It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;
and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage.
Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Then these presidents and satraps {Or, came tumultuously (and so in verse 11:15)}assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together {Or, that the king should establish a statutue, and make &c.}to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, 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.
Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which {Aramaic: passeth not away.}altereth not.
Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict.
And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto 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 {Aramaic: passeth not away.}altereth not.
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him.
Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Then 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.
And 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; {Or, that there might be no change of purpose}that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were {Or, dancing girls}instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; 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?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and 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.
Then was the king exceeding glad, 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 had trusted in his God.
And the king commanded, and they brought those men that 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, before they came to the bottom of the den.
Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
I make a decree, that in all the 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.
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Querverweise zu Daniel 6,2 Dan 6,2
Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his {Greek: bondservants.}servants.
And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was {Or, at the king's court}in the gate of the king.
And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.
for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, {Or, for our affliction is not to be compared with the king's damage}although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage.
But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a foolCutteth off his own feet, and drinketh in damage.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
And he called ten {Greek: bondservants.}servants of his, and gave them ten {Mina, here translated pound, is equal to a one hundred drachmas. See chapter 15:8.}pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us.
And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these {Greek: bondservants.}servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.
And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more.
And he said unto him, Well done, thou good {Greek: bondservant.}servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds.
And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities.
And {Greek: the other.}another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin:
for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.
He saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked {Greek: bondservant.}servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow;
then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and {Or, I should have gone and required}I at my coming should have required it with interest?
And he said unto them that stood by, Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds.
And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.
I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.
But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Length of days is in her right hand;In her left hand are riches and honor.