Gud.
25Men de mænd, som havde udtænkt den snedige plan, blev derefter på kongens befaling hentet og kastet i løvekulen sammen med deres koner og børn, og løverne kastede sig straks over dem og knuste deres knogler.
26Efter den oplevelse udsendte kong Dareios en meddelelse til alle sine undersåtter fra de forskellige folkeslag, stammer og sprog:
Alle gode ønsker fra kongen! 27Jeg befaler hermed, at alle borgere i hele riget fremover skal vise respekt og ærefrygt for Daniels Gud. Han er den levende og uforanderlige Gud, hvis herredømme aldrig vil ophøre, og hvis magt aldrig vil få ende. 28Han redder og frelser, hvem han vil. Han gør tegn og undere i himlen og på jorden. Han frelste Daniel fra løverne!
29Således oplevede Daniel fortsat lykke og fremgang både under Dareios og den persiske kong Kyros.
