Daniel 6:7–23

⁷All the administrators of the kingdom^h—the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.^{i 8}Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict^j and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”^{k 9}So King Darius signed the written edict.^l

DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN

¹⁰When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem,^m and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,ⁿ just as he had done before. ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found^o Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. ¹²So they approached the king^p and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands^H and is irrevocable.”^q

¹³Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you,^r the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” ¹⁴As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel^s and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

¹⁵Then these men went together to the king and said to him, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”^t

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.^u The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve,^v rescue you!” ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den.^w The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. ¹⁸Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting.^x No diversions^A were brought to him, and he could not sleep.^y

DANIEL RELEASED

¹⁹At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said,^B “has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you^z from the lions?”

²¹Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. ²²My God sent his angel^aa and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.”

²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. When Daniel was brought up from the den, he was found to be unharmed, for he trusted in his God.^ab