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¹ IT pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom a hundred and twenty generals to be over his whole kingdom;² And over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, that the generals might give account to them, so that they might not trouble the king.³ Then Daniel excelled above all the presidents and generals, because he was more spiritual; and the king thought to set him over his whole kingdom.⁴ Then the governors and generals sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the affairs of the kingdom; but they could find no fault or occasion because he was faithful to his God, neither were they able to find any blame or charge against him.⁵ Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him in connection with the law of his God.

⁶ Then the governors and the generals came before the king, and said to him, King Darius, live for ever!⁷ All the governors of the kingdom, the princes, the generals, and the lords 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, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.⁸ Now, O king, establish this decree and let it be put in writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered.⁹ Then King Darius signed the writing and issued the decree.¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and the windows of his chamber were open toward Jerusalem; he knelt upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before.

¹¹ Then these men spied, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.¹² And they came near and said before the king, O king, live for ever! Did you not decree and sign, O king, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The decree is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered.¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is of the exiles from Judea, has not regarded you, O king, nor the decree which you have made, but he makes his petition three times a day.¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard these words, was very much grieved, and made up his mind to deliver Daniel; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.¹⁵ But these men prevailed over the king, and said to him, Know, O king, that there is a law of the Medes and Persians that every edict and decree which the king establishes may not be changed.¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.¹⁷ And they brought a large stone and laid it upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his princes, so that the sentence might not be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting; no food was brought before him, and his sleep departed from him.¹⁹ Then the king arose in the morning early and went in haste to the den of lions.²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried with a loud voice to Daniel, and the king spoke and said to Daniel. O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions?²¹ Then Daniel spoke to the king and said, O king, live for ever!²² My God has sent his angel and has shut the lions mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was innocent before him; and also before you, O king, I have committed no offense.²³ Then the king was exceedingly 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 no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.²⁴ And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, they, their wives, and their children; and before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions pounced upon them and broke all their bones in pieces.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth, Peace be multiplied to you.²⁶ I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God and endures for ever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even to the end.²⁷ He saves and rescues and delivers and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, for he has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.²⁸ So Daniel was promoted during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.