Daniel 6:7–23

⁷All the administrators of the kingdom, ^uthe prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. ^v8Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict ^wand sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” ^x9So King Darius signed the document. ^y

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, ^zand three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, ^ajust as he had done before. ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found ^bDaniel petitioning and imploring his God. ¹²So they approached the king ^cand asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man 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 and is irrevocable.” ^d

¹³Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, ^ethe 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 ^fand made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

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

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. ^hThe king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, ⁱrescue you!” ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. ^jThe 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. ^kNo diversions ^lwere brought to him, and he could not sleep. ^m

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, ⁿ“has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you ^ofrom the lions?”

²¹Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. ²²My God sent His angel ^pand shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”

²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. ^q