Dànyǐlǐshū 6

1 Dàlìwū suí xīn suǒ yuàn , lì yī bǎi èr shí gè zǒng dū , zhìlǐ tōng guó .

2 Yòu zaì tāmen yǐshàng lì zǒng zhǎng sān rén ( Dànyǐlǐ zaì qízhōng ) , shǐ zǒng dū zaì tāmen sān rén miànqián huí fù shì wù , miǎndé wáng shòu kuī sún .

3 Yīn zhè Dànyǐlǐ yǒu mĕihǎo de língxìng , suǒyǐ xiǎnrán chāo hū qíyú de zǒng zhǎng hé zǒng dū , wáng yòu xiǎng lì tā zhìlǐ tōng guó .

4 Nàshí , zǒng zhǎng hé zǒng dū xúnzhǎo Dànyǐlǐ wù guó de bǎbǐng , wèi yào sān tā . zhǐshì zhǎo bù zhe tāde cuòwù guō shī , yīn tā zhōngxīn bàn shì , haó wú cuòwù guō shī .

5 Nàxiē rén biān shuō , wǒmen yào zhǎo sān zhè Dànyǐlǐ de bǎbǐng , chúfēi zaì tā shén de lǜfǎ zhōng jiù xún bù zhe .

6 Yúshì , zǒng zhǎng hé zǒng dū fēnfēn jùjí lái jiàn wáng , shuō , yuàn Dàlìwū wáng wàn suì .

7 Guó zhōng de zǒng zhǎng , qīn chāi , zǒng dū , móu shì , hé xúnfǔ bǐcǐ shāngyì , yào lì yī tiaó jiāndéng de jīn líng ( huò zuò qiú wáng xià zhǐ yào lì yī tiaó yúnyún ) , sān shí rì neì , bùjū hé rén , ruò zaì wáng yǐwaì , huò xiàng shén huò xiàng rén qiú shénme , jiù bì rēng zaì shīzi kēng zhōng .

8 Wáng a , xiànzaì qiú nǐ lì zhè jīn líng , jiā gĕ yù xǐ , shǐ jīn líng jué bù gēnggǎi . zhào Mǎdaì hé Bōsī rén de lì shì bùkĕ gēnggǎi de .

9 Yúshì Dàlìwū wáng lì zhè jīn líng , jiā gĕ yù xǐ .

10 Dànyǐlǐ zhīdào zhè jīn líng gĕ le yù xǐ , jiù dào zìjǐ jiā lǐ ( tā lóu shang de chuānghu kāi xiàng Yēlùsǎlĕng ) , yī rì sān cì , shuāng xī guì zaì tā shén miànqián , dǎogào gǎnxiè , yǔ sùcháng yíyàng .

11 Nàxiē rén jiù fēnfēn jùjí , jiàn Dànyǐlǐ zaì tā shén miànqián qídǎo kĕnqiú .

12 Tāmen biàn jìn dào wáng qián , tí wáng de jīn líng , shuō , wáng a , sān shí rì neì bùjū hé rén , ruò zaì wáng yǐwaì , huò xiàng shén huò xiàng rén qiú shénme , bì beì rēng zaì shīzi kēng zhōng . wáng bú shì zaì zhè jīn líng shang gĕ le yù xǐ ma . wáng huídá shuō , shí yǒu zhè shì , zhào Mǎdaì .

13 Tāmen duì wáng shuō , wáng a , nà beìlǔ zhī Yóudà rén zhōng de Dànyǐlǐ bù lǐ nǐ , yĕ bú zūn nǐ gaì le yù xǐ de jīn líng , tā jìng yī rì sān cì qídǎo .

14 Wáng tīngjian zhè huà , jiù shén chóu fán , yī xīn yào jiù Dànyǐlǐ , chóu huá jiĕ jiù tā , zhídào rìluò de shíhou .

15 Nàxiē rén jiù fēnfēn jùjí lái jiàn wáng , shuō , wáng a , dāng zhīdào Mǎdaì rén hé Bōsī rén yǒu lì , fán wáng suǒ lì de jīn líng hé lǜ lì dōu bùkĕ gēnggǎi .

