Daniel 6
1 It pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom 120 provincial governors who would rule over all the kingdom.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom;
2 Over them there were three chief administrators, and Daniel was one of them. These chief administrators were appointed so that they might supervise the provincial governors, so that the king should suffer no loss.
and over these, three presidents — of whom Daniel was one — to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.
3 Daniel was distinguished above the other chief administrators and the provincial governors because he had an extraordinary spirit. The king was planning to put him over the whole kingdom.
Now this Daniel surpassed the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to appoint him over the whole realm.
4 Then the other chief administrators and the provincial governors looked for mistakes in the work Daniel did for the kingdom, but they could find no corruption or failure in his duty because he was faithful. No mistakes or negligence was found in him.
Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then these men said, “We cannot find any reason to complain against this Daniel unless we find something against him regarding the law of his God.”
Then said these men, We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find [it] against him touching the law of his God.
6 Then these administrators and governors brought a plan before the king. They said to him, “King Darius, may you live forever!
Then these presidents and satraps came in a body to the king, and said thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever!
7 All the chief administrators of the kingdom, the regional governors, and the provincial governors, the advisors, and the governors have consulted together and decided that you, the king, should issue a decree and should enforce it, so that whoever makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, king, that person must be thrown into the den of lions.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, King, issue a decree and sign the document so that it may not be changed, as directed by the laws of the Medes and Persians, so it cannot be repealed.”
Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.
9 So king Darius signed the document making the decree into a law.
Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed into law, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his upper room toward Jerusalem), and he got down on his knees, as he did three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before.
And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men who had formed the plot together saw Daniel make requests and seek help from God.
But those men came in a body, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 Then they approached the king and spoke with him about his decree: “Did you not make a decree that everyone who makes a petition to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, king, must be throw into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The matter is settled, as directed by the law of the Medes and Persians; it cannot be repealed.”
Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask [anything] of any god or man within thirty days, except of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.
13 Then they replied to the king, “That person Daniel, who is one of the people of the exile from Judah, pays no attention to you, king, or to the decree that you have signed. He prays to his God three times a day.”
Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 When the king heard this, he was terribly distressed, and he applied his mind to rescue Daniel from this ruling. He labored until sunset to try to save Daniel.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore distressed thereby, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men who had formed the plot gathered together with the king and said to him, “Know, king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree or statute that the king issues can be changed.”
Then these men came in a body unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16 Then the king gave an order, and they brought in Daniel, and they threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.”
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast [him] into the den of lions. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will save thee.
17 A stone was brought over the entrance to the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his nobles, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace and he went through the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were concubines brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
19 Then at daybreak the king got up and he quickly went to the lions' den.
Then the king arose with the light at break of day, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 As he came near to the den, he called out to Daniel in a sad voice, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?”
And when he came near unto the den, he cried with a mournful voice unto Daniel: the king spoke and said unto Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God whom thou servest continually been able to save thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel to the king, “King, live forever!
Then Daniel spoke unto the king, O king, live for ever!
22 My God has sent his messenger and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me. For I was found blameless before him and also before you, king, and I have done you no harm.”
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then the king was very happy. He gave an order that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den. No harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Thereupon was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
24 The king gave an order, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel and threw them into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the floor, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones to pieces.
And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces ere they came to the bottom of the den.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that live in all the earth: “May peace increase for you.
Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I hereby make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and lives forever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed; his dominion shall be to the end.
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 He makes us safe and rescues us, and he does signs and wonders in heaven and in earth; he has kept Daniel safe from the strength of the lions.”
He saveth and delivereth, and he worketh signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth: who hath saved Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
