Daniel 6:6-28

New American Standard Bible

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came ^[a]by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, ^(A)live forever! ⁷ All the ^(B)commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have ^(C)consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ^(D)be thrown into the lions’ ^[b]den. ⁸ Now, O king, ^(E)establish the injunction and sign the document so that it will not be changed, according to the ^(F)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[c]may not be revoked.” ⁹ Thereupon, King Darius ^(G)signed the document, that is, the injunction.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open ^(H)toward Jerusalem); and he continued ^(I)kneeling on his knees three times a day, ^(J)praying and ^(K)offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously. ¹¹ Then these men came ^[d](L)by agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor before his God. ¹² Then they approached and ^(M)spoke before the king about the king’s injunction: “Did you not sign an injunction that any person who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^(N)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[e]may not be revoked.” ¹³ Then they responded and spoke before the king, “^(O)Daniel, who is one of the ^[f]exiles from Judah, pays ^(P)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps offering his prayer three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^(Q)distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him. ¹⁵ Then these men came ^[g]by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a ^(R)law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁶ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ^(S)thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “^[h](T)Your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you.” ¹⁷ And a ^(U)stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed regarding Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night ^(V)fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ^(W)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then the king got up at dawn, at the break of day, and went in a hurry to the lions’ den. ²⁰ And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^(X)your God, whom you continually serve, been ^(Y)able to rescue you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel spoke ^[i]to the king, “^(Z)O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(AA)sent His angel and ^(AB)shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, since ^[j]I was found innocent before Him; and also ^[k]toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” ²³ Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and ^(AC)no injury whatever was found on him, because he had ^(AD)trusted in his God. ²⁴ The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^[l]maliciously accused Daniel, and they ^(AE)threw them, their ^(AF)children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the ^(AG)peoples, nations, and populations of all ^[m]languages who were living in all the land: “^(AH)May your ^[n]peace be great! ^26 [o]I ^(AI)issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel;

²⁸ So this ^(AN)Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of ^(AO)Cyrus the Persian.