Daniel 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Plot against Daniel
6 [a]It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom,(A) 2 and over them three administrators, one of whom was Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss.(B) 3 Soon Daniel distinguished himself above the other administrators and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.(C) 4 So the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him.(D) 5 The men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 So the administrators and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!(E) 7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to any god or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions.(F) 8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”(G) 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.(H)
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.(I) 11 Then those men watched[b] and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to any god or human, within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”(J) 13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”(K)
14 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him.(L) 15 Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”(M)
16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!”(N) 17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.(O)
Daniel Saved from the Lions
19 Then at dawn, the king got up and at first light hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?”(P) 21 Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.”(Q) 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God.(R) 24 The king gave a command, and those who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.(S)
25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity!(T) 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.(U)
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(V)
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”
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