Daniel 6
1 And it pleased Darius, and he set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, to be in all his kingdom;
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 and over them three governors, of whom one was, Daniel; for the satraps to give account to them, that the king should not be troubled.
He also appointed me and two other men to be administrators, to supervise the governors and to be sure that they did the king’s work [properly], in order that the king would not have to worry about anything.
3 And Daniel was over them, for [there was] an excellent spirit in him; and the king set him over all his kingdom.
I soon showed that I was (more capable/able to do the work better) than all the other administrators and the governors. Because of that, the king planned to appoint me to be in charge of the entire empire.
4 Then the governors and satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel; but they found against him no occasion, nor trespass, nor error, because he was faithful.
Then, the [other] administrators and the governors [became jealous. So they began to] try to find something that they could criticize about the way I was working for the king. But I always did my work faithfully and honestly, and was never lazy. So they could not find anything to criticize.
5 And the governors said, We shall not find occasion against Daniel, except in the ordinances of his God.
They concluded, “The only way we can find something for which we can criticize Daniel will be something concerning the laws that his god [his given him].”
6 Then the governors and satraps stood by the king, and said to him, King Darius, live for ever.
So the administrators and governors went as one group to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), we wish that you will live a long time!
7 All who preside over your kingdom, captains and satraps, chiefs and local governors, have taken counsel together, to establish by a royal statue and to confirm a decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
[We] administrators and governors and district governors and advisors and other officials have all agreed that you should make a law that everyone must obey. We want you to command that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you. If anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he must be thrown into [a pit of] lions.
8 Now then, O king, establish the decree, and publish a writ, that the decree of the Persians and Medes be not changed.
And because laws made by [our governments of] Media and Persia cannot be changed, [we want] you, [the head of our government], to sign it.”
9 Then king Darius commanded the decree to be written.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 And when Daniel knew that the decree was ordered, he went into his house; and his windows were opened in his chambers towards Jerusalem, and three times in the day he knelt upon his knees, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he used to do before.
But when I found out that [the king] had [written and] signed that law, I went home. I knelt down in my upstairs room and prayed. I looked toward Jerusalem, and the windows were open [with the result that everyone could see me while I was praying]. I prayed three times each day, just as I always did, thanking God.
11 Then these men watched, and found Daniel praying and supplicating to his God.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 And they came and said to the king, O king, has you not made a decree, that whatever man shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, but of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? And the king said, The word is true, and the decree of the Medes and Persians shall not pass.
So they returned to the king and said to him, “[Do you remember] that you wrote a law stating that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you, and if anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he will be thrown into [a pit of] lions?” The king replied, “[Yes, that is the law that I wrote]. It is a law of [our governments of] Media and Persia, which cannot be canceled.”
13 Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judea, has not submitted to your decree; and three times in the day he makes his requests of his God.
Then they said to the king, “Well, that [man] Daniel, one of the men who were brought from Judah, is not paying any attention to you or the law that you [signed]. He prays [to his god] three times each day!”
14 Then the king, when he heard the saying, was much grieved for Daniel and he greatly exerted himself for Daniel to deliver him: and he exerted himself till evening to deliver him.
When the king heard that, he was very distressed. He tried to find a way to save me. All the rest of that day he tried to think of a way to rescue me.
15 Then those men said to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that we must not change any decree of statue which the king shall make.
[In the evening, many of] [HYP] the officials went together to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), you know that [our governments of] Media and Persia have declared that no law that the king signs can be canceled/changed. [So Daniel must be thrown to the lions!]”
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. But the king said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.
So the king gave the order, and his servants brought me and threw me into a pit where the lions [were]. [Before they threw me in], the king said to me, “I hope/wish that your God, whom you worship regularly, will rescue you!”
17 And they brought a stone, and put it on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed [it] with his ring, and with the ring of his nobles; that the case might not be altered with regard to Daniel.
They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the pit. Then the king [fastened a string across the entrance and put wax at each end, and stamped the wax with] the seal from his [ring] and the seals [of the rings] of his officials, in order that no one could [secretly] rescue me.
18 And the king departed to his house, and lay down fasting, and they brought him no food; and his sleep departed from him. But God shut the mouths of the lions, and they not molest Daniel.
Then the king returned to his palace. That night he refused to eat any food. He would not allow anyone to entertain him [because he did not want to be happy, with the result that he would forget about me. And that night] he was unable to sleep [because he was worried about me].
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and came in have to the den of lions.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 And when he drew near to the den, he cried with a loud voice, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lion's mouth?
When he came near it, he was very worried. He called out, “Daniel, you who serve the all-powerful God! Was your God, whom you worship regularly, able to save you from the lions?”
21 And Daniel said to the king, O king, live for ever.
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 My God has sent his angel, and stopped the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me: for uprightness was found in me before him; and moreover before you, O king, I have committed no trespass.
[Yes], my God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, in order that they would not harm me! [He did that] because [he knows that] I have done nothing that he thinks is wrong. And, (Your Majesty/O king), I never did anything wrong to you!”
23 Then the king was very glad for him, and he commanded to bring Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was brought out of the den, and there was found no hurt upon him, because he believed in his God.
The king was extremely happy, and he commanded [his servants] to lift me out of the pit. [When they did that, they] saw that the lions had not wounded me at all. [God had protected me] because I trusted in him.
24 And the king commanded, and they brought the men that had accused Daniel, and they were cast into the den of lions, they, and their children, and their wives: and they reached not the bottom of the den before the lions had the mastery of them, and utterly broke to pieces all their bones.
Then the king commanded that the men who had accused me should be seized and be thrown, along with their wives and children, into the pit where the lions were. [When they were thrown into the pit], the lions leaped on them and crushed their bones before they fell onto the bottom of the pit!
25 Then king Darius wrote to all nations, tribes, [and] languages, who dwell in all the earth, [saying], Peace be multiplied to you.
Then King Darius wrote [this message and sent it throughout his kingdom] to the people of every people-group and nation and from all language groups: “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!
26 This decree has been set forth by me in every dominion of my kingdom, that [men] tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living and eternal God, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his dominion is for ever.
I command that everyone in my kingdom should fear and revere the God that Daniel [worships]. He is the all-powerful God, and he will live forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; he will rule forever.
27 He helps and delivers, and works signs and wonders in the heaven and on the earth, who has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.
He rescues and saves [his people]. He performs all kinds of miracles in heaven and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”
28 And Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
