Daniel and the Lions' Den
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom
1satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2
and over them
2three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these
3satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
3
Then this Daniel became
4distinguished above all
5the other presidents and
6satraps, because
7an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned
8to set him over the whole kingdom.
4
Then
9the presidents and
10the satraps
11sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom,
12but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful,
13and no error or fault was found in him.
5
Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."
6
Then these
14presidents and
15satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O
16King Darius, live forever!
7
All the
17presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the
18counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an
19injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8
Now, O king, establish
20the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to
21the law of
22the Medes and the Persians,
23which cannot be revoked."
9
Therefore King Darius signed the document and
24injunction.
10
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where
25he had windows in his upper chamber open
26toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees
27three times a day and prayed and
28gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
11
Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
12
Then they
29came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign
30an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of
31the Medes and Persians,
32which cannot be revoked."
13
Then they answered and said before the king,
33"Daniel, who is one
34of the exiles
35from Judah,
36pays no attention to you, O king, or
37the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition
38three times a day."
14
Then
39the king, when he heard these words,
40was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
15
Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no
41injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."
16
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May
42your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!"
17
43And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den,
44and the king sealed it
45with his own signet and with the signet of his
46lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
18
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting;
47no diversions were brought to him, and
48sleep fled from him.
19
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
20
As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of
49the living God,
50has your God, whom you serve continually,
51been able to deliver you from the lions?"
21
Then Daniel said to the king,
52"O king, live forever!
22
My God
53sent his angel
54and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless
55before him;
56and also before you, O king, I have done no harm."
23
Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and
57no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24
And the king commanded, and
58those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions--they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25
Then King Darius wrote to all
59the peoples, nations, and languages
60that dwell in all the earth:
61"Peace be multiplied to you.
26
62I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion
63people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for
64he is
65the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
66and his dominion shall be
67to the end.
27
He delivers and rescues; he works
68signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has
69saved Daniel from the power of the lions."
28
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and
70the reign of
71Cyrus the Persian.