Daniel Serves Darius

6 ^[a]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, to be in charge of the whole kingdom, ² and over them, three commissioners (of whom ^(A)Daniel was one), so that these satraps would be accountable to them, and that the king would not ^[b]suffer ^(B)loss. ³ Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ^[c]among the commissioners and satraps because ^[d]he possessed an ^(C)extraordinary spirit, and the king intended 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 regarding ^[e]government affairs; but they could find ^(F)no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy, 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 regarding the ^(G)law of his God.”

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came ^[f]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 counselors and the governors, have ^(J)consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ^(K)be thrown into the lions’ ^[g]den. ⁸ Now, O king, ^(L)establish the injunction and sign the document so that it will not be changed, according to the ^(M)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[h]may not be revoked.” ⁹ Thereupon, King Darius ^(N)signed the document, that is, the injunction.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and 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)offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously. ¹¹ Then these men came ^[i](S)by agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor 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 person who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be thrown 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 responded 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 offering his prayer three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^(X)distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save 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)thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “^[m](AA)Your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you.” ¹⁷ And a ^(AB)stone was brought and placed 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 regarding Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went 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 got up at dawn, at the break of day, and went in a hurry to the lions’ den. ²⁰ And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^(AE)your God, whom you continually serve, been ^(AF)able to rescue 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, since ^[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 glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted 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)threw 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 populations of all ^[r]languages who were living in all the land: “^(AO)May your ^[s]peace be great! ^26 [t]I ^(AP)issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear 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.

The Perfect High Priest

5 For every high priest ^(A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in ^(B)things pertaining to God, in order to ^(C)offer both gifts and sacrifices ^(D)for sins; ^2 [a](E)he can deal gently with the ^(F)ignorant and ^(G)misguided, since he himself also is ^[b](H)clothed in weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(I)for sins for himself, ^(J)as well as for the people. ⁴ And ^(K)no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just ^(L)as Aaron also was.

⁵ So too Christ ^(M)did not glorify Himself in becoming a ^(N)high priest, but it was He who ^(O)said to Him,

⁶ just as He also says in another passage,

⁷ In the days of ^[c]His humanity, ^[d](S)He offered up both prayers and pleas with ^(T)loud crying and tears to the One ^(U)able to save Him ^[e]from death, and He ^[f]was heard because of His ^(V)devout behavior. ⁸ Although He was ^(W)a Son, He learned ^(X)obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been ^(Y)perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, ¹⁰ being designated by God as ^(Z)High Priest according to ^(AA)the order of Melchizedek.

¹¹ Concerning ^[g]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become ^[h]poor listeners. ¹² For though ^[i]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(AB)the ^[j](AC)elementary principles of the ^(AD)actual words of God, and you have come to need ^(AE)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(AF)infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(AG)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(AH)trained to ^(AI)distinguish between good and evil.

The Danger of Falling Away

6 Therefore ^(AJ)leaving ^(AK)the ^[k]elementary teaching about the ^[l]Christ, let us press on to ^[m](AL)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(AM)dead works and of faith toward God, ² of ^(AN)instruction about ^[n]washings and ^(AO)laying on of hands, and about the ^(AP)resurrection of the dead and ^(AQ)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, ^(AR)if God permits. ⁴ For it is ^(AS)impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^(AT)enlightened and have tasted of ^(AU)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(AV)partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(AW)have tasted the good ^(AX)word of God and the powers of ^(AY)the age to come, ⁶ and then have ^[o]fallen away, to ^(AZ)restore them again to repentance, ^[p](BA)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often ^[q]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those ^(BB)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^[r](BC)close to being cursed, and ^[s]it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

⁹ But, ^(BD)beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that ^[t]accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For ^(BE)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(BF)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having ^(BG)served and by still serving the ^[u]saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence ^[v]so as to realize the ^(BH)full assurance of ^(BI)hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(BJ)imitators of those who through ^(BK)faith and endurance ^(BL)inherit the promises.

¹³ For ^(BM)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He ^(BN)swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “^(BO)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, ^(BP)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ^16 (BQ)For people swear an oath by ^[w]one greater than themselves, and with them ^(BR)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ^17 [x]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to ^(BS)the heirs of the promise ^[y](BT)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, ^[z]confirmed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(BU)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to ^(BV)the hope set before us. ^19 [aa]This ^(BW)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which ^(BX)enters ^[ab]within the veil, ^20 (BY)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(BZ)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.