Daniel 6
Lexham English Bible
Daniel’s Integrity and His Entrapment by His Enemies
6 It pleased Darius,[a] and he set up one hundred and twenty satraps over the kingdom, that they were throughout the whole kingdom,[b] 2 and over them were three administrators, of whom Daniel was one, so that these satraps were giving account to them, and the king would not be suffering loss. 3 Then Daniel began distinguishing himself[c] above the administrators and the satraps because[d] an exceptional spirit was in him, and so the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the other administrators and satraps began to seek[e] to find a pretext against Daniel in connection with the kingdom,[f] but they were not able to find any pretext and corruption[g] because[h] he was trustworthy, and no[i] negligence or corruption[j] could be found in him.[k] 5 Then these men said,[l] “We will not find any pretext[m] against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 So the administrators and the satraps conspired with respect to[n] the king and so they said to him, “Darius, O king, live forever![o] 7 All of the administrators of the kingdom, and the prefects, the satraps, the counselors and the governors took counsel and have agreed to establish an edict of the king and to enforce a decree that whoever[p] will seek a prayer from any god or human except from you for up to thirty days will be thrown into the lion pit.[q] 8 Now, O king, establish the edict and you must sign the document so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked.”
9 So[r] the king, Darius, signed the writing and the interdict.[s] 10 Now when[t] Daniel realized that the document was signed, he went to his house (now he had windows in his upper room that were open[u] toward Jerusalem), and three times daily[v] he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave praise before his God, just as[w] he had been doing previously.[x] 11 Then these men came as a group and they found Daniel praying and pleading for mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached and spoke with the king[y] concerning the edict of the king, “Did you not sign an edict[z] that any person who would seek anything from any God or human within thirty days except from you, O king, would be thrown into the lion pit?”[aa] The king answered and said, “The matter as you have just stated is certain according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked.”
God’s Miraculous Deliverance of Daniel Again
13 Then they responded[ab] and said before the king, “Daniel, who is from the exiles[ac] of Judah,[ad] is not paying any attention[ae] to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, and three times daily[af] he says his prayer.” 14 Then the king, when[ag] he heard that report,[ah] he was extremely distressed over it; and concerning Daniel[ai] he was determined[aj] to rescue him. And until the setting of the sun he was making every effort to deliver him. 15 Then these men came as a group to the king and said,[ak] “Recall, O king, that with respect to the law of[al] the Medes and Persians that any[am] decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought in and they threw him into the lion pit.[an] The king said[ao] to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve faithfully,[ap] may he rescue you!” 17 And a[aq] stone was brought and it was put on the entrance of the pit, and the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet rings of his lords,[ar] so that nothing would be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night in fasting, and no food was brought in before him and his sleep fled from him.
19 Then the king got up at daybreak, at first light, and he went in haste[as] to the lion pit.[at] 20 And when he came near[au] to the pit, he cried out to Daniel with a distressed voice, and the king spoke[av] and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve faithfully, was he able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke to[aw] the king, “O king, live forever![ax] 22 My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not[ay] hurt me, because[az] before him I was found[ba] blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done any wrong.”
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad over it[bb] and commanded that Daniel be lifted up from the pit; and there was not any wound found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king then commanded, and these men were brought who had accused Daniel,[bc] and they threw them and their children and their wives into the lion pit,[bd] and they had not reached the floor of the pit before[be] the lions had overpowered them and they had crushed all of their bones.
The King Praises the God of Daniel and Daniel Prospers
25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the people, the nations, and the languages living in the whole earth, “May your prosperity become great! 26 I make a decree[bf] that in all the dominion of my kingdom people will be trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and endures forever[bg] and his[bh] kingdom is one that will not be destroyed and his dominion has no end.[bi] 27 He is rescuing, delivering, and working signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, for he has rescued Daniel from the power[bj] of the lions.” 28 So this Daniel prospered during the kingdom of Darius and during the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.
Footnotes
- Daniel 6:1 Literally “It was pleasant before Darius”
- Daniel 6:1 Literally “in all the kingdom”
- Daniel 6:3 Literally “was distinguishing himself”
- Daniel 6:3 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “were seeking”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “from the side of the kingdom”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “being corrupt”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “all because that”
- Daniel 6:4 Aramaic “any”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “being corrupt”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “not could be found”
- Daniel 6:5 Literally “were saying”
- Daniel 6:5 Or “basis for accusation”
- Daniel 6:6 Literally “on/upon”
- Daniel 6:6 Literally “to eternity”
- Daniel 6:7 Literally “all that”
- Daniel 6:7 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:9 Literally “Like to before this”
- Daniel 6:9 Or “the writing that is the interdict”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “as that”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “and windows were open to him in his upper room”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “in the day”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “all because that”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “from before this”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “and saying before the king”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “Not an edict you signed?”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “they answered”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “the sons of the exile”
- Daniel 6:13 Aramaic “Jehud”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “not he sets his mind”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “and three times on the day”
- Daniel 6:14 Aramaic “as ”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “word”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “upon Daniel”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “he set his heart”
- Daniel 6:15 Literally “saying”
- Daniel 6:15 Aramaic “to”
- Daniel 6:15 Literally “all/every”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “The king answered and saying”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “in the loyalty”
- Daniel 6:17 Aramaic “one”
- Daniel 6:17 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 6:19 Literally “to hasten”
- Daniel 6:19 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:20 Literally “as coming near him”
- Daniel 6:20 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 6:21 Aramaic “with”
- Daniel 6:21 Literally “unto endless ages”
- Daniel 6:22 Aramaic “would not”
- Daniel 6:22 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 6:22 Literally “it was found for me”
- Daniel 6:23 That is, the situation
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “they ate his pieces of Daniel”
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “until that”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “From before me is put forth a decree”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “to eternity/endless ages”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “and whose”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “dominion his to the end”
- Daniel 6:27 Literally “hand”
Daniel 6
Christian Standard Bible
The Plot against Daniel
6 Darius decided[a] to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel.(A) These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.(B) 3 Daniel[b] distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit,(C) so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.(D) 4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel(E) regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption,(F) for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”(G)
6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.(H) 7 All the administrators of the kingdom(I)—the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.(J) 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict(K) and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”(L) 9 So King Darius signed the written edict.(M)
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem,(N) and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,(O) just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found(P) Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king(Q) and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands[c] and is irrevocable.”(R)
13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you,(S) the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel(T) and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.
15 Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”(U)
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.(V) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve,(W) rescue you!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.(X) The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.(Y) No diversions[d] were brought to him, and he could not sleep.(Z)
Daniel Released
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said,[e] “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you(AA) from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. 22 My God sent his angel(AB) and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.(AC) 24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel[f](AD) were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.(AE) They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole earth: “May your prosperity abound.(AF) 26 I issue a decree(AG) that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:(AH)
For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,(AI)
and his dominion has no end.
27 He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,(AJ)
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered(AK) during the reign of Darius and[g] the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(AL)
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