Daniel 6:1-15

Easy-to-Read Version

Daniel and the Lions

6 Darius thought it would be a good idea to choose 120 satraps to rule throughout his kingdom. ² He chose three men to rule over the 120 satraps. Daniel was one of the three supervisors. The king put these men in this position to keep anyone from cheating him. ³ Daniel proved himself to be a better supervisor than any of the others. He did this by his good character and great ability. The king was so impressed with Daniel that he planned to make him ruler over the whole kingdom. ⁴ But when the other supervisors and the satraps heard about this, they were very jealous. They tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel. So they watched what Daniel did as he went about doing the business of the government. But they could not find anything wrong with him, so they could not accuse him of doing anything wrong. Daniel was a man people could trust. He did not cheat the king, and he worked very hard.

⁵ Finally, they said, “We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel of doing something wrong. So we must find something to complain about that is connected to the law of his God.”

⁶ So the two supervisors and the satraps went as a group to the king. They said, “King Darius, live forever! ⁷ The supervisors, prefects, satraps, advisors, and governors have all agreed on something. We think that the king should make this law and that everyone must obey it: For the next 30 days, whoever prays to any god or man except you, King, will be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, King, make the law and sign the paper it is written on so that it cannot be changed, because the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed.” ⁹ So King Darius made the law and signed it.

¹⁰ Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done.

¹¹ Then the supervisors and satraps went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹² So they went to the king and talked to him about the law he had made. They said, “King Darius, you signed a law that says, for the next 30 days anyone who prays to any god or man except you, the king, would be thrown into the lions’ den. You did sign that law, didn’t you?”

The king answered, “Yes, I signed that law, and the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed.”

¹³ Then they said to the king, “That man Daniel is not paying any attention to you. He is one of the captives^[a] from Judah, and he is not paying attention to the law you signed. Daniel still prays to his God three times every day.”

¹⁴ The king became very sad and upset when he heard this. He decided to save Daniel. He worked until sunset trying to think of a way to save him. ¹⁵ Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, “Remember, King, that the law of the Medes and Persians says that no law or command signed by the king can ever be canceled or changed.”