Daniel 6

Complete Jewish Bible

6 ^(5:31)The kingdom passed to Daryavesh the Mede when he was about sixty-two years old. ²⁽¹⁾Daryavesh decided to set over the kingdom 120 viceroys to rule throughout the entire kingdom, ³⁽²⁾with three chiefs over them, of whom Dani’el was one, so that these viceroys could be responsible to them and so that the king’s interests would be safeguarded. ⁴⁽³⁾But because an extraordinary spirit was in this Dani’el, he so distinguished himself above the other chiefs and the viceroys that the king considered putting him in charge of the whole kingdom. ⁵⁽⁴⁾The other chiefs and the viceroys tried to find a cause for complaint against Dani’el in regard to how he performed his governing duties, but they could find nothing to complain about, no fault; on the contrary, because he was so faithful, not a single instance of negligence or faulty administration could be found.

⁶⁽⁵⁾Then these men said, “We’re not going to find any cause for complaint against this Dani’el unless we can find something against him in regard to the law of his god.” ⁷⁽⁶⁾So these chiefs and viceroys descended on the king and said to him, “King Daryavesh, live forever! ⁸⁽⁷⁾All the chiefs of the kingdom, along with the prefects, viceroys, advisers and governors, have met and agreed that the king should issue a decree putting in force the following law: ‘Whoever makes a request of any god or man during the next thirty days, except of you, your majesty, is to be thrown into the lion pit.’ ⁹⁽⁸⁾Now, your majesty, issue this decree over your signature, so that it cannot be revoked, as required by the law of the Medes and Persians, which is itself irrevocable.” ¹⁰⁽⁹⁾So King Daryavesh signed the document, and the decree became law.

¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾On learning that the document had been signed, Dani’el went home. The windows of his upstairs room were open in the direction of Yerushalayim; and there he kneeled down three times a day and prayed, giving thanks before his God, just as he had been doing before. ¹²⁽¹¹⁾Then these men descended on Dani’el and found him making requests and pleading before his God. ¹³⁽¹²⁾So they went to remind the king of his royal decree: “Didn’t you sign a law prohibiting anyone from making requests of any god or man within thirty days, except yourself, your majesty, on pain of being thrown into the lion pit?” The king answered, “Yes, that is true, as required by the law of the Medes and Persians, which is itself irrevocable.” ¹⁴⁽¹³⁾They replied to the king, “That Dani’el, one of the exiles from Y’hudah, respects neither you, your majesty, nor the decree you signed; instead, he continues praying three times a day.” ¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾When the king heard this report, he was very upset. He determined to save Dani’el and worked until sunset to find a way to rescue him. ¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾But these men descended on the king and said to him, “Remember, your majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or edict, once issued by the king, can be revoked.”

¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾So the king gave the order, and they brought Dani’el and threw him into the lion pit. The king said to Dani’el, “Your God, whom you are always serving, will save you.” ¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾A stone was brought to block the opening of the pit, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing concerning Dani’el could be changed.

¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Then the king returned to his palace. He spent the night fasting and refusing to be entertained, as sleep eluded him. ²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾Early in the morning, the king got up and hurried to the lion pit. ²¹⁽²⁰⁾On approaching the pit where Dani’el was, the king cried in a pained voice to Dani’el, “Dani’el, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you are always serving, been able to save you from the lions?” ²²⁽²¹⁾Then Dani’el answered the king, “May the king live forever! ²³⁽²²⁾My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, so they haven’t hurt me. This is because before him I was found innocent; and also I have done no harm to you, your majesty.” ²⁴⁽²³⁾The king was overjoyed and ordered Dani’el taken up from the pit. So Dani’el was taken up from the pit, and he was found to be completely unharmed, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁵⁽²⁴⁾Then the king gave an order, and they brought those men who had accused Dani’el, and they threw them into the lion pit — them, their children and their wives — and before they even reached the bottom of the pit, the lions had them in their control and broke all their bones to pieces.

²⁶⁽²⁵⁾King Daryavesh wrote all the peoples, nations and languages living anywhere on earth:

“Shalom rav! [Abundant peace!]

²⁷⁽²⁶⁾“I herewith issue a decree that everywhere in my kingdom, people are to tremble and be in awe of the God of Dani’el.

    “For he is the living God;
    he endures forever.
    His kingdom will never be destroyed;
    his rulership will last till the end.
²⁸⁽²⁷⁾He saves, rescues, does signs and wonders
    both in heaven and on earth.
    He delivered Dani’el
    from the power of the lions.”

²⁹⁽²⁸⁾So this Dani’el prospered during the reign of Daryavesh, and also during the reign of Koresh the Persian.

Daniel 6

New King James Version

The Plot Against Daniel

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; ²and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. ³Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, ^(A)because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. ⁴^(B)So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. ⁵Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

⁶So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: ^(C)“King Darius, live forever! ⁷All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have ^(D)consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the ^(E)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]does not alter.” ⁹Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open ^(F)toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees ^(G)three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

¹¹Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. ¹²^(H)And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered and said, “The thing is true, ^(I)according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[b]does not alter.”

