It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, that they might be over the whole kingdom.
And over them were three presidents
(Daniel was one of them), so that these satraps might give account to
them, and the king should have no loss.
Then this Daniel was made overseer
of the presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him.
And the king was planning to set him over all the kingdom.
Then the presidents and rulers
sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. But they
could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. Neither was
there any error or fault found in him.
Then these men said, We shall not
find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him
concerning the law of his God.
Then these presidents and rulers assembled to the king, and said this to him: King Darius, live forever.
All the presidents of the kingdom,
the prefects, and the satraps, and the officials and governors, have
planned together to establish a royal law, and to make a strong ban that
whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except
from you, O king, he shall be thrown into the den of lions.
Now, O king, establish the ban and
sign the writing, so that it may not be changed, according to the law of
the Medes and Persians which cannot be changed.
Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the ban.
And when he had learned that the
document was signed, Daniel went to his house. And his windows were open
in his roof room toward Jerusalem; and he kneeled on his knees three
times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did
before.
Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and confessing before his God.
Then they came near and spoke before
the king concerning the king's ban. Have you not signed a ban that
every man who shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days,
except of you, O king, shall be thrown into the lion's den? The king
answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes
and Persians, which cannot be changed.
Then they answered and said before
the king, Daniel, who is of the exiled sons of Judah, has not respected
you, O king, nor the ban that you have signed, but makes his prayer
three times a day.
Then the king, when he heard the
word, was very much displeased with himself. And he set his heart on
Daniel to deliver him. And he labored until sundown to deliver him.
Then these men met before the king
and said to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and
Persians is that no ban nor law which the king establishes may be
changed.
Then the king commanded, and they
brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king answered and
said to Daniel, Your God, whom you always serve, will 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 the purpose might not be changed
concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace and
spent the night fasting. And diversions were not brought before him;
and his sleep fled from him.
Then the king arose very early in the morning and hurried to the lions' den.
And when he came to the den, he
cried with a grieved voice to Daniel. The king spoke and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God whom you always serve
able to deliver you from the lions?
Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever.
My God has sent His Angel, and has
shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me, because before Him
purity was found in me. And also before you, O king, I have done no
harm.
Then the king was exceedingly glad
for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.
So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found on
him, because he trusted in his God.
And the king commanded, and they
brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they threw them into the
lions' den; them, their sons, and their wives. And the lions overpowered
them and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom
of the den.
Then king Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you.
I make a decree that in all the
domain of my kingdom, there shall be trembling and fear before the God
of Daniel. For He is the living God, and endures forever, and His
kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed, and His rule shall be to
the end.
He delivers and rescues, and He
works signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth, He who has
delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
And this Daniel was blessed in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
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