Daniel 6

EJ2000^{(i) 1} ¶ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty governors who should be in all the kingdom; ² and over these three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, that the governors might give accounts unto them, and the king should not be bothered. ³ Then this Daniel was preferred above these governors and presidents because an overabundance of the Spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ Then the presidents and governors looked for occasions against Daniel on behalf of the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault because he was faithful, and no vice nor fault was found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, We shall never find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him in the law of his God. ⁶ ¶ Then these governors and presidents assembled together before the king and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. ⁷ All the presidents of the kingdom, magistrates, governors, great ones, and captains have agreed in common accord to promote a royal decree and to confirm it that whoever 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, O king, confirm the decree and sign the writing that it not be moved, according to the law of Media and of Persia, which does not change. ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. ¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he entered into his house; and with the windows open toward Jerusalem in his dining chamber, he knelt three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he was used to doing before. ¹¹ ¶ Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. ¹² Then they went and spoke before the king concerning the royal decree; Hast thou not confirmed a decree that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days save 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 Media and Persia, which does not change. ¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the sons of the captivity of the Jews, has not regarded thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast confirmed, but makes his petition three times a day. ¹⁴ When the king, heard the matter, it weighed very heavy upon him, and he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured until the going down of the sun to deliver him. ¹⁵ Then those men assembled near the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that this is the law of Media and of Persia: No decree nor statute which the king has confirmed may be moved. ¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king, speaking unto Daniel, said, Thy God whom thou servest continually, may he deliver thee. ¹⁷ And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his princes that the agreement concerning Daniel might not be changed. ¹⁸ ¶ Then the king went to his palace and lay down without eating; neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep fled from him. ¹⁹ Therefore, the king arose very early in the morning at dawn and went in haste unto the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried loudly with a sad voice unto Daniel; and the king, in speaking to Daniel said, Daniel, servant of the living God, has thy God, whom thou servest continually, been able to deliver thee from the lions? ²¹ Then Daniel said unto the king, O king, live for ever. ²² My God has sent his angel, who shut the lions’ mouths, that they do me no evil because before him righteousness was found in me; and even before thee, O king, I have done no corruption. ²³ Then the king was exceeding glad because of him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury was found upon him because he believed in his God. ²⁴ And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and even before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces. ²⁵ ¶ Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. ²⁶ On my behalf a statute is put into effect, That in all the dominion of my kingdom everyone tremble at the presence of the God of Daniel for he is the living God and endures for all ages, and his kingdom is such that it shall never come apart, and his dominion shall be even unto the end: ²⁷ that saves and frees, and makes signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. ²⁸ So this Daniel was prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.