Daniel 6:3–9

³Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, ^abecause an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. ^4bSo the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. ⁵Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

⁶So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: ^c“King Darius, live forever! ⁷All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have ^dconsulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the ^elaw of the Medes and Persians, which ¹does not alter.” ⁹Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.