Daniel Serves Darius

6 ^[a]It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, ² and over them three commissioners (of whom ^(A)Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer ^(B)loss. ³ Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ^[b]among the commissioners and satraps because ^[c]he possessed an ^(C)extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the ^(D)entire kingdom. ⁴ Then the commissioners and satraps began ^(E)trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to ^[d]government affairs; but they could find ^(F)no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the ^(G)law of his God.”

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came ^[e]by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, ^(H)live forever! ⁷ All the ^(I)commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have ^(J)consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ^(K)be cast into the lions’ ^[f]den. ⁸ Now, O king, ^(L)establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the ^(M)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[g]may not be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius ^(N)signed the document, that is, the injunction.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open ^(O)toward Jerusalem); and he continued ^(P)kneeling on his knees three times a day, ^(Q)praying and ^(R)giving thanks before his God, ^[h]as he had been doing previously. ¹¹ Then these men came ^[i](S)by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. ¹² Then they approached and ^(T)spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^(U)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[j]may not be revoked.” ¹³ Then they answered and spoke before the king, “^(V)Daniel, who is one of the ^[k]exiles from Judah, pays ^(W)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^(X)distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then these men came ^[l]by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a ^(Y)law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁶ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ^(Z)cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “^[m](AA)Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” ¹⁷ A ^(AB)stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night ^(AC)fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ^(AD)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. ²⁰ When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^(AE)your God, whom you constantly serve, been ^(AF)able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel spoke ^[n]to the king, “^(AG)O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(AH)sent His angel and ^(AI)shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as ^[o]I was found innocent before Him; and also ^[p]toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” ²³ Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and ^(AJ)no injury whatever was found on him, because he had ^(AK)trusted in his God. ²⁴ The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^[q]maliciously accused Daniel, and they ^(AL)cast them, their ^(AM)children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the ^(AN)peoples, nations and men of every ^[r]language who were living in all the land: “^(AO)May your ^[s]peace abound! ^26 [t]I ^(AP)make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;

²⁸ So this ^(AU)Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of ^(AV)Cyrus the Persian.

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

Instructions to Those Who Minister

6 ^(A)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so ^(B)that the name of God and our doctrine will not be ^[a]spoken against. ² Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are ^(C)brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who ^[b]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. ^(D)Teach and ^[c]preach these principles.

³ If anyone ^(E)advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[d]agree with ^(F)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine ^(G)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(H)conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[e]has a morbid interest in ^(I)controversial questions and ^(J)disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(K)men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(L)suppose that ^[f]godliness is a means of gain. ^6 (M)But godliness actually is a means of ^(N)great gain when accompanied by ^(O)contentment. ⁷ For ^(P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ If we ^(Q)have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ^9 (R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ^(S)a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For ^(T)the love of money is a root of all ^[g]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^(U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But ^(V)flee from these things, you ^(W)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, ^(X)faith, ^(Y)love, ^[h]perseverance and gentleness. ^12 (Z)Fight the good fight of ^(AA)faith; ^(AB)take hold of the eternal life ^(AC)to which you were called, and you made the good ^(AD)confession in the presence of ^(AE)many witnesses. ^13 (AF)I charge you in the presence of God, who ^[i]gives life to all things, and of ^(AG)Christ Jesus, who testified the ^(AH)good confession ^(AI)before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the ^(AJ)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[j]bring about at ^(AK)the proper time—He who is ^(AL)the blessed and ^(AM)only Sovereign, ^(AN)the King of ^[k]kings and ^(AO)Lord of ^[l]lords, ^16 (AP)who alone possesses immortality and ^(AQ)dwells in unapproachable light, ^(AR)whom no man has seen or can see. ^(AS)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in ^(AT)this present world ^(AU)not to be conceited or to ^(AV)fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(AW)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(AX)good ^[m]works, ^(AY)to be generous and ready to share, ^19 (AZ)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(BA)take hold of that which is life indeed.

²⁰ O ^(BB)Timothy, guard ^(BC)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding ^(BD)worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— ²¹ which some have professed and thus ^(BE)gone astray ^[n]from ^(BF)the faith.

^(BG)Grace be with you.