« | Daniel 6 | » |
1 It pleased Darius to set ouer his kingdome a hundred and twentie gouernours, which should be ouer the whole kingdome.
2 Aboue these he set three princes, of whom Daniel was one, that the gouernours might geue accomptes vnto them, and the king shoulde haue no damage.
3 Nowe this Daniel was preferred aboue the princes and gouerners, for the spirite of God was plenteous in him: so that the king was minded to set him ouer the whole realme.
4 Wherfore the rulers and gouernours sought an occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdome, but they coulde finde none occasion nor fault: for he was so faithfull, that there was no blame nor fault founde in him.
5 Then saide these men, We shall finde none occasion against this Daniel, except we finde it against him concerning the lawe of his God.
6 Upon this went the princes and lordes together vnto the king, and saide this vnto him: King Darius, liue for euer.
7 All the rulers of thy kingdome, the officers and gouernours, the counsellers and dukes, haue consulted together to make a decree for the king, & to establish a statute, That who so desireth any petition either of any god or man within these thirtie dayes, except of thee O king, he shalbe cast into the lions denne.
8 Now O king confirme the decree, and seale the writing, that it be not chaunged according to the lawe of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius sealed the writing and decree.
10 Now when Daniel vnderstoode that he had sealed the writing, he went into his house, and the windowes of his chamber towarde Hierusalem stoode open, there kneeled he downe vpon his knees three times a day, he made his petition, and praysed his God, as he dyd afore time.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel making his petition, and praying vnto his God.
12 So they came to the king, & spake before him concerning his comaundement, saying: O king, hast thou not sealed the decree, that within thirtie dayes whoso requireth his petition of any God or man, but onely of thy selfe O king, he shalbe cast into the denne of lions? The king aunswered and said, Yea it is true, according to the lawe of the Medes and Perses that altereth not.
13 Then aunswered they, and saide vnto the king: This Daniel which is of the children of the captiuitie of Iuda, O king, regardeth neither thee, nor thy decree that thou hast sealed: but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 When the king heard these wordes, he was sore displeased with him selfe, and set his heart on Daniel to deliuer him, and he laboured till the sonne went downe, to deliuer him.
15 Then these men assembled vnto the king, and said vnto him: Knowe this O king, that the lawe of the Medes & Perses [is] that the commaundement & statute which the king maketh, may not be altered.
16 Then the king commaunded, and they brought Daniel, and they cast him into the lions denne. Nowe the king spake vnto Daniel, & saide: Thy God whom thou alway seruest, euen he wyll deliuer thee.
17 And there was brought a stone, & laide vpon ye mouth of the denne, this the king sealed with his owne ring and with the signet of his princes, that the purpose concerning Daniel should not be chaunged.
18 So the king went into his palace, and remayned fasting, neither was there any instrumentes of musicke brought in before him, & his sleepe went from him.
19 But betimes in the morning at the breake of the day, the king arose, & went in all haste vnto the denne of the lions.
20 Now as he came nye vnto the denne, he cryed with a pitious voyce vnto Daniel, yea the king spake and saide vnto Daniel: O Daniel, thou seruaut of the liuing God, is not thy God whom thou seruest alway, able to deliuer thee from ye lions?
21 Then Daniel saide vnto the king: O king, liue for euer.
22 My God hath sent his angel, which hath shut the lions mouthes, so that they might not hurt me, for myne vngiltinesse is founde out before him: and as for thee O king, I neuer offended thee.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, & commaunded to take Daniel out of the denne: So Daniel was brought out of ye denne, & no maner of hurt was founde vpon him, for he put his trust in his God.
24 And as for those men which had accused Daniel, the king commaunded to bring them, & to cast them into the lions denne, them, their children, & their wyues: so the lions had the maisterie of them, and brake all their bones asunder or euer they came at the grounde of the denne.
25 After this, wrote king Darius vnto al people, nations, & tongues that dwelt in all landes: Peace be multiplied vnto you.
26 My commaundement is in all my dominion and kingdome, that men feare and stand in awe of Daniels God: for he is the liuing God which abideth euer, his kindgome shall not fayle, and his power is euerlasting.
27 It is he that deliuereth and saueth, he doth wonders and marueylous workes in heauen and in earth, he hath preserued Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the raigne of Darius, and in the raigne of Cyrus of Persia.
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.