Daniel
Chapter 6
1 Darius decided to put 120 princes in charge of the whole kingdom.
2 Three presidents were in charge, with Daniel as the top one, so the leaders would answer to them and the king would not be harmed.
3 Daniel was chosen over the other leaders because he had an excellent spirit; the king planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom.
4 The leaders and officials tried to find a reason to accuse Daniel about how he ran the kingdom, but they couldn’t find anything wrong or a mistake, because he was loyal and no error or fault was found in him.
5 Then these men said, “We will not find any reason to accuse Daniel unless it is about the law of his God.”
6 These leaders and officials went to the king and said, “King Darius, may you live always.”
7 All the leaders, governors, rulers, advisors, and officers of the kingdom agreed to create a royal law and a strong order that if anyone prays to any god or person except you, O king, within thirty days, they will be thrown into the lions’ den.
8 Now, king, set up the law and sign the document so that it cannot be changed, as is the rule of the Medes and Persians that does not change.
9 So King Darius signed the document and the law.
10 When Daniel learned that the order had been made official, he went to his home. With his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day to pray and thank God, just as he always did.
11 These men gathered and saw Daniel praying and asking favors from his God.
12 Then they approached and spoke to the king about his order: “Have you not made a rule that for the next thirty days, anyone who prays to any god or person, except you, will be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “Yes, it is true and it follows the unchangeable laws of Media and Persia.”
13 They replied to the king, “Daniel, from the captives of Judah, does not respect you, king, or follow the law you signed; instead, he prays three times a day.”
14 The king, after hearing this, was very upset with himself and was determined to save Daniel. He tried until sunset to rescue him.
15 Then these men gathered together before the king and said, “King, be aware that according to the law of the Medes and Persians, no rule or law set by the king can be altered.”
16 The king ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den. Then he said to Daniel, “The God you always serve will save you.”
17 They brought a stone and placed it over the den’s entrance; the king sealed it with his ring and his nobles’ rings, so that Daniel’s situation could not be altered.
18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night without eating. No music was played for him, and he could not sleep.
19 The king got up very early in the morning and quickly went to the lions’ den.
20 When he reached the den, he called out sadly to Daniel. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Oh Daniel, servant of the living God, can your God, whom you always serve, save you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel said to the king, “King, may you live forever.”
22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so they did not harm me, because I was found innocent by God; and O king, I have also done you no harm.
23 The king was very happy for Daniel, and ordered them to lift Daniel from the pit. So Daniel was lifted from the pit, and he was not hurt at all, because he trusted in God.
24 The king ordered and they brought the men who had accused Daniel. They threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions’ den. The lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones before they even touched the den’s floor.
25 King Darius wrote to all the people, countries, and language groups living on the earth; may you have lots of peace.
26 I order that in all parts of my kingdom, people must shake with fear and respect before Daniel’s God, because he is the living God who lasts forever. His rule will never end, and his power goes on forever.
27 God saves and rescues, and he does amazing things in the sky and on the ground, who saved Daniel from the lions’ power.
28 Daniel did well during the time of Darius and also when Cyrus the Persian was in power.