It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be
throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials,
of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account,
so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became
distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps,
because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set
him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps
sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to
the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any
fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in
him. Then these 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.”
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the
king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high
officials 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 injunction, that whoever
makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O
king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish
the injunction 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 injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to
his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward
Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed
and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then
these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and
plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king,
concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction,
that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days
except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The
king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the
law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they
answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the
exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the
injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a
day.”
Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and
set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went
down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king
and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes
and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king
establishes can be changed.”
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the
den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you
serve continually, deliver you!” And 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, that nothing might be changed
concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the
night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled
from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the
den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried
out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel,
servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve
continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel
said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and
shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was
found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have
done no harm.” 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. And the king commanded, and those men who had
maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of
lions—they, their children, and their wives. And 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 the peoples, nations, and languages
that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a
decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to 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 shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who 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.
