1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 ¶ Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 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.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, 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. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 ¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of 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 altereth not. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is , That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 16 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. 17 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; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18 ¶ Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and 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? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that 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. 23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, 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 believed in his God.
24 ¶ And the king commanded, and they brought those men which 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 or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
25 ¶ Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26 I make a decree, That in every 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. 27 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. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
6–BOB
Doniyor sherlar uyasida
1 Shoh Doro butun shohligidagi yerlarni 120 ta viloyatga boʻlib, har bir viloyat ustidan noib tayinlashga qaror qildi. 2 Noiblarni nazorat qilish uchun esa uchta amirni tayinladi, ularning biri Doniyor edi. Shohni urintirmaslik uchun ular noiblardan barcha hisobotni olishlari kerak edi. 3 Doniyor boshqa amiru noiblarga qaraganda oʻz ishini yuksak mahorat bilan bajarar edi. Shuning uchun shoh butun saltanat boshqaruvini Doniyorga topshirishni rejalashtirib qoʻygandi. 4 Buni koʻra olmagan amiru noiblar qildan qiyiq axtarib, Doniyorning boshqaruv ishlaridagi nuqsonlarni topishga harakat qilishdi. Ammo Doniyor oʻz ishini puxta bajarib, hech qanday masʼuliyatsizlik va nohaqlikka yoʻl qoʻymasdi. Shuning uchun uni ayblashga biron–bir bahona ham topa olmadilar. 5 Nihoyat ular bir–birlariga shunday dedilar: “Doniyorni faqatgina oʻz Xudosining qonuni bilan bogʻliq boʻlgan holda ayblashimiz mumkin, bundan boshqa choramiz yoʻqqa oʻxshaydi.”
6 Shunda amiru noiblar shohning huzuriga borib: “Shoh Doro hazratlarining umri boqiy boʻlsin! — dedilar. 7 — Shohlikning barcha amirlari, beklari, noiblari, aʼyonlari va hokimlari shunday deb oʻzaro kelishib oldilar: shohimiz farmon joriy qilsinlar. Ey shoh hazratlari, bu farmon boʻyicha hamma odam oʻttiz kun mobaynida faqatgina sizga sajda qilsin. Kimki boshqa bir xudo yoki odamga sajda qilsa, sherlar uyasiga tashlansin. Bu farmon qatʼiy ravishda amalga oshirilsin. 8 Ey shoh hazratlari, farmon chiqarib uni imzolang. Bu farmoningiz Midiya va Fors qonunlariga binoan oʻzgarmas boʻlsin.” 9 Shoh Doro farmonni imzoladi. 10 Doniyor farmon imzolanganligini bila turib uyiga bordi. Boloxonasiga chiqib, har doim qilganiday, kuniga uch mahal tiz choʻkib Xudoga iltijo qildi, Uni madh etib ulugʻladi. Boloxonaning derazalari esa Quddus tomon ochilgan edi.
11 Amaldorlar bir toʻda boʻlib Doniyorning uyiga borganlarida, Doniyor oʻz Xudosiga iltijo qilayotganini koʻrib qoldilar. 12 Ular zudlik bilan bu haqda shohni xabardor qilish uchun shoh huzuriga bordilar.
— Ey shoh hazratlari! — deya murojaat qildi ular. — Siz farmon chiqarib, kimki oʻttiz kun ichida mendan boshqa bironta xudo yoki odamga sajda qilsa, sherlarning uyasiga tashlanadi, deb aytmaganmidingiz?
— Ha, chiqargan bu farmonim Midiya va Fors shohligining qonunlariga binoan, qatʼiydir, — deya javob berdi shoh.
13 — Ey shoh hazratlari, Yahudo asirlaridan boʻlmish Doniyor sizni ham, siz chiqargan farmoningizni ham mensimay, kuniga uch marta oʻz Xudosiga iltijo qilyapti, — dedi ular.
14 Shoh buni eshitgach, qattiq tashvishga tushdi. U Doniyorni saqlab qolish niyatida kun botgunga qadar, qoʻlidan kelganicha harakat qildi. 15 Ammo amaldorlar shohning oldiga kelib:
— Shoh hazratlari, Midiya va Fors qonunlariga binoan, siz chiqargan har bir farmon oʻzgarmas ekanligini esingizda tuting, — dedilar.
16 Shoh Doniyorni sherlarning uyasiga tashlashni buyurdi.
Doniyorning oʻziga esa: “Seni Xudoying qoʻliga topshirdim, sen doim sajda qiladigan oʻsha Xudo seni asrasin”, — dedi.
17 Tosh keltirilib, chuqurlikning ogʻzi berkitib qoʻyildi. Hech kim Doniyorni sherlardan qutqara olmasin deb, shoh oʻzining va amaldorlarining tamgʻalari bilan toshni muhrlab qoʻydi. 18 Soʻng saroyiga qaytib, kechasi bilan tuz totmadi. Odatdagi kechki vaqti chogʻlik ham koʻngliga sigʻmay, tuni bilan uxlamay chiqdi.
19 Ertasi kuni tong otgach, shoh shosha–pisha sherlar uyasi tomon yugurdi. 20 U yerga borgach:
— Hoy Doniyor, barhayot Xudoning xizmatkori! — deya kuyinib xitob qildi u. — Sen doimo sajda qilib yurgan Xudoying seni sherlardan qutqara oldimi?
21 — Shoh hazratlarining umri boqiy boʻlsin! — dedi shohga Doniyor. 22 — Xudoyimning nazarida begunoh boʻlganim uchun U farishtasini yuborib, sherlarning ogʻizlarini berkitib qoʻydi va sherlar menga hech qanday zarar yetkazmadilar. Sizning oldingizda ham, ey shoh hazratlari, men biron–bir aybli ish qilgan emasman.
23 Xursandchiligi ichiga sigʻmagan shoh Doniyorni chuqurlikdan chiqarishni buyurdi. Doniyorni chuqurlikdan chiqargan odamlar unga hech qanday zarar yetmaganini koʻrishdi, chunki Doniyor Xudoga inongan edi. 24 Shohning buyrugʻiga binoan, Doniyorni qoralagan odamlarni xotinu bola–chaqalari bilan birga sherlar uyasiga tashladilar. Ular chuqurlikning tubiga yetmagan ham ediki, sherlar ularga tashlanib gʻajib tashlashdi.
25 Shoh Doro butun dunyo boʻylab barcha xalqlar, elatlar va urugʻlarga shunday maktub yoʻlladi:
“Xonadoningizdan baraka arimasin! 26 Shohligimdagi barcha odamlar Doniyorning Xudosidan qoʻrqib titrasin,
Chunki U barhayot va mangu Xudodir.
Uning shohligi aslo qulamas,
Hukmronligi hech ham tugamas,
27 Najotkoru xaloskor Udir.
Yeru koʻkda alomatu moʻjizalar koʻrsatgan,
Udir Doniyorni sherlardan qutqarib olgan.”
28 Shoh Doro va Fors shohi Kurushning hukmronligi davrlarida Doniyorning martabasi yana ham oshdi.
