¹³ So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.^(A)

¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.^{(A) 20} In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians^(B) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.^(C)

⁹ 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^(A) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees^(B) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.^{(C) 11} Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.^{(D) 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The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^(E)

¹³ Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,^(F) pays no attention^(G) 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;^(H) 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.”^(I)

¹² Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language^(A) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed^(B) with his own ring. ¹³ Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews^(C)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,^(D) and to plunder^(E) their goods. ¹⁴ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.^(F)

¹⁵ The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.^(G) The king and Haman sat down to drink,^(H) but the city of Susa was bewildered.^(I)