¹³So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, ^(J)who is ^[c]one of the captives from Judah, ^(K)does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴And the king, when he heard these words, ^(L)was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he ^[d]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. ¹⁵Then these men ^[e]approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is ^(M)the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

¹⁶So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ¹⁷^(N)Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(O)and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Daniel Saved from the Lions

¹⁸Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no ^[f]musicians were brought before him. ^(P)Also his sleep ^[g]went from him. ¹⁹Then the ^(Q)king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰And when he came to the den, he cried out with a ^[h]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, ^(R)has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

²¹Then Daniel said to the king, ^(S)“O king, live forever! ²²^(T)My God sent His angel and ^(U)shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

²³Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, ^(V)because he believed in his God.

Darius Honors God

²⁴And the king gave the command, ^(W)and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, ^(X)their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

²⁵^(Y)Then King Darius wrote:

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

²⁶^(Z)I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must ^(AA)tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

^(AB)For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be ^(AC)destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
²⁷He delivers and rescues,
^(AD)And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the ^[i]power of the lions.

²⁸So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius ^(AE)and in the reign of ^(AF)Cyrus the Persian.

Footnotes

Daniel 6:8 Lit. does not pass away
Daniel 6:12 Lit. does not pass away
Daniel 6:13 Lit. of the sons of the captivity
Daniel 6:14 strove
Daniel 6:15 Lit. thronged before
Daniel 6:18 Exact meaning unknown
Daniel 6:18 Or fled
Daniel 6:20 Or grieved
Daniel 6:27 Lit. hand

Daniel 6

Living Bible

6 Darius divided the kingdom into 120 provinces, each under a governor. ²The governors were accountable to three presidents (Daniel was one of them) so the king could administer the kingdom efficiently.

³Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other presidents and governors, for he had great ability, and the king began to think of placing him over the entire empire as his administrative officer.

⁴This made the other presidents and governors very jealous, and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn’t find anything to criticize! He was faithful and honest and made no mistakes. ⁵So they concluded, “Our only chance is his religion!”

⁶They decided to go to the king and say, “King Darius, live forever! ⁷We presidents, governors, counselors, and deputies have unanimously decided that you should make a law, irrevocable under any circumstance, that for the next thirty days anyone who asks a favor of God or man—except from you, Your Majesty—shall be thrown to the lions. ⁸Your Majesty, we request your signature on this law; sign it so that it cannot be canceled or changed; it will be a ‘law of the Medes and Persians’ that cannot be revoked.”

⁹So King Darius signed the law.

¹⁰But though Daniel knew about it, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs bedroom, with its windows open toward Jerusalem, and prayed three times a day, just as he always had, giving thanks to his God.

¹¹Then the men thronged to Daniel’s house and found him praying there, asking favors of his God. ¹²They rushed back to the king and reminded him about his law. “Haven’t you signed a decree,” they demanded, “that permits no petitions to any God or man—except you—for thirty days? And anyone disobeying will be thrown to the lions?”

“Yes,” the king replied, “it is ‘a law of the Medes and Persians,’ that cannot be altered or revoked.”

¹³Then they told the king, “That fellow Daniel, one of the Jewish captives, is paying no attention to you or your law. He is asking favors of his God three times a day.”

¹⁴Hearing this, the king was very angry with himself for signing the law and determined to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day trying to think of some way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

¹⁵In the evening the men came again to the king and said, “Your Majesty, there is nothing you can do. You signed the law, and it cannot be changed.”

¹⁶So at last the king gave the order for Daniel’s arrest, and he was taken to the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you worship continually, deliver you.” And then they threw him in. ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with that of his government, so that no one could rescue Daniel from the lions.

¹⁸Then the king returned to his palace and went to bed without dinner. He refused his usual entertainment and didn’t sleep all night. ¹⁹Very early the next morning he hurried out to the lions’ den ²⁰and called out in anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, whom you worship continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”

²¹Then he heard a voice! “Your Majesty, live forever!” It was Daniel! ²²“My God has sent his angel,” he said, “to shut the lions’ mouths so that they can’t touch me, for I am innocent before God; nor, sir, have I wronged you.”

²³The king was beside himself with joy and ordered Daniel lifted from the den. And not a scratch was found on him because he believed in his God.

²⁴Then the king issued a command to bring the men who had accused Daniel and throw them into the den along with their children and wives, and the lions leaped upon them and tore them apart before they even hit the bottom of the den.

^25-26Afterward King Darius wrote this message addressed to everyone in his empire:

“Greetings! I decree that everyone shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel in every part of my kingdom. For his God is the living, unchanging God whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and whose power shall never end. ²⁷He delivers his people, preserving them from harm; he does great miracles in heaven and earth; it is he who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

²⁸So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Living Bible (TLB)

Daniel 6 Complete Jewish Bible

Daniel 6 New King James Version