Daniel 6
Christian Standard Bible
The Plot against Daniel
6 Darius decided[a] to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel.(A) These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.(B) 3 Daniel[b] distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit,(C) so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.(D) 4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel(E) regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption,(F) for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”(G)
6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.(H) 7 All the administrators of the kingdom(I)—the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.(J) 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict(K) and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”(L) 9 So King Darius signed the written edict.(M)
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem,(N) and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,(O) just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found(P) Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king(Q) and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands[c] and is irrevocable.”(R)
13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you,(S) the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel(T) and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.
15 Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”(U)
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.(V) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve,(W) rescue you!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.(X) The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.(Y) No diversions[d] were brought to him, and he could not sleep.(Z)
Daniel Released
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said,[e] “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you(AA) from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. 22 My God sent his angel(AB) and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.(AC) 24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel[f](AD) were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.(AE) They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole earth: “May your prosperity abound.(AF) 26 I issue a decree(AG) that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:(AH)
For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,(AI)
and his dominion has no end.
27 He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,(AJ)
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered(AK) during the reign of Darius and[g] the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(AL)
Psalm 22
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 22
From Suffering to Praise
For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?(A)
Why are you so far from my deliverance(B)
and from my words of groaning?(C)
2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest.(D)
3 But you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.(E)
4 Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted, and you rescued them.(F)
5 They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.(G)
6 But I am a worm and not a man,(H)
scorned by mankind and despised by people.(I)
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they sneer[a] and shake their heads:(J)
8 “He relies on[b] the Lord;
let him save him;
let the Lord[c] rescue him,
since he takes pleasure in him.”(K)
9 It was you who brought me out of the womb,
making me secure at my mother’s breast.(L)
10 I was given over to you at birth;[d]
you have been my God from my mother’s womb.(M)
11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near
and there’s no one to help.(N)
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong ones of Bashan encircle me.(O)
13 They open their mouths against me—
lions, mauling and roaring.(P)
14 I am poured out like water,(Q)
and all my bones are disjointed;(R)
my heart is like wax,
melting within me.(S)
15 My strength is dried up like baked clay;(T)
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.(U)
You put me into the dust of death.(V)
16 For dogs have surrounded me;(W)
a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;
they pierced[e] my hands and my feet.(X)
17 I can count all my bones;
people[f] look and stare at me.(Y)
18 They divided my garments among themselves,
and they cast lots for my clothing.(Z)
19 But you, Lord, don’t be far away.(AA)
My strength, come quickly to help me.(AB)
20 Rescue my life from the sword,(AC)
my only life[g] from the power of these dogs.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth,(AD)
from the horns of wild oxen.
You answered me![h]
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly.(AE)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(AF)
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him!(AG)
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the torment of the oppressed.(AH)
He did not hide his face from him(AI)
but listened when he cried to him for help.(AJ)
25 I will give praise in the great assembly
because of you;(AK)
I will fulfill my vows
before those who fear you.[i](AL)
26 The humble will eat and be satisfied;(AM)
those who seek the Lord will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!(AN)
27 All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before you,(AO)
28 for kingship belongs to the Lord;
he rules the nations.(AP)
29 All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down;
all those who go down to the dust
will kneel before him—
even the one who cannot preserve his life.(AQ)
30 Their descendants will serve him;
the next generation will be told about the Lord.(AR)
31 They will come and declare his righteousness;
to a people yet to be born
they will declare what he has done.(AS)
Proverbs 18:19-20
Christian Standard Bible
19 An offended brother is harder to reach[a]
than a fortified city,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.
20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.(A)
Footnotes
- 18:19 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read is stronger
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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