¹⁷ Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸ O king, ^(A)the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your ^[a]father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. ¹⁹ And because of the majesty that He gave him, ^(B)all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he ^(C)executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. ^20 (D)But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. ²¹ Then he was ^(E)driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^(F)till he ^[b]knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

²² “But you his son, Belshazzar, ^(G)have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. ^23 (H)And you have ^[c]lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the ^(I)vessels of ^[d]His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, ^(J)which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand ^(K)and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open ^(A)toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees ^(B)three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

¹¹ Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. ^12 (C)And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered and said, “The thing is true, ^(D)according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]does not alter.”

¹³ So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, ^(E)who is ^[b]one of the captives from Judah, ^(F)does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴ And the king, when he heard these words, ^(G)was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he ^[c]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. ¹⁵ Then these men ^[d]approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is ^(H)the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

¹⁶ So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ^17 (I)Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(J)and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Daniel Saved from the Lions

¹⁸ Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no ^[e]musicians were brought before him. ^(K)Also his sleep ^[f]went from him. ¹⁹ Then the ^(L)king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried out with a ^[g]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, ^(M)has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, ^(N)“O king, live forever! ^22 (O)My God sent His angel and ^(P)shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

²³ Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, ^(Q)because he believed in his God.