1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdomq[Esth. 1:1] 120rSee ch. 3:2 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over thems[ch. 5:7, 16, 29] three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom theser[See ver. 1 above] satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel becamet[Esth. 3:1] distinguished above alls[See ver. 2 above] the other presidents andr[See ver. 1 above] satraps, becauseuch. 5:12 an excellent spirit was in him. And the king plannedv[Gen. 41:40; Esth. 10:3] to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Thens[See ver. 2 above] the presidents andr[See ver. 1 above] the satrapsw[Eccles. 4:4] sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom,x[Ezek. 14:14, 20] but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful,x[Ezek. 14:14, 20] and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. ”
6 Then theses[See ver. 2 above] presidents andr[See ver. 1 above] satraps came by agreement1Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15 to the king and said to him, “Oyver. 21; See ch. 2:4 King Darius, live forever! 7 All thes[See ver. 2 above] presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, thezch. 3:24; 4:36 counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce anaver. 12, 13, 15 injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establisha[See ver. 7 above] the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according tobver. 12, 15; Esth. 1:19 the law ofc[ch. 8:20] the Medes and the Persians,d[ver. 15; Esth. 8:8] which cannot be revoked. ” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document anda[See ver. 7 above] injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house wheree[Ps. 137:5] he had windows in his upper chamber openf[Ps. 28:2; 138:2]; See 1 Kgs. 8:48 toward Jerusalem. He got down on his kneesgPs. 55:17 three times a day and prayed andh[ch. 2:23] gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then theyich. 3:8 came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not signjver. 7, 8, 9 an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? ” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law ofc[See ver. 8 above] the Medes and Persians,d[See ver. 8 above] which cannot be revoked. ” 13 Then they answered and said before the king,kch. 1:6 “Daniel, who is onelSee ch. 2:25 of the exileskch. 1:6 from Judah,mch. 3:12 pays no attention to you, O king, orj[See ver. 12 above] the injunction you have signed, but makes his petitiong[See ver. 10 above] three times a day. ”
14 Thenn[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26] the king, when he heard these words,n[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26] was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that noj[See ver. 12 above] injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. ”
16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “Mayo[Acts 27:23] your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you! ” 17 p[Lam. 3:53] And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den,qMatt. 27:66; Rev. 20:3 and the king sealed itr[Esth. 3:12] with his own signet and with the signet of hissch. 4:36; 5:1 lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting;t[Prov. 25:20] no diversions were brought to him, anduEsth. 6:1; [ch. 2:1] sleep fled from him.
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant ofvver. 26 the living God,o[See ver. 16 above] has your God, whom you serve continually,w[ch. 3:15] been able to deliver you from the lions? ” 21 Then Daniel said to the king,xSee ch. 2:4 “O king, live forever! 22 My Godych. 3:28 sent his angelzHeb. 11:33; [Ps. 22:21; 2 Tim. 4:17] and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blamelessa[ver. 4] before him;a[ver. 4] and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. ” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, andb[ch. 3:25] no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, andc[Deut. 19:19] those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to alldSee ch. 3:4 the peoples, nations, and languagesech. 4:1 that dwell in all the earth:fSee ch. 4:1 “Peace be multiplied to you.
26 gSee ch. 3:10 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominionh[ch. 5:19; Ps. 99:1; Eccles. 12:13] people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
foriver. 20 he isjSee ch. 4:34 the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
jSee ch. 4:34 and his dominion shall bekch. 7:26 to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
he workslch. 4:2 signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who hasm[ch. 3:28, 29] saved Daniel
from the power of the lions. ”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius andn[ch. 1:21] the reign ofo2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:2; 4:3, 5; 6:3, 14; Isa. 44:28; 45:1; [ch. 1:21; 10:1] Cyrus the Persian.