16 Wáng xià líng , rén jiù bǎ Dànyǐlǐ daì lái , rēng zaì shīzi kēng zhōng . wáng duì Dànyǐlǐ shuō , nǐ suǒ cháng shìfèng de shén , tā bì jiù nǐ .

17 Yǒu rén bān shítou fàng zaì kēng kǒu , wáng yòng zìjǐ de xǐ hé dàchén de yìn , fēng bì nà kēng , shǐ chéngbàn Dànyǐlǐ de shì haó wú gēnggǎi .

18 Wáng huí gōng , zhōng yè jìnshí , wú rén ná lè qì dào tā miànqián , bìngqiĕ shuì bú zhe jiào.

19 Cì rì límíng , wáng jiù qǐlai , jímáng wǎng shīzi kēng nàli qù .

20 Línjìn kēng bian , āi shēng hūjiào Dànyǐlǐ , duì Dànyǐlǐ shuō , yǒngshēng shén de púrén Dànyǐlǐ a , nǐ suǒ cháng shìfèng de shén néng jiù nǐ tuōlí shīzi ma .

21 Dànyǐlǐ duì wáng shuō , yuàn wáng wàn suì .

22 Wǒde shén chāiqiǎn shǐzhĕ , fēng zhù shīzi de kǒu , jiào shīzi bú shāng wǒ . yīn wǒ zaì shén miànqián wúgū , wǒ zaì wáng miànqián yĕ méiyǒu xíng guō kuī sún de shì .

23 Wáng jiù shén xǐlè , fēnfu rén jiāng Dànyǐlǐ cóng kēng lǐ jì shang lái . yúshì Dànyǐlǐ cóng kēng lǐ beì jì shang lái , shēnshang haó wú shāng sún , yīnwei xìn kào tāde shén .

24 Wáng xià líng , rén jiù bǎ nàxiē kònggào Dànyǐlǐ de rén , lián tāmende qīzi érnǚ dōu daì lái , rēng zaì shīzi kēng zhōng . tāmen hái méiyǒu dào kēng dǐ , shīzi jiù zhuāzhù ( yuánwén zuò shēng le ) tāmen , yǎo suì tāmende gútou .

25 Nàshí , Dàlìwū wáng zhuàn zhǐ , xiǎoyù zhù zaì quán dì gè fāng , gè guó , gè zú de rén shuō , yuàn nǐmen dà xiǎng píngān .

26 Xiànzaì wǒ jiàng zhǐ xiǎoyù wǒ suǒ Tǒng xiá de quán guó rénmín , yào zaì Dànyǐlǐ de shén miànqián , zhàn jīng kǒngjù . yīnwei tā shì yǒngyuǎn chángcún de huó shén , tāde guó yǒng bù baìhuaì . tāde quánbǐng yǒng cún wú jí .

27 Tā hù bì rén , dājiù rén , zaì tiān shang dì xià shīxíng shénjī qí shì , jiù le Dànyǐlǐ tuōlí shīzi de kǒu .

28 Rúcǐ , zhè Dànyǐlǐ dāng Dàlìwū wáng zaì wèi de shíhou , hé Bōsī wáng Gǔliè zaì wèi de shíhou , dà xiǎng hēng tōng .

Dànyǐlǐshū 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

The malice of Daniel's enemies. (1-5) His constancy in prayer. (6-10) He is cast into the lion's den. (11-17) His miraculous preservation. (18-24) The decree of Darius. (25-28)

Verses 1-5 We notice to the glory of God, that though Daniel was now very old, yet he was able for business, and had continued faithful to his religion. It is for the glory of God, when those who profess religion, conduct themselves so that their most watchful enemies may find no occasion for blaming them, save only in the matters of their God, in which they walk according to their consciences.

