Daniel 6
1 It
pleased Darius to
set over the
kingdom an
hundred and
twenty princes, which should
be over the
whole kingdom; 2 And
over these three presidents; of
whom Daniel was
first: that the
princes might give accounts unto them, and the
king should
have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the
presidents and
princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the
king thought to
set him
over the
whole realm. 4 Then the
presidents and
princes sought to
find occasion against
Daniel concerning the
kingdom; but they
could find none occasion nor fault;
forasmuch as he was
faithful,
neither was there
any error or
fault found in
him. 5 Then said these men, We shall
not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we
find it against him concerning the
law of his
God. 6 Then these presidents and
princes assembled
together to the
king, and
said thus unto
him, King Darius, live for
ever. 7 All the
presidents of the
kingdom, the
governors, and the
princes, the
counsellors, and the
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, save of
thee, O
king, he shall be
cast into the
den of
lions. 8 Now, O
king, establish the
decree, and
sign the
writing, that it be
not changed, according to the
law of the
Medes and
Persians, which
altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the
writing and the
decree. 10 Now when
Daniel knew that the
writing was
signed, he
went into his
house; and his
windows being
open in his
chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his
knees three times a
day, and
prayed, and gave
thanks before his
God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and
found Daniel praying and making
supplication before his
God. 12 Then they came
near, and
spake before the
king concerning the
king's decree; Hast thou
not signed a
decree, that
every man that shall
ask a petition
of any God or
man within thirty days, save of
thee, O
king, shall be
cast into the
den of
lions? The
king answered and
said, The
thing is
true, according to the
law of the
Medes and
Persians, which
altereth not. 13 Then answered they and
said before the
king, That
Daniel, which is
of the
children of the
captivity of
Judah, regardeth not thee, O
king, nor the
decree that thou hast
signed, but
maketh his
petition three times a
day. 14 Then the
king, when he
heard these
words, was
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.
15 Then these men assembled unto the
king, and
said unto the
king, Know, O
king, that the
law of the
Medes and
Persians is, That
no decree nor
statute which the
king establisheth may be
changed.
16 Then the
king commanded, and they
brought Daniel, and
cast him into the
den of
lions. Now the
king spake and
said unto
Daniel, Thy
God whom
thou servest continually, he will
deliver thee.
17 And
a stone was
brought, and
laid upon the
mouth of the
den; and the
king sealed it with his own
signet, and with the
signet of his
lords; that the
purpose might
not be
changed concerning
Daniel. 18 Then the
king went to his
palace, and passed the
night fasting: neither were
instruments of musick
brought before him: and his
sleep went from
him. 19 Then the
king arose very
early in the
morning, and
went in
haste unto the
den of
lions. 20 And 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 the
living God, is thy
God, whom thou
servest continually, able to
deliver thee
from the
lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the
king, O
king, live for
ever. 22 My
God hath
sent his
angel, and hath
shut the
lions' mouths, that they have
not hurt me: forasmuch
as before him
innocency was
found in me; and
also before thee, O
king, have I
done no hurt. 23 Then 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
no manner of
hurt was
found upon him, because he
believed in his
God. 24 And the
king commanded, and they
brought those men which had
accused Daniel, and they
cast them into the
den of
lions, them, their
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. 25 Then king Darius wrote unto
all people, nations, and
languages, that
dwell in
all the
earth; Peace be
multiplied unto 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
stedfast for
ever, and his
kingdom that which shall
not be
destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even
unto the
end. 27 He
delivereth and
rescueth, and he
worketh signs and
wonders in
heaven and in
earth, who hath
delivered Daniel from the
power of the
lions. 28 So
this Daniel prospered in the
reign of
Darius, and in the
reign of
Cyrus the
Persian.