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¹ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, that they might be over the kingdom.² And over them were three presidents (Daniel was one of them), so that these satraps might give account to them, and the king should have no loss.³ Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king was planning to set him over all the kingdom.⁴ Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. But they could find no occasion or fault because he was trustworthy. And no error or fault was found in him.⁵ Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the Law of his God.

⁶ Then these presidents and satraps gathered together to the king and said this to him, King Darius, live forever.⁷ All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the officials and the governors, have planned together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days,except from you, O king, he shall be thrown into the den of lions.⁸ Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the document, so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not pass away.⁹ All on account of this, King Darius signed the document and the decree.¹⁰ And when he had learned that the document was signed, Daniel went to his house. And his windows were open in his roof room toward Jerusalem. He knelt on his knees three times in the day, and prayed and praised before his God, as he did before.

¹¹ Then these men met together and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God.¹² Then they came near and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree, saying , Have you not signed a decree that every man who shall ask of any god or man within thirty days, except of you,O king, that he shall be thrown intothe lions' den? The king answered and said, The thing is certain, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not pass away.¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is of the sons of the exile of Judah, has not set attention on you, O king, or the decree that you have signed, but he makes his prayer three times in the day.¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard the word, was very displeased with himself, and he set his heart on Daniel, to deliver him. And he labored until the going of the sun to deliver him.¹⁵ Then these men met before the king and said to the king, O king, know that the law of the Medes and Persians is that every decree or law which the king enacts may not be changed.¹⁶ And the king commanded. And they brought Daniel, and they threw him into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you constantly serve will deliver you.¹⁷ And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. And the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his nobles, that the affair may not change concerning Daniel.

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and diversions were not brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.¹⁹ Then the king rose up in the dawn, in the daylight, and hurried to the lions' den.²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried with a grieved voice to Daniel. The king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you always serve, is He able to deliver you from the lions?²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever.²² My God has sent His Angel, and He has shut the mouths of the lions. And they have not harmed me, because in His sight innocence was found in me. And also before you, O king, I have done no harm.²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad over him. And he commanded to bring up Daniel from the den. And Daniel was brought out of the den, and no harm was found on him, because he trusted in his God.²⁴ And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel. And they threw them into the lions' den, them, their sons and their wives. And the lions overpowered them and crushedall their bones before they reached tothe bottom of the den.

²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, the nations, and the languages who were living in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.²⁶ A decree was given from before me that in all the domain of my kingdom there shall be trembling and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and endures forever, andHis kingdom is the one which shallnot be destroyed. And His rule shall be to the end.²⁷ He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in the heavens and in the earth, He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.²⁸ And this Daniel was made to prosper in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.