Verses 6-10 To forbid prayer for thirty days, is, for so long, to rob God of all the tribute he has from man, and to rob man of all the comfort he has in God. Does not every man's heart direct him, when in want or distress, to call upon God? We could not live a day without God; and can men live thirty days without prayer? Yet it is to be feared that those who, without any decree forbidding them, present no hearty, serious petitions to God for more than thirty days together, are far more numerous than those who serve him continually, with humble, thankful hearts. Persecuting laws are always made on false pretences; but it does not become Christians to make bitter complaints, or to indulge in revilings. It is good to have hours for prayer. Daniel prayed openly and avowedly; and though a man of vast business, he did not think that would excuse him from daily exercises of devotion. How inexcusable are those who have but little to do in the world, yet will not do thus much for their souls! In trying times we must take heed, lest, under pretence of discretion, we are guilty of cowardice in the cause of God. All who throw away their souls, as those certainly do that live without prayer, even if it be to save their lives, at the end will be found to be fools. Nor did Daniel only pray, and not give thanks, cutting off some part of the service to make the time of danger shorter; but he performed the whole. In a word, the duty of prayer is founded upon the sufficiency of God as an almighty Creator and Redeemer, and upon our wants as sinful creatures. To Christ we must turn our eyes. Thither let the Christian look, thither let him pray, in this land of his captivity.

Verses 11-17 It is no new thing for what is done faithfully, in conscience toward God, to be misrepresented as done obstinately, and in contempt of the civil powers. Through want of due thought, we often do that which afterwards, like Darius, we see cause a thousand times to wish undone again. Daniel, that venerable man, is brought as the vilest of malefactors, and is thrown into the den of lions, to be devoured, only for worshipping his God. No doubt the placing the stone was ordered by the providence of God, that the miracle of Daniel's deliverance might appear more plain; and the king sealed it with his own signet, probably lest Daniel's enemies should kill him. Let us commit our lives and souls unto God, in well-doing. We cannot place full confidence even in men whom we faithfully serve; but believers may, in all cases, be sure of the Divine favour and consolation.

Verses 18-24 The best way to have a good night, is to keep a good conscience. We are sure of what the king doubted, that the servants of the living God have a Master well able to protect them. See the power of God over the fiercest creatures, and believe his power to restrain the roaring lion that goeth about continually seeking to devour. Daniel was kept perfectly safe, because he believed in his God. Those who boldly and cheerfully trust in God to protect them in the way of duty, shall always find him a present help. Thus the righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. The short triumph of the wicked will end in their ruin.

Verses 25-28 If we live in the fear of God, and walk according to that rule, peace shall be upon us. The kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever, are the Lord's; but many are employed in making known his wonderful works to others, who themselves remain strangers to his saving grace. May we be doers, as well as believers of his word, least at the last we should be found to have deceived ourselves.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 6

This chapter gives an account of Daniel's being cast into the den of lions, and the causes of it, and the steps leading to it; and also of his wonderful deliverance out of it, and what followed upon that. It first relates how Daniel was made by Darius first president of the princes of the kingdom, which drew their envy upon him, Da 6:1-4, and that these princes finding they could get no occasion against him, but in religion, proposed to the king to make a law forbidding prayer to any god for thirty days, which they got established, Da 6:5-9, and Daniel breaking this law, is accused by them to the king; and the penalty, casting into the den of lions, is insisted on to be executed, Da 6:10-13, which the king laboured to prevent, but in vain; and Daniel is cast to the lions, to the great grief of the king, Da 6:14-18, who visited the den the next morning, and to his great joy found Daniel alive, Da 6:19-23, upon which, by the law of retaliation, his accusers, their wives, and children, were cast into it, Da 6:24, and an edict was published by the king, commanding all in his dominions to fear and reverence the God of Daniel, Da 6:25-28.