1King Darius made a great supper to all his servants, and to all the master judges of Media and Persia,

2and to all that weared purple, and to governors, and to counsellors, and to prefects under him, from India unto Ethiopia, to an hundred and seven and twenty provinces.

3And when they had eaten and drunken, and were fulfilled, they turned again. Then king Darius went up in his little bed-place, and slept, and was awakened.

4Then those three young men, keepers of the body, the which [or that] kept the body of the king, said one to another,

5Say we each of us a word, that before pass in knowing; and whose ever word seem wiser than of another [or of the tother], king Darius shall give to him great gifts,

6and to be covered with purple, and to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold; and he shall give him a golden chariot, with the bridle, and a mitre of bis, and a bie about the neck;

7and he shall sit in the second place from Darius, for his wisdom; and he shall be called Darius’ cousin.

8Then each of them three writing his word, sealed, and put those under the pillow of king Darius;

9and said, When the king hath risen, they will take [or shall give] to him their things written, and whatever thing the king shall deem of three, and the master judges of Persia, forsooth the word of him is wiser than of the others, to him shall be given the victory, as it is written.

10One wrote, Wine is strong.

11Another wrote, The king is stronger.

12The third wrote, Women be strongest; truth overcometh forsooth over all things.

13And when the king had risen up, they took their things written [or their written things], and gave those to him, and he read.

14And he sent and called all the master judges of Persia, and of the land Media, and the clothed men in purple, and the rulers of provinces, and prefects;

15and they set in council, and the writings were read before them.

16And the king said, Calleth the young men, and they shall show their words. And they were called, and they came in.

17And Darius said to them, Show ye to us of these things that be written. And the first, that had said of the strength of wine, he began,

18and said to them, Men! full sur-passingly strong is wine; to all men that drink it, it beareth down the mind;

19also it maketh the mind vain, both of king and of the fatherless child; also of servant and of free men, of poor and of rich;

20and it turneth all the mind into secureness, and [in] to gladness; and it remembereth not any sorrow and debt;

21and it maketh all the entrails honest or feel rich; and it remembereth not king, nor master judge; and all things it maketh speak by talents;

22and when they have drunken, they remember not friendship nor brotherhood, and not long after they take swords;

23and when they have been drenched of wine, and rise, they have no mind what things they did.

24O men! whether wine is not surpassingly strong, that thus constrain-eth men to do? And this thing said, he held his peace.