Daniel 6:4-11

New International Reader's Version

⁴ But the other two leaders and the royal rulers heard about it. So they looked for a reason to bring charges against Daniel. They tried to find something wrong with the way he ran the government. But they weren’t able to. They couldn’t find any fault with his work. He could always be trusted. He never did anything wrong. And he always did what he was supposed to. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We want to bring charges against this man Daniel. But it’s almost impossible for us to come up with a reason to do it. If we find a reason, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God.”

⁶ So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, “King Darius, may you live forever! ⁷ All the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We’ve agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it’s obeyed. Your Majesty, here is the command you should make your people obey for the next 30 days. Don’t let any of your people pray to any god or human being except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now give the order. Write it down in the law of the Medes and Persians. Then it can’t be changed.” ⁹ So King Darius put the order in writing.

¹⁰ Daniel found out that the king had signed the order. In spite of that, he did just as he had always done before. He went home to his upstairs room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem. He went to his room three times a day to pray. He got down on his knees and gave thanks to his God. ¹¹ Some of the other royal officials went to where Daniel was staying. They saw him praying and asking God for help.