3
1
King Darius held a banquet and invited his family, the palace officials, the leaders of Media and Persia,
2
and the governors, generals, and officials in his 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
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Everyone ate and drank as much as they wanted, and after they left the banquet hall, Darius went to bed. He fell asleep, but soon he woke up.
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Then the three young men who were the king's bodyguards said to each other:
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Let's have a contest. Each of us will write down our answer to the question, “What is the strongest thing in the world?” Then King Darius will decide the winner and give him expensive prizes and gifts.
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The winner will get to wear purple robes, a turban made of fine linen, and a necklace. He will also get to drink from gold cups, as well as sleep in a gold bed and ride in a chariot pulled by horses with gold bridles.
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And because the wisest man will win the contest, he will be the king's closest advisor and will receive the title, “Relative of the King.”
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Each of the men wrote down their answer, then they sealed the papers shut with hot wax and put them under the king's pillow.
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They said, “As soon as King Darius wakes up, he will be given the papers, and he and his officials will decide who gave the wisest answer and wins the contest.”
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The first man had written, “Wine is the strongest.”
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The second man's answer was, “The king is the strongest.”
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And the third wrote, “Women are the strongest; however, truth can conquer anything.”
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When the king got up in the morning, his servants gave him the three answers. He read the answers
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and sent for everyone who had come to his banquet the night before.
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After going to his throne room and taking his seat, he read the three answers to everyone who had gathered there.
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Then he said, “Bring in the young men, and they will explain their answers to us.”
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They were brought in, and the king said to them, “Explain these answers you have written.” The first young man had answered that wine was the strongest, and he said:
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ®. Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Used by permission.
