1 Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, and unto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia,
2 And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred twenty and seven provinces.
3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked.
4 Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king’s body, spake one to another;
5 Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory:
6 As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck:
7 And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin.
8 And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under king Darius his pillow;
9 And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.
10 The first wrote, Wine is the strongest.
11 The second wrote, The king is strongest.
12 The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.
13 Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so he read them:
14 And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media, and the governors, and the captains, and the lieutenants, and the chief officers;
15 And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writings were read before them.
16 And he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their own sentences. So they were called, and came in.
17 And he said unto them, Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings. Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine;
18 And he said thus, O ye men, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it:
19 It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich:
20 It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt:
21 And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents:
22 And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw out swords:
23 But when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done.
24 O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And when he had so spoken, he held his peace.
Trīs jaunekļi miesassargi pie Dārija
1 Ķēniņš Dārijs sarīkoja lielu pieņemšanu visiem saviem padotajiem, visiem saviem ģimenes cilvēkiem un visiem Mēdijas un Persijas augstmaņiem, 2 arī visiem satrapiem, karavadoņiem un viņa pakļautības vietvalžiem simt divdesmit satrapijās no Indijas līdz Etiopijai. 3 Viņi ēda un dzēra un pamielojušies devās projām, bet ķēniņš Dārijs devās uz guļamistabām un aizmiga, tad piecēlās. 4 Tajā laikā trīs jaunekļi, ķēniņa miesassargi, savā starpā sarunāja: 5 “Pateiksim katrs vienu vārdu, kurš šķiet visvarenākais! Un kura minētais vārds izrādīsies visvarenākais, tam ķēniņš Dārijs piešķirs lielas dāvanas un uzvaras veltes, 6 arī purpura drānas un zelta dzeramtraukus, guļvietu zeltā un zeltgrožu ratus, bisona galvasrotu un kaklarotu, 7 tas savas gudrības dēļ varēs sēdēt kā otrais aiz Dārija un saukties par viņa tuvinieku.” 8 Un, uzrakstījuši katrs savu sakāmo, viņi nolika to ķēniņa Dārija galvgalī un norunāja – 9 kad ķēniņš pamodīsies, tie iedos viņam rakstīto, un, kura vārdus ķēniņš un trīs Persijas augstmaņi atzīs par gudrākajiem, tam tiks uzvara, kā rakstīts. 10 Viens uzrakstīja: visvarenākais ir vīns. 11 Otrs uzrakstīja: visvarenākais ir ķēniņš. 12 Trešais uzrakstīja: visvarenākās ir sievietes, bet par visu varenāka – patiesība. 13 Kad ķēniņš pamodās, tie paņēma rakstīto un iedeva viņam, un viņš izlasīja. 14 Tad ķēniņš sūtīja pēc visiem Persijas un Mēdijas augstmaņiem, satrapiem un karavadoņiem, vietvalžiem un padomniekiem, apsēdās sēžu zālē un izlasīja tiem rakstīto. 15 Ķēniņš sacīja: “Paaiciniet jaunekļus, un lai viņi paskaidro savus vārdus!” Un tie tika aicināti un ienāca. 16 Un klātesošie tos uzrunāja: “Stāstiet mums, ko esat uzrakstījuši!”
17 Iesāka pirmais, kas bija minējis vīna varu. Viņš sacīja tā: 18 “Ak, vīri, cik varens ir vīns! Visiem cilvēkiem, kuri to dzer, tas maldina prātu. 19 Tas dara vienādu ķēniņa un bāreņa, verga un brīva cilvēka, nabaga un bagātnieka saprašanu. 20 Ikvienu prātu tas pievērš labsajūtai un priekam, nepiemin rūpes un trūkumu, 21 ikvienu sirdi tas dara bagātu un neizceļ ne ķēniņu, ne satrapu un katram liek runāt par tā talantiem. 22 Vīnu dzerot, ļaudīm piemirstas viņu saiknes ar draugiem un brāļiem, un pēc laiciņa tie ķeras pie dunčiem, 23 bet, atguvušies no vīna, viņi neatceras darīto. 24 Ak, vīri, vai gan vīns nav visvarenākais, ja tā tas liek rīkoties?” Un, to teicis, viņš apklusa.
