Daniel and the Lions' Den

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom (A)120 (B)satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them (C)three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these (D)satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became (E)distinguished above all (F)the other high officials and (G)satraps, because (H)an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned (I)to set him over the whole kingdom. Then (J)the high officials and (K)the satraps (L)sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, (M)but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, (N)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 (O)high officials and (P)satraps came by agreement[a] to the king and said to him, “O (Q)King Darius, live forever! All the (R)high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the (S)counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an (T)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 (U)the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to (V)the law of (W)the Medes and the Persians, (X)which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and (Y)injunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where (Z)he had windows in his upper chamber open (AA)toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees (AB)three times a day and prayed and (AC)gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they (AD)came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign (AE)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 (AF)the Medes and Persians, (AG)which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, (AH)“Daniel, who is one (AI)of the exiles (AJ)from Judah, (AK)pays no attention to you, O king, or (AL)the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition (AM)three times a day.”

14 Then (AN)the king, when he heard these words, (AO)was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 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 (AP)injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared[b] to Daniel, “May (AQ)your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 (AR)And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, (AS)and the king sealed it (AT)with his own signet and with the signet of his (AU)lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; (AV)no diversions were brought to him, and (AW)sleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 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 (AX)the living God, (AY)has your God, whom you serve continually, (AZ)been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, (BA)“O king, live forever! 22 My God (BB)sent his angel (BC)and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless (BD)before him; (BE)and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 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 (BF)no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and (BG)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.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all (BH)the peoples, nations, and languages (BI)that dwell in all the earth: (BJ)“Peace be multiplied to you. 26 (BK)I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion (BL)people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for (BM)he is (BN)the living God,
    enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
    (BO)and his dominion shall be (BP)to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
    he works (BQ)signs and wonders
    in heaven and on earth,
he who has (BR)saved Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and (BS)the reign of (BT)Cyrus the Persian.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 6:6 Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15
  2. Daniel 6:16 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20

It pleased Daryavesh to set over the malchut an hundred and twenty satraps, which should be over the whole malchut;

(6:3) And over these three overseers, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give accounts unto them, and that the king should suffer no loss.

(6:4) Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the overseers and satraps, because an excellent ruach was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole malchut.

(6:5) Then the overseers and satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the malchut; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was trustworthy, neither was there any negligence or corrupt thing found in him.

(6:6) Then said these anashim, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the dat (law, religion) of his G-d.

(6:7) Then these overseers and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Daryavesh, L’olam yicheyeh (live for ever!)

(6:8) All the overseers of the malchut, the administrators, and the satraps, the counselors, and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall make a petition of any g-d or man for shloshim yom (thirty days), except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

(6:9) Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the ketav (writing, document), that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

(6:10) Wherefore king Daryavesh signed the written decree.

10 (6:11) Now when Daniel knew that the ketav was signed, he went into his bais; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Yerushalayim, he kneeled down three times that day, and davened, and gave thanks before his G-d, as he had been doing before this.

11 (6:12) Then these anashim assembled, and found Daniel davening and making supplication before his G-d.

12 (6:13) Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall make a petition of any g-d or man within shloshim yom, except 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 Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.

13 (6:14) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the Bnei Golus of Yehudah, shows no regard for thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

14 (6:15) Then the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he did strive till the going down of the shemesh to deliver him.

15 (6:16) Then these anashim assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Have da’as, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

16 (6:17) Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said unto Daniel, Elohecha (Thy G-d) whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee.

17 (6:18) And an even (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 nobles, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 (6:19) Then the king went to his heikhal, and spent the night fasting, neither were entertainments brought before him, and his sheynah fled from him.

19 (6:20) Then the king arose very early in the boker, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 (6:21) And when he came to the den, he cried with an anguished voice unto Daniel; and the king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, eved of HaElohim HaChai, is thy G-d, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

21 (6:22) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, L’olam yicheyeh (live for ever).

22 (6:23) My G-d hath sent his malach, and hath shut the lions’ mouths that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before Him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no rah (wrong).

23 (6:24) Then was the king 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 manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had emunah in his G-d.

24 (6:25) And the king commanded, and they brought those anashim which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

25 (6:26) Then king Daryavesh wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in kol ha’aretz; Shalom aleichem l’machbir (Peace be multiplied unto you).

26 (6:27) I make a decree, That in every dominion of my malchut men must tremble and fear before the G-d of Daniel, for He is HaElohim HaChai, and stedfast l’olamim (forever), and His malchut that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even ad hasof (unto the end).

27 (6:28) He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh otot and mofetim in Shomayim and in ha’aretz, Who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

28 (6:29) So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Daryavesh, and in the reign of Koresh (Cyrus) the Persian.

Daniel in the Den of Lions

[a]It pleased Darius(A) to appoint 120 satraps(B) to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.(C) The satraps were made accountable(D) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.(E) At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges(F) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”(G)

So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!(H) The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors(I) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.(J) Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”(K) So King Darius put the decree in writing.

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward(L) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees(M) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.(N) 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.(O) 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”(P)

13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,(Q) pays no attention(R) to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;(S) he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”(T)

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.(U) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue(V) you!”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed(W) it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating(X) and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.(Y)

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”(Z)

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!(AA) 22 My God sent his angel,(AB) and he shut the mouths of the lions.(AC) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.(AD) Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound(AE) was found on him, because he had trusted(AF) in his God.

24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,(AG) along with their wives and children.(AH) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.(AI)

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language(AJ) in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!(AK)

26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence(AL) the God of Daniel.(AM)

“For he is the living God(AN)
    and he endures forever;(AO)
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.(AP)
27 He rescues and he saves;(AQ)
    he performs signs and wonders(AR)
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”(AS)

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus[b](AT) the Persian.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 6:1 In Aramaic texts 6:1-28 is numbered 6:2-29.
  2. Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus