⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^(A) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^(B)

⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^{(C) 7} The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(D) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^{(E) 8} Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^{(F) 9} So King Darius put the decree in writing.

¹³ Then I saw three impure spirits^(A) that looked like frogs;^(B) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(C) out of the mouth of the beast^(D) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^{(E) 14} They are demonic spirits^(F) that perform signs,^(G) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(H) to gather them for the battle^(I) on the great day^(J) of God Almighty.

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king^(A) opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat^(B) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic^(C) is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation^(D) of the Passover; it was about noon.^(E)

“Here is your king,”^(F) Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.^(G)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(H)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

⁸ Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs^(A) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey^(B) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.^{(C) 9} If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[a] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”^(D)

¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring^(E) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

² With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(A)