Daniel 6:1-28
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps,
stationed throughout the whole kingdom, and over them three presidents,
including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king
might suffer no loss. Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the
other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and
the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the presidents
and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in
connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint
or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or
corruption could be found in him. The 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."
So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to
him, "O King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the
prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that
the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that
whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you,
O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king, establish the
interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according
to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked."
Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.
Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go
to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem,
and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and
praise him, just as he had done previously. The conspirators came and
found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. Then they
approached the king and said concerning the interdict, "O king! Did you
not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human,
within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of li
ons?" The king answered, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of
the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." Then they responded to
the king, "Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you,
O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers
three times a day."
When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was
determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every
effort to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to
him, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no
interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."
Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the
den of lions. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you faithfully
serve, deliver you!" A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the
den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his
lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king
went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to
him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.
When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to
Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you
faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?" Daniel then
said to the king, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut
the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found
blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong."
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 no kind of
harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king gave a
command, and those who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the
den of lions — they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached
the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones
in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language
throughout the whole world: "May you have abundant prosperity! I make a
decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear
before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
He delivers and rescues,
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
for he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions."
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus
the Persian.
