61 It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps—a hundred and twenty—that they may be throughout the whole kingdom, 2 and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel 'is' first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss. 3 Then this Daniel hath been overseer over the presidents and satraps, because that an excellent spirit 'is' in him, and the king hath thought to establish him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the presidents and satraps have been seeking to find a cause of complaint against Daniel concerning the kingdom, and any cause of complaint and corruption they are not able to find, because that he 'is' faithful, and any error and corruption have not been found in him. 5 Then these men are saying, 'We do not find against this Daniel any cause of complaint, except we have found 'it' against him in the law of his God.'
6 Then these presidents and satraps have assembled near the king, and thus they are saying to him: 'O king Darius, to the ages live! 7 Taken counsel have all the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors, to establish a royal statute, and to strengthen an interdict, that any who seeketh a petition from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions. 8 Now, O king, thou dost establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it is not to be changed, as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.' 9 Therefore king Darius hath signed the writing and interdict. 10 And Daniel, when he hath known that the writing is signed, hath gone up to his house, and the window being opened for him, in his upper chamber, over-against Jerusalem, three times in a day he is kneeling on his knees, and praying, and confessing before his God, because that he was doing 'it' before this.
11 Then these men have assembled, and found Daniel praying and entreating grace before his God; 12 then they have come near, yea, they are saying before the king concerning the king's interdict: 'Hast thou not signed an interdict, that any man who seeketh from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions?' Answered hath the king, and said, 'The thing 'is' certain as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.' 13 Then they have answered, yea, they are saying before the king, that, 'Daniel, who 'is' of the sons of the Removed of Judah, hath not placed on thee, O king, 'any' regard, nor on the interdict that thou hast signed, and three times in a day he is seeking his petition.' 14 Then the king, when he hath heard the matter, is greatly displeased at himself, and on Daniel he hath set the heart to deliver him, and till the going up of the sun he was arranging to deliver him. 15 Then these men have assembled near the king, and are saying to the king, 'know, O king, that the law of Media and Persia 'is': That any interdict and statute that the king doth establish is not to be changed.' 16 Then the king hath said, and they have brought Daniel, and have cast 'him' into a den of lions. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, 'Thy God, whom thou art serving continually, Himself doth deliver thee.' 17 And a stone hath been brought and placed at the mouth of the den, and the king hath sealed it with his signet, and with the signet of his great men, that the purpose be not changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then hath the king gone to his palace, and he hath passed the night fasting, and dahavan have not been brought up before him, and his sleep hath fled 'from' off him. 19 Then doth the king rise in the early morning, at the light, and in haste to the den of lions he hath gone; 20 and at his coming near to the den, to Daniel, with a grieved voice, he crieth. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, thy God, whom thou art serving continually, is He able to deliver thee from the lions?' 21 Then Daniel hath spoken with the king: 'O king, to the ages live: 22 my God hath sent His messenger, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not injured me: because that before Him purity hath been found in me; and also before thee, O king, injury I have not done.' 23 Then was the king very glad for him, and he hath commanded Daniel to be taken up out of the den, and Daniel hath been taken up out of the den, and no injury hath been found in him, because he hath believed in his God. 24 And the king hath said, and they have brought those men who had accused Daniel, and to the den of lions they have cast them, they, their sons, and their wives; and they have not come to the lower part of the den till that the lions have power over them, and all their bones they have broken small.
25 Then Darius the king hath written to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the land: 'Your peace be great! 26 From before me is made a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom they are trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for He 'is' the living God, and abiding to the ages, and His kingdom that which 'is' not destroyed, and His dominion 'is' unto the end. 27 A deliverer, and rescuer, and doer of signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth 'is' He who hath delivered Daniel from the paw of the lions.' 28 And this Daniel hath prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
31 Nebuchadnezzar the king hath made an image of gold, its height sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits; he hath raised it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon; 2 and Nebuchadnezzar the king hath sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up. 3 Then are gathered the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the honourable judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up: and they are standing before the image that Nebuchadnezzar hath raised up. 4 And a crier is calling mightily: 'To you they are saying: O peoples, nations, and languages! 5 at the time that ye hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the symphony, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and do obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up: 6 and whoso doth not fall down and do obeisance, in that hour he is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.' 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples are hearing the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and all kinds of music, falling down are all the peoples, nations and languages, doing obeisance to the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath raised up.
8 Therefore at that time drawn near have certain Chaldeans, and accused the Jews; 9 they have answered, yea, they are saying to Nebuchadnezzar the king, 'O king, to the ages live! 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man who doth hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, doth fall down and do obeisance to the golden image; 11 and whoso doth not fall down and do obeisance, is cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the work of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, these men have not made of thee, O king, 'any' regard; thy gods they are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up—are not making obeisance.' 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in anger and fury, hath said to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then these men have been brought in before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar hath answered and said to them, 'Is 'it' a laid plan, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—my gods ye are not serving, and to the golden image that I have raised up ye are not doing obeisance? 15 Now, lo, ye are ready, so that at the time that ye hear the voice of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, and the symphony, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and do obeisance to the image that I have made!—and lo, ye do no obeisance—in that hour ye are cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; who is that God who doth deliver you out of my hands?' 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have answered, yea, they are saying to the king Nebuchadnezzar, 'We have no need concerning this matter to answer thee. 17 Lo, it is; our God whom we are serving, is able to deliver us from a burning fiery furnace; and from thy hand, O king, He doth deliver. 18 And lo—not! be it known to thee, O king, that thy gods we are not serving, and to the golden image thou hast raised up we do no obeisance.'
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar hath been full of fury, and the expression of his face hath been changed concerning Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; he answered and said to heat the furnace seven times above that which it is seen to be heated; 20 and to certain mighty men who 'are' in his force he hath said to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to cast into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men have been bound in their coats, their tunics, and their turbans, and their clothing, and have been cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because that the word of the king is urgent, and the furnace heated exceedingly, those men who have taken up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—killed them hath the spark of the fire. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, have fallen down in the midst of the burning fiery furnace—bound. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king hath been astonished, and hath risen in haste; he hath answered and said to his counsellors, 'Have we not cast three men into the midst of the fire—bound?' They have answered and are saying to the king, 'Certainly, O king.' 25 He answered and hath said, 'Lo, I am seeing four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth 'is' like to a son of the gods.' 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar hath drawn near to the gate of the burning fiery furnace; he hath answered and said, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of God Most High come forth, yea, come;' then come forth do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, from the midst of the fire; 27 and gathered together, the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the counsellors of the king, are seeing these men, that the fire hath no power over their bodies, and the hair of their head hath not been singed, and their coats have not changed, and the smell of fire hath not passed on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar hath answered and hath said, 'Blessed 'is' the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who hath sent His messenger, and hath delivered His servants who trusted on Him, and the word of the king changed, and gave up their bodies that they might not serve nor do obeisance to any god except to their own God. 29 And by me a decree is made, that any people, nation, and language, that doth speak erroneously concerning the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, pieces he is made, and its house is made a dunghill, because that there is no other god who is able thus to deliver.' 30 Then the king hath caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, to prosper in the province of Babylon.
