Daniel 6:7-22

English Standard Version

⁷All the ^(A)high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the ^(B)counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an ^(C)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. ⁸Now, O king, establish ^(D)the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^(E)the law of ^(F)the Medes and the Persians, ^(G)which cannot be revoked.” ⁹Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^(H)injunction.

¹⁰When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^(I)he had windows in his upper chamber open ^(J)toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^(K)three times a day and prayed and ^(L)gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. ¹¹Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. ¹²Then they ^(M)came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^(N)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 ^(O)the Medes and Persians, ^(P)which cannot be revoked.” ¹³Then they answered and said before the king, ^(Q)“Daniel, who is one ^(R)of the exiles ^(S)from Judah, ^(T)pays no attention to you, O king, or ^(U)the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^(V)three times a day.”

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

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

¹⁹Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰As 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 ^(AG)the living God, ^(AH)has your God, whom you serve continually, ^(AI)been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹Then Daniel said to the king, ^(AJ)“O king, live forever! ²²My God ^(AK)sent his angel ^(AL)and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^(AM)before him; ^(AN)and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”