Wycliffe WYC
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 It pleased Darius, and he ordained sixscore dukes over the realm, that they should be in all his realm. (And it pleased Darius, and he ordained one hundred and twenty governors over the kingdom, and that they should be throughout all his kingdom.)
1
It pleased Darius to appoint 120 royal rulers over his entire kingdom.
2 And over them he ordained three princes, of which Daniel was one; that the dukes should yield reason to them, and that the king should not suffer any dis-ease. (And over them he ordained three princes, of whom Daniel was one; so that the governors could report to them, and so that the king need not suffer any distress.)
2
He 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.
3 Therefore Daniel overcame all the princes and dukes, for [the] more spirit of God was in him. Certainly the king thought to ordain him on all the realm. (And soon Daniel outshone the other princes, and the governors, for he had more God-given ability than any of the others. And the king decided to ordain him over all the kingdom.)
3
Daniel 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.
4 Wherefore (the) princes and dukes, either prefects, sought to find occasion to Daniel, of the side of the king; and they might find no cause and suspicion, for he was faithful, and no blame and suspicion was found in him. (And so the other princes, and the governors, or the prefects, sought to find occasion against Daniel, who stood at the king's side; but they could find no cause, or reason, for suspicion about him, for he was faithful, and so no blame or suspicion was found in him.)
4
But 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.
5 Therefore those men said, We shall not find any occasion to this Daniel, no but in hap in the law of his God. (And so those men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except perhaps in regard to the Law of his God.)
5
Finally those men said, "It's almost impossible for us to come up with a reason to bring charges against this man Daniel. If we do, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God."
6 Then the princes and dukes made false suggestion to the king, and spake thus to him, King Darius, live thou without end. (And then the princes and the governors made a sly suggestion to the king, and they said to him, King Darius, may thou live forever!)
6
So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, "King Darius, may you live forever!
7 All the princes of thy realm, and magistrates, and dukes, senators, and judges, have made a counsel, that a decree and commandment of the emperor go out, that each man that asketh any asking of whatever god and man, till to thirty days, no but of thee, thou king, he be sent into the pit of lions. (All the princes of thy kingdom, and the magistrates, and governors, and senators, and judges, have taken counsel, and agree that a decree and a command, or an order, of the emperor should go out, that for thirty days, anyone who asketh anything of any god or any man, except of thee, O king, that that person should be sent into the lions? pit.)
7
All of 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. Here is the command you should give. King Darius, during the next 30 days don't let any of your people pray to any god or man except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions' den.
8 Now therefore, king, confirm thou the sentence, and write thou the decree, that this that is ordained of Medes and Persians be not changed, neither be it leaveful to any man to break. (And so now, O king, confirm thou the matter, and write thou the decree, that what is ordained by the Medes and the Persians be not changed, nor be it lawful for anyone to break it.)
8
"Now give the order. Write it down in the laws of the Medes and Persians. Then it can't be changed."
9 Forsooth Darius, the king, setted forth, and confirmed the decree. (And so King Darius put forth, and confirmed the decree.)
9
So King Darius put the order in writing.
10 And when Daniel had found (out) this thing, that is, (that) the law (was) ordained, he entered into his house; and the while the windows were open in his solar against Jerusalem, in three times in the day he bowed his knees, and worshipped, and acknowledged before his God, as he was wont to do before. (And when Daniel had learned about this, that is, that the law was ordained, he entered into his house; and at the windows in his solarium that were open toward Jerusalem, three times a day he bowed his knees, and worshipped, and acknowledged his God, as he was wont to do before the decree had been issued.)
10
Daniel 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.
11 Therefore those men inquired full busily, and found Daniel praying, and beseeching his God.
11
Some of the other royal officials went to where Daniel was staying. They saw him praying and asking God for help.
12 And they nighed and spake to the king of the commandment, (and said,) King, whether thou ordainedest not, that each man that asked any (asking) of gods and of men, till to thirty days, no but (of) thee, thou king, he should be sent into the pit of lions? To which men the king answered, and said, The word is sooth, by the decree of Medes and Persians, which it is not leaveful to break. (And they came and spoke to the king about his command, or his order, and said, O king, did thou not ordain, that for thirty days, anyone who asked anything of gods or of men, except of thee, O king, that that person should be sent into the lions? pit? To whom the king answered, and said, The word is true, by the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to break.)
12
So they went to the king. They spoke to him about his royal order. They said, "King Darius, didn't you sign an official order? It said that for the next 30 days none of your people could pray to any god or man except to you. If they did, they would be thrown into the lions' den." The king answered, "The order must still be obeyed. It's one of the laws of the Medes and Persians. So it can't be changed."
13 Then they answered, and said before the king, Daniel, of the sons of (the) captivity of Judah, reckoned not of thy law, and of the commandment which thou ordainedest, but three times by the day he prayeth in his beseeching. (Then they answered, and said to the king, Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, hath not reckoned of thy law, and of the command, or the order, which thou hast ordained, but three times each day he prayeth in his beseeching to his God.)
