3
And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked.
4
Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king's body, spake one to another;
5
Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory:
6
As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck:
7
And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin.
8
And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under king Darius his pillow;
9
And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.
10
The first wrote, Wine is the strongest.
11
The second wrote, The king is strongest.
12
The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.
13
Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so he read them: