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?”^(A)

²¹ Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!^{(B) 22} My God sent his angel,^(C) and he shut the mouths of the lions.^(D) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.^(E) 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^(F) was found on him, because he had trusted^(G) 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,^(H) along with their wives and children.^(I) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.^(J)

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

²⁸ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus^[a](U) the Persian.^(V)