13
Then they spoke to the king again. They said, "Daniel is one of the prisoners from Judah. He doesn't pay any attention to you, King Darius. He doesn't obey the order you put in writing. He still prays to his God three times a day."
14 And when the king had heard this word, he was sorry enough, and he setted the heart for Daniel, for to deliver him (and he set his heart, to try to save Daniel); and till to the going down of the sun he travailed for to deliver him.
14
When the king heard that, 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.
15 But those men understood the king, and said to him, Know thou, king, that it is the law of Medes and of Persians, that it is not leaveful that any decree be changed, which the king ordaineth. (But those men understood what the king was trying to do, and said to him, O king, thou knowest, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians, that it is not lawful that any decree be changed which the king hath ordained.)
15
Then the men went as a group to the king. They said to him, "King Darius, remember that no order or law you make can be changed. That's what the laws of the Medes and Persians require."
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and sent him into the pit of lions. And the king said to Daniel, Thy God, whom thou worshippest ever[more], he shall deliver thee. (Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and sent him down into the lions? pit. And the king said to Daniel, Thy God, whom thou worshippest forevermore, he shall rescue thee.)
16
So 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!"
17 And one stone was brought, and was put on the mouth of the pit, which the king asealed with his ring, and with the ring(s) of his best men, lest anything were done against Daniel.
17
A 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.
18 Then the king went into his house, and slept without supper, and meats were not brought before him; furthermore and sleep went away from him. (Then the king went back to his palace, and went to bed without any supper, yea, no food was brought before him; but all sleep went away from him.)
18
The 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.
19 Then the king rose in the first (of the) morrowtide, and went hastily to the pit of lions; (Then the king rose early in the morning, and went hastily to the lions? pit;)
19
As soon as the sun began to rise, the king got up. He hurried to the lions' den.
20 and he nighed to the pit, and cried on Daniel with [a] weeping voice, and spake to him, Daniel, the servant of God living, guessest thou, whether thy God, whom thou servest ever[more], might deliver thee from the lions? (and he came near to the pit, and called down to Daniel with a weeping voice, and spoke to him, and said, Daniel, the servant of the living God, knowest thou now/tellest thou me, whether thy God, whom thou servest forevermore, hath saved thee from the lions?)
20
When 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?"
21 And Daniel answered the king, and said, King, live thou without end. (And Daniel answered the king, and said, O king, may thou live forever!)
21
Daniel answered, "My king, may you live forever!
22 My God sent his angel, and closed together the mouths of (the) lions, and they harmed not me, for rightfulness is found in me before him; but also, thou king, I did no trespass before thee. (My God sent his angel, and closed up the lions? mouths, and they did not harm me, for rightfulness, or innocence, is found in me before him; and also, O king, I did no trespass against thee.)
22
My 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, my king."
23 Then the king made joy greatly on him, and commanded Daniel to be led out of the pit. And Daniel was led out of the pit, and none hurting was found in him, for he believed to his God. (Then the king greatly rejoiced, and commanded that Daniel should be lifted up out of the pit. And Daniel was lifted up out of the pit, and there was no hurt, or injury, found on him, for he had believed in his God.)
23
The 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.
24 Forsooth the king commanded, and those men, that accused Daniel, were brought [forth], and were sent into the pit of lions, they, and the sons of them, and the wives of them; and they came not unto the pavement of the pit, till the lions ravished them, and all-brake all the bones of them. (And the king commanded, and those men, who had accused Daniel, were brought forth, and were sent down into the lions? pit, yea, they, and their sons, and their wives; and they had not even come to the pavement, or the floor, of the pit, when the lions sprang upon them, and broke all their bones, and they all died.)
24
Then 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 of their bones.
25 Then Darius, the king, wrote to all peoples, lineages, and languages, dwelling in all earth, (and said,) Peace be multiplied to you. (Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, and the tribes, or the nations, in every language, living on all the earth, and said, Peace be multiplied to you.)
25
Then King Darius wrote to the people from every nation and language in the whole world. He said, "May you have great success!
26 Therefore a decree is ordained of me, (which is,) That in all mine empire and realm men tremble, and dread the God of Daniel; for he is God living, and everlasting into worlds, and his realm shall not be destroyed, and his power is till into without end. (And so a decree is ordained by me, which is, That in all my empire and kingdom, people tremble before, and fear the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, everlasting and forever, and his kingdom, or his reign, shall never be destroyed, and his power shall last forever.)
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.
27 He is deliverer and saviour, making miracles and marvels in heaven and in earth, which delivered Daniel from the pit of lions. (He is the Deliverer and the Saviour, making miracles and marvels in heaven and on earth, who rescued Daniel from the lions? pit.)
27
He 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."
28 Certainly Daniel dwelled stably till to the realm of Darius, and till to the realm of Cyrus of Persia. (Certainly Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, and also during the reign of Cyrus of Persia.)
28
So Daniel had success while Darius was king. Things went well with him during the rule of Cyrus, the Persian.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.