Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in ^(C)the cave.

Daniel and the Lions' Den

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom ^(A)120 ^(B)satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; ² and over them ^(C)three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these ^(D)satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel became ^(E)distinguished above all ^(F)the other high officials and ^(G)satraps, because ^(H)an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned ^(I)to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ Then ^(J)the high officials and ^(K)the satraps ^(L)sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, ^(M)but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, ^(N)and no error or fault was found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

⁶ Then these ^(O)high officials and ^(P)satraps came by agreement^[a] to the king and said to him, “O ^(Q)King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the ^(R)high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the ^(S)counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an ^(T)injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish ^(U)the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^(V)the law of ^(W)the Medes and the Persians, ^(X)which cannot be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^(Y)injunction.

¹⁰ When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^(Z)he had windows in his upper chamber open ^(AA)toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^(AB)three times a day and prayed and ^(AC)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 ^(AD)came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^(AE)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 ^(AF)the Medes and Persians, ^(AG)which cannot be revoked.” ¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, ^(AH)“Daniel, who is one ^(AI)of the exiles ^(AJ)from Judah, ^(AK)pays no attention to you, O king, or ^(AL)the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^(AM)three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then ^(AN)the king, when he heard these words, ^(AO)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 ^(AP)injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared^[b] to Daniel, “May ^(AQ)your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” ^17 (AR)And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(AS)and the king sealed it ^(AT)with his own signet and with the signet of his ^(AU)lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; ^(AV)no diversions were brought to him, and ^(AW)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of ^(AX)the living God, ^(AY)has your God, whom you serve continually, ^(AZ)been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, ^(BA)“O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(BB)sent his angel ^(BC)and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^(BD)before him; ^(BE)and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and ^(BF)no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁴ And the king commanded, and ^(BG)those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all ^(BH)the peoples, nations, and languages ^(BI)that dwell in all the earth: ^(BJ)“Peace be multiplied to you. ^26 (BK)I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion ^(BL)people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

²⁸ So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and ^(BS)the reign of ^(BT)Cyrus the Persian.

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 ^(A)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ^2 (B)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual ^(C)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have ^(D)tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone ^(E)rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ^5 (F)you yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^(G)a spiritual house, to be ^(H)a holy priesthood, ^(I)to offer spiritual sacrifices ^(J)acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

⁷ So the honor is for you who ^(M)believe, but for those who ^(N)do not believe,

⁸ and

They stumble because they disobey the word, ^(Q)as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are ^(R)a chosen race, ^(S)a royal ^(T)priesthood, ^(U)a holy nation, ^(V)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^(W)out of darkness into ^(X)his marvelous light. ^10 (Y)Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you ^(Z)as sojourners and exiles ^(AA)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^(AB)which wage war against your soul. ^12 (AC)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(AD)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^(AE)the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

^13 (AF)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,^[b] whether it be to the emperor^[c] as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him ^(AG)to punish those who do evil and ^(AH)to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, ^(AI)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ^16 (AJ)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^(AK)living as servants^[d] of God. ^17 (AL)Honor everyone. ^(AM)Love the brotherhood. ^(AN)Fear God. Honor the emperor.

^18 (AO)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.^{[e] 19} For this is a gracious thing, when, ^(AP)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^(AQ)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹ For ^(AR)to this you have been called, ^(AS)because Christ also suffered for you, ^(AT)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ^22 (AU)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ^23 (AV)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^(AW)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ^24 (AX)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^(AY)might die to sin and ^(AZ)live to righteousness. ^(BA)By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For ^(BB)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^(BC)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.