Daniel 6

6^*aIt pleased Darius to set over the kingdom ^ban hundred and twenty ^cprinces, which should be over the whole kingdom; ²And over these ^dthree ^epresidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the ^cprinces might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. ³Then this Daniel was ^fpreferred above ^ethe presidents and ^cprinces, ^ghbecause an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought ⁱto set him over the whole realm.

^4*Then ^ethe presidents and ^cprinces ^ksought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor ^lfault; ^hforasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any ^merror or ^lfault found in him. ⁵Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, ⁿexcept we find it against him concerning the law of his God. ⁶Then these ^epresidents and ^cprinces ^||assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, ^oKing Darius, live for ever. ⁷All ^ethe presidents of the kingdom, ^pthe governors, and the ^cprinces, ^qthe counsellers, and ^rthe captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm ^||decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, ⁿsave of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to ^sthe law of ^tthe Medes and Persians, ^swhich ^†altereth not. ^9uWherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

¹⁰Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and ^vhis windows being open ^win his chamber ^xtoward Jerusalem, he ^ykneeled upon his knees ^zthree times a day, and prayed, and ^agave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. ¹¹Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. ¹²Then they ^bcame near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask ^ca petition of any God or man within thirty days, ^dsave of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, ^eaccording to the law of the Medes and Persians, ^ewhich altereth not. ¹³Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, ^fwhich is ^gof the children of the captivity of Judah, ^hregardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. ¹⁴Then the king, when he heard these words, ⁱwas sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. ¹⁵Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that ^ethe law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. ¹⁶Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and ^kcast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God ^lwhom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. ¹⁷And ^ma stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and ⁿthe king sealed it ^owith his own signet, and with the signet of his ^plords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: ^qneither were ^||instruments of musick brought before him: and ^rhis sleep went from him. ¹⁹Then the king arose very early in ^sthe morning, and went ^tin haste unto the den of lions. ²⁰And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of ^uthe living God, ^vis thy God, ^lwhom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? ²¹Then said Daniel unto the king, ^wO king, live for ever. ^22xMy God hath sent his angel, and ^yhath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: ^zforasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. ²³Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and ^ano manner of hurt was found upon him, ^bbecause he believed in his God. ²⁴And the king commanded, and ^cthey brought those men which had ^daccused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, ^etheir children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

²⁵Then king Darius wrote ^funto all people, nations, and languages, ^fthat dwell in all the earth; ^fPeace be multiplied unto you. ^26gI make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men ^hitremble and ^hfear before ^kthe God of Daniel: for ^lhe is ^mthe living God, and stedfast for ever, and ⁿhis kingdom that which shall not be ⁿdestroyed, and his dominion shall be even ^ounto the end. ²⁷He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh ^psigns and wonders in heaven and in earth, ^qwho hath delivered Daniel from the ^†power of the lions. ²⁸So this Daniel ^rprospered in the reign of Darius, and ^sin the reign of ^tCyrus the Persian.