Daniel 6
1 It pleased Darius, and so he appointed over the kingdom one hundred twenty governors, to be placed throughout his whole kingdom.
It has been good before Darius, and he has established over the kingdom satraps—one hundred and twenty—that they may be throughout the whole kingdom,
2 And over these, three leaders, of whom Daniel was one, so that the governors would be accountable to them and the king would have no trouble.
and three presidents higher than they, of whom Daniel [is] first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss.
3 And so Daniel excelled above all the leaders and governors, because a greater spirit of God was in him.
Then this Daniel has been overseer over the presidents and satraps, because that an excellent spirit [is] in him, and the king has thought to establish him over the whole kingdom.
4 Furthermore, the king considered setting him over the entire kingdom; whereupon the leaders and the governors sought to find a complaint against Daniel and in favor of the king. And they could find no case, or even suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault or suspicion was found in him.
Then the presidents and satraps have been seeking to find a cause of complaint against Daniel concerning the kingdom, and any cause of complaint and corruption they are not able to find, because that he [is] faithful, and any error and corruption have not been found in him.
5 Therefore, these men said, “We will not find any complaint against this Daniel, unless it is against the law of his God.”
Then these men are saying, “We do not find against this Daniel any cause of complaint, except we have found [it] against him in the Law of his God.”
6 Then the leaders and governors took the king aside privately and spoke to him in this way: “King Darius, live forever.
Then these presidents and satraps have assembled near the king, and thus they are saying to him: “O King Darius, live for all ages!
7 All the leaders of your kingdom, the magistrates and governors, the senators and judges, have taken counsel that an imperial decree and edict should be published, so that all who ask any petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, will be cast into the den of lions.
Taken counsel have all the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counselors, and the governors, to establish a royal statute, and to strengthen an interdict, that any who seeks a petition from any god and man until thirty days, except of you, O king, is cast into a den of lions.
8 Now, therefore, O king, confirm this judgment and write the decree, so that what is established by the Medes and Persians may not be altered, nor will any man be allowed to transgress it.”
Now, O king, you establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it is not to be changed, as a law of Media and Persia, that does not pass away.”
9 And so king Darius set forth the decree and established it.
Therefore King Darius has signed the writing and interdict.
10 Now when Daniel learned of this, namely, that the law had been established, he entered his house, and, opening the windows in his upper room towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and he adored and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do previously.
And Daniel, when he has known that the writing is signed, has gone up to his house, and the window being opened for him, in his upper chamber, toward Jerusalem, three times in a day he is kneeling on his knees, and praying, and confessing before his God, because that he was doing [it] before this.
11 Therefore, these men, inquiring diligently, discovered that Daniel was praying and making supplication to his God.
Then these men have assembled, and found Daniel praying and pleading grace before his God;
12 And they approached and spoke to the king about the edict. “O king, did you not decree that every man who makes a request to any of the gods or men for thirty days, except to yourself, O king, would be cast into the den of lions?” To which the king replied, saying, “The sentence is true, and according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, it is not lawful to violate it.”
then they have come near, indeed, they are saying before the king concerning the king’s interdict: “Have you not signed an interdict, that any man who seeks from any god and man until thirty days, except of you, O king, is cast into a den of lions?” The king has answered and said, “The thing [is] certain as a law of Media and Persia, that does not pass away.”
13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, is not concerned about your law, nor about the decree that you have established, but three times a day he prays his supplication.”
Then they have answered, indeed, they are saying before the king, that, “Daniel, who [is] of the sons of the expulsion of Judah, has not placed on you, O king, [any] regard, nor on the interdict that you have signed, and three times in a day he is seeking his petition.”
14 Now when the king had heard these words, he was greatly grieved, and, on behalf of Daniel, he set his heart to free him, and he labored even until sunset to rescue him.
Then the king, when he has heard the matter, is greatly displeased at himself, and on Daniel he has set the heart to deliver him, and until the going up of the sun he was arranging to deliver him.
15 But these men, knowing the king, said to him, “You know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that every decree which the king has established may not be altered.”
Then these men have assembled near the king, and are saying to the king, “Know, O king, that the law of Media and Persia [is] that any interdict and statute that the king establishes is not to be changed.”
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. And the king said to Daniel, “Your God, whom you always serve, he himself will free you.”
Then the king has spoken, and they have brought Daniel, and have cast [him] into a den of lions. The king has answered and said to Daniel, “Your God, whom you are serving continually, delivers you Himself.”
17 And a stone was brought, and it was placed over the mouth of the den, which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, so that no one would act against Daniel.
And a stone has been brought and placed at the mouth of the den, and the king has sealed it with his signet, and with the signet of his great men, that the purpose is not changed concerning Daniel.
18 And the king departed into his house, and he went to bed without eating, and food was not set before him, moreover, even sleep fled from him.
Then the king has gone to his palace, and he has passed the night fasting, and dahavan have not been brought up before him, and his sleep has fled [from] off him.
19 Then the king, getting himself up at first light, went quickly to the den of lions.
Then the king rises in the early morning, at the light, and he has gone in haste to the den of lions;
20 And coming near to the den, he cried out with a tearful voice to Daniel and spoke to him. “Daniel, servant of the living God, your God, whom you serve always, do you believe he has prevailed to free you from the lions?”
and at his coming near to the den, to Daniel, with a grieved voice, he cries. The king has answered and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God, whom you are serving continually, is He able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 And Daniel, answering the king, said, “O king, live forever.
Then Daniel has spoken with the king: “O king, live for all ages:
22 My God has sent his angel, and he has closed the mouths of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because before him justice has been found in me, and, even before you, O king, I have committed no offense.”
my God has sent His messenger, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not injured me: because that before Him purity has been found in me; and also before you, O king, injury I have not done.”
23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den. And Daniel was taken out of the den, and no wound was found in him, because he believed in his God.
Then was the king very glad for him, and he has commanded Daniel to be taken up out of the den, and Daniel has been taken up out of the den, and no injury has been found in him, because he has believed in his God.
24 Moreover, by order of the king, those men were brought who had accused Daniel, and they were cast into the lions’ den, they, and their sons, and their wives, and they did not reach the bottom of the den before the lions seized them and crushed all their bones.
And the king has spoken, and they have brought those men who had accused Daniel, and to the den of lions they have cast them, they, their sons, and their wives; and they have not come to the lower part of the den until the lions have power over them, and all their bones they have broken small.
25 Then king Darius wrote to all peoples, tribes, and languages dwelling in all the land. “May peace be increased with you.
Then Darius the king has written to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the land: “Your peace be great!
26 It is hereby established by my decree that, in all my empire and my kingdom, they shall begin to tremble and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God forever, and his kingdom will not be destroyed, and his power will last forever.
From before me a decree is made, that in every dominion of my kingdom they are trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for He [is] the living God, and abiding for all ages, and His kingdom that which [is] not destroyed, and His dominion [is] to the end.
27 He is the liberator and the savior, performing signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”
A deliverer, and rescuer, and doer of signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth [is] He who has delivered Daniel from the paw of the lions.”
28 Thereafter, Daniel continued through the reign of Darius until the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.
And this Daniel has prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
