Daniel 6:1-15

Common English Bible

Plot against Daniel

6 Darius decided to appoint one hundred twenty chief administrators throughout the kingdom, ² and to set over them three main officers to whom they would report so that the king wouldn’t have to be bothered with too much.^[a] One of these main officers was Daniel. ³ Because of his extraordinary spirit, Daniel soon surpassed the other officers and the chief administrators—so much so that the king had plans to set him over the entire kingdom. ⁴ As a result, the other officers and the chief administrators tried to find some problem with Daniel’s work for the kingdom. But they couldn’t find any problem or corruption at all because Daniel was trustworthy. He wasn’t guilty of any negligence or corruption.

⁵ So these men said, “We won’t find any fault in Daniel, unless we can find something to use against him from his religious practice.”^[b]

⁶ So these officers and chief administrators ganged together and went to the king. They said to him, “Long live King Darius! ⁷ All the officers of the kingdom, the ministers, the chief administrators, the royal associates, and the governors advise the king to issue an edict and enforce a law, that for thirty days anyone who says prayers to any god or human being except you, Your Majesty, will be thrown into a pit of lions. ⁸ Now, Your Majesty, issue the law and sign the document so that it cannot be changed, as per the law of Media and Persia, which cannot be annulled.” ⁹ Because of this, King Darius signed the document containing the law.

Daniel prays

¹⁰ When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. Now his upper room had open windows that faced Jerusalem. Daniel knelt down, prayed, and praised his God three times that day, just like he always did. ¹¹ Just then these men, all ganged together, came upon Daniel praying and seeking mercy from his God. ¹² They then went and talked to the king about the law: “Your Majesty! Didn’t you sign a law, that for thirty days any person who prays to any god or human being besides you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into a pit of lions?”

The king replied, “The decision is absolutely firm in accordance with the law of Media and Persia, which cannot be annulled.”

¹³ So they said to the king, “One of the Judean exiles, Daniel, has ignored you, Your Majesty, as well as the law you signed. He says his prayers three times a day!”

¹⁴ When the king heard this report, he was very unhappy. He decided to rescue Daniel and did everything he could do to save Daniel before the sun went down. ¹⁵ But these men, all ganged together, came and said to the king, “You must realize, Your Majesty, that the law of Media and Persia, including every law and edict the king has issued, cannot be changed.”