Daniel 6 (New American Standard)

Daniel Serves Darius

1 ^aIt seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three commissioners (of whom ¹Daniel was one ), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer ²loss. 3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ^bamong the commissioners and satraps because ^che possessed an ³extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the ⁴entire kingdom. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began ⁵trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to ^dgovernment affairs ; but they could find ⁶no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the ⁷law of his God." 6 Then these commissioners and satraps came ^eby agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows : "King Darius, ⁸live forever ! 7 "All the ⁹commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have ¹⁰consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ¹¹be cast into the lions' ^fden. 8 "Now, O king, ¹²establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the ¹³law of the Medes and Persians, which ^gmay not be revoked." 9 Therefore King Darius ¹⁴signed the document, that is, the injunction. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open ¹⁵toward Jerusalem ); and he continued ¹⁶kneeling on his knees three times a day, ¹⁷praying and ¹⁸giving thanks before his God, ^has he had been doing previously. 11 Then these men came ⁱ¹⁹by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12 Then they approached and ²⁰spoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den ?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the ²¹law of the Medes and Persians, which ^jmay not be revoked." 13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, "²²Daniel, who is one of the ^kexiles from Judah, pays ²³no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day." 14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ²⁴distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel ; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. 15 Then these men came ^lby agreement to the king and said to the king, "Recognize, O king, that it is a ²⁵law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed."

Daniel in the Lions' Den

16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ²⁶cast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "^m27Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you." 17 A ²⁸stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den ; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. 18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night ²⁹fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ³⁰sleep fled from him. 19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den. 20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has ³¹your God, whom you constantly serve, been ³²able to deliver you from the lions ?" 21 Then Daniel spoke ⁿto the king, "³³O king, live forever ! 22 "My God ³⁴sent His angel and ³⁵shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as ^oI was found innocent before Him; and also ^ptoward you, O king, I have committed no crime." 23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and ³⁶no injury whatever was found on him, because he had ³⁷trusted in his God. 24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^qmaliciously accused Daniel, and they ³⁸cast them, their ³⁹children and their wives into the lions' den ; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the ⁴⁰peoples, nations and men of every ^rlanguage who were living in all the land : "⁴¹May your ^speace abound ! 26 "^tI ⁴²make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel ; For He is the ⁴³living God and ⁴⁴enduring forever, And ⁴⁵His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be ^uforever. 27 "He delivers and rescues and performs ⁴⁶signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the ^vpower of the lions." 28 So this ⁴⁷Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of ⁴⁸Cyrus the Persian.