[1] \5:31\And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being then about sixty-two
years old. [2] \6:1\Darius was pleased to put over the kingdom a hundred
and twenty captains, who were to be all through the kingdom; [3] \6:2\And
over them were three chief rulers, of whom Daniel was one; and the captains
were to be responsible to the chief rulers, so that the king might undergo
no loss. [4] \6:3\Then this Daniel did his work better than the chief
rulers and the captains, because there was a special spirit in him; and it
was the king's purpose to put him over all the kingdom. [5] \6:4\Then the
chief rulers and the captains were looking for some cause for putting
Daniel in the wrong in connection with the kingdom, but they were unable to
put forward any wrongdoing or error against him; because he was true, and
no error or wrong was to be seen in him. [6] \6:5\Then these men said, We
will only get a reason for attacking Daniel in connection with the law of
his God. [7] \6:6\Then these chief rulers and the captains came to the king
and said to him, O King Darius, have life for ever. [8] \6:7\All the chief
rulers of the kingdom, the chiefs and the captains, the wise men and the
rulers, have made a common decision to put in force a law having the king's
authority, and to give a strong order, that whoever makes any request to
any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the
lions' hole. [9] \6:8\Now, O King, put the order in force, signing the
writing so that it may not be changed, like the law of the Medes and
Persians which may not come to an end. [10] \6:9\For this reason King
Darius put his name on the writing and the order. [11] \6:10\And Daniel, on
hearing that the writing had been signed, went into his house; (now he had
windows in his room on the roof opening in the direction of Jerusalem;) and
three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his
God, as he had done before. [12] \6:11\Then these men were watching and saw
Daniel making prayers and requesting grace before his God. [13] \6:12\Then
they came near before the king and said, O King, have you not put your name
to an order that any man who makes a request to any god or man but you, O
King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole? The king made
answer and said, The thing is fixed by the law of the Medes and Persians
which may not come to an end. [14] \6:13\Then they made answer and said
before the king, Daniel, one of the prisoners of Judah, has no respect for
you, O King, or for the order signed by you, but three times a day he makes
his prayer to God. [15] \6:14\When this thing came to the king's ears, it
was very evil to him, and his heart was fixed on keeping Daniel safe, and
till the going down of the sun he was doing everything in his power to get
him free. [16] \6:15\Then these men said to the king, Be certain, O King,
that by the law of the Medes and Persians no order or law which the king
has put into force may be changed. [17] \6:16\Then the king gave the order,
and they took Daniel and put him into the lions' hole. The king made answer
and said to Daniel, Your God, whose servant you are at all times, will keep
you safe. [18] \6:17\Then they got a stone and put it over the mouth of the
hole, and it was stamped with the king's stamp and with the stamp of the
lords, so that the decision about Daniel might not be changed. [19]
\6:18\Then the king went to his great house, and took no food that night,
and no ... were placed before him, and his sleep went from him. [20]
\6:19\Then very early in the morning the king got up and went quickly to
the lions' hole. [21] \6:20\And when he came near the hole where Daniel
was, he gave a loud cry of grief; the king made answer and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whose servant you are at
all times, able to keep you safe from the lions? [22] \6:21\Then Daniel
said to the king, O King, have life for ever. [23] \6:22\My God has sent
his angel to keep the lions' mouths shut, and they have done me no damage:
because I was seen to be without sin before him; and further, before you, O
King, I have done no wrong. [24] \6:23\Then the king was very glad, and
gave orders for them to take Daniel up out of the hole. So Daniel was taken
up out of the hole and he was seen to be untouched, because he had faith in
his God. [25] \6:24\And at the king's order, they took those men who had
said evil against Daniel, and put them in the lions' hole, with their wives
and their children; and they had not got to the floor of the hole before
the lions overcame them and all their bones were broken. [26] \6:25\Then
King Darius sent a letter to all the peoples, nations, and languages,
living in all the earth: May your peace be increased. [27] \6:26\It is my
order that in all the kingdom of which I am ruler, men are to be shaking
with fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, unchanging
for ever, and his kingdom is one which will never come to destruction, his
rule will go on to the end. [28] \6:27\He gives salvation and makes men
free from danger, and does signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who has
kept Daniel safe from the power of the lions. [29] \6:28\So this Daniel did
well in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.
