6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and
twenty princes, who should be over the whole kingdom;
6:2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel [was] first:
that the princes might give accounts to them, and the king
should have no damage.
6:3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and
princes, because an excellent spirit [was] in him; and the king
thought to set him over the whole realm.
6:4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion
against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no
occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he [was] faithful, neither was
there any error or fault found in him.
6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against
this Daniel, except we find [it] against him concerning the law
of his God.
6:6 Then these presidents and princes assembled to the king, and
said thus to him, King Darius, live for ever.
6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the
princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted
together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm
decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for
thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the
den of lions.
6:8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing,
that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes
and Persians, which altereth not.
6:9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went
into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber
towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day,
and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.
6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and
making supplication before his God.
6:12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning
the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every
man that shall ask [a petition] of any God or man within thirty
days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of
lions? The king answered and said, The thing [is] true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth
not.
6:13 Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel,
who [is] of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth
not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but
maketh his petition three times a day.
6:14 Then the king, when he heard [these] words, was much
displeased with himself, and set [his] heart on Daniel to
deliver him: and he labored till the setting of the sun to
deliver him.
6:15 Then these men assembled to the king, and said to the king,
Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians [is], That
no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be
changed.
6:16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast
[him] into the den of lions. [Now] the king spoke and said to
Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver
thee.
6:17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the
den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the
signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed
concerning Daniel.
6:18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night
fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him:
and his sleep went from him.
6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in
haste to the den of lions.
6:20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable
voice to Daniel: [and] the king spoke and said to Daniel, O
Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
6:21 Then said Daniel to the king, O king, live for ever.
6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions'
mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him
innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I
done no hurt.
6:23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded
that they should take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was
taken out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him,
because he believed in his God.
6:24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had
accused Daniel, and they cast [them] into the den of lions,
them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the
mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces before
they came to the bottom of the den.
6:25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, nations, and
languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to
you.
6:26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men
tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the
living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom [that]
which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even]
to the end.
6:27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and
wonders in heaven and on earth, who hath delivered Daniel from
the power of the lions.
6:28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the
reign of Cyrus the Persian.
|