¹⁰ Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this. ¹¹ Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.

¹² They then went and asked the king about the decree. “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “Indeed I did. The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”

¹⁶ Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” ¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit. The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him. But he could not sleep.

¹⁹ At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰ As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”

²¹ Then Daniel spoke with the king. “Your Majesty, may you live forever! ²² My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions. They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”

²³ Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.

The Law Condemns Everyone

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says is addressed to those who are under the law,^[a] so that every mouth will be silenced and the whole world will be subject to God’s judgment. ²⁰ For this reason, no one^[b] will be declared righteous in his sight by works of the law, for through the law we become aware of sin.

A Righteousness Apart From the Law by Faith

²¹ But now, completely apart from the law, a righteousness from God has been made known. The Law and the Prophets testify to it. ²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all^[c] who believe.

In fact, there is no difference, ²³ because all have sinned and fall short of the glory^[d] of God ²⁴ and are justified^[e] freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God publicly displayed as the atonement seat^[f] through faith in his blood. God did this to demonstrate his justice, since, in his divine restraint, he had left the sins that were committed earlier unpunished. ²⁶ He did this to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so that he would be both just and the one who justifies the person who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ What happens to boasting then? It has been eliminated. By what principle^[g]—by the principle of works? No, but by the principle of faith. ²⁸ For we conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law.

¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰ In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father will do the same with his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. ²³ And when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Amen I tell you: You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.