Daniel in the Lions’ Den^[a]

Chapter 6

The Plot against Daniel. ¹ Darius the Mede succeeded Belshazzar as king, at the age of sixty-two. ² It pleased Darius to appoint one hundred and twenty satraps to rule throughout his kingdom.^{[b] 3} Over them he designated three administrators, including Daniel, to whom the satraps were to be accountable. In this way the king’s interests were to be safeguarded.

⁴ Daniel quickly became recognized as superior to the other administrators and satraps because of his exceptional qualities, and the king decided to place him in charge of the entire kingdom. ⁵ Therefore, the administrators and the satraps tried to find some grounds upon which they could bring charges against Daniel. But they could find no basis for complaint or the slightest evidence of corruption on his part, because he was so faithful in performing his duties that there was no possibility of charging him with negligence or corruption. ⁶ Therefore, they concluded, “We shall never find any basis to lodge a complaint against Daniel unless it is in connection with his God.”

⁷ As a result, these administrators and satraps conspired together, and then they came in a group to the king, saying, “May King Darius live forever! ⁸ All of us, the ministers of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, are unanimous in our belief that the king should issue an edict and enforce a decree that whoever presents a petition to anyone, whether divine or human, during the next thirty days, other than to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. ⁹ We ask that Your Majesty ratify this edict immediately and sign the document, thereby making it unalterable, for the law of the Medes and the Persians cannot be revoked.” ¹⁰ Therefore, King Darius signed the document, thereby establishing its contents as a law.

¹¹ Daniel Continues To Pray. Even after Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he continued his custom of retiring to his house, in which the windows in the upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he fell to his knees, praying to God and giving him thanks, as he had always done.^{[c] 12} The conspirators, who were ever on the watch, broke into his room and found Daniel praying and pleading with God.

¹³ The conspirators were then granted an audience with the king during which they reminded him of the royal edict. “Your Majesty,” they said, “did you not sign a decree forbidding anyone for the next thirty days to present a petition to anyone, divine or human, except to you, O king, under the penalty of being thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The decree stands, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” ¹⁴ Then they said to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, has totally disregarded both you, O king, and the decree you signed. He continues to offer his prayer three times a day.”

¹⁵ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed, and he became determined to save Daniel. Until sunset he made every effort possible to rescue him. ¹⁶ Meanwhile, the conspirators continued to press the king in this matter, saying, “Your Majesty surely must know that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree can be changed once it has been issued by the king.”

¹⁷ Daniel Thrown into the Lions’ Den. Finally the king ordered Daniel to be brought forth and thrown into the den of lions, after first having said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you.” ¹⁸ A stone was then brought forward and placed over the mouth of the pit. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles to forestall any tampering in an attempt to rescue Daniel.

¹⁹ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night in fasting. He refused to receive any concubines into his chamber and found himself unable to sleep. ²⁰ At the first light of dawn he stood up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²¹ As he drew near, he cried out sorrowfully to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so faithfully, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

²² Daniel answered the king, “May Your Majesty live forever! ²³ My God sent his angel to seal the lions’ jaws, and they were not able to harm me, because I was judged blameless before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.”

²⁴ The king was overcome with great joy, and he ordered that Daniel be taken up out of the lions’ den. Therefore, Daniel was released from the den, and he was completely unhurt, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁵ The king then commanded that the men who had accused Daniel were to be thrown into the lions’ den, together with their wives and their children. Before they reached the bottom of the pit, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁶ The King’s Profession of Faith. Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language throughout the entire world, “May your property increase. ²⁷ I decree that throughout my royal domain everyone is to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

²⁹ Therefore, Daniel flourished during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.