¹⁹ If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so ^(A)that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

⁸ But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, ^(A)and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring ^(B)cannot be revoked.”

⁵ And she said, “If it please the king, ^(A)and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke ^(B)the letters devised by Haman ^(C)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

²⁸ And Samuel said to him, ^(A)“The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

^17 (A)And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(B)and the king sealed it ^(C)with his own signet and with the signet of his ^(D)lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

⁸ Now, O king, establish ^(A)the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^(B)the law of ^(C)the Medes and the Persians, ^(D)which cannot be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^(E)injunction.

¹⁰ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^(F)he had windows in his upper chamber open ^(G)toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^(H)three times a day and prayed and ^(I)gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. ¹¹ Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. ¹² Then they ^(J)came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^(K)an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of ^(L)the Medes and Persians, ^(M)which cannot be revoked.” ¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, ^(N)“Daniel, who is one ^(O)of the exiles ^(P)from Judah, ^(Q)pays no attention to you, O king, or ^(R)the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^(S)three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then ^(T)the king, when he heard these words, ^(U)was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no ^(V)injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

⁹ If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents^[a] of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.”

²⁸ And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that ^(A)the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

²¹ This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed.