| 6:1 |
It pleased Darius to set
over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which
should be over the whole kingdom; |
| 6:2 |
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. |
| 6:3 |
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. |
| 6:4 |
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. |
| 6:5 |
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. |
| 6:6 |
Then these presidents and
princes assembled together to the king, and said thus
unto him, King Darius, live for ever. |
| 6:7 |
All the presidents of the
kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers,
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. |
| 6:8 |
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. |
| 6:9 |
Wherefore king Darius
signed the writing and the decree. |
| 6:10 |
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. |
| 6:11 |
Then these men assembled,
and found Daniel praying and making supplication before
his God. |
| 6:12 |
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. |
| 6:13 |
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. |
| 6:14 |
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. |
| 6:15 |
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. |
| 6:16 |
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. |
| 6:17 |
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. |
| 6:18 |
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. |
| 6:19 |
Then the king arose very
early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of
lions. |
| 6:20 |
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? |
| 6:21 |
Then said Daniel unto the
king, O king, live for ever. |
| 6:22 |
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. |
| 6:23 |
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. |
| 6:24 |
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. |
| 6:25 |
Then king Darius wrote
unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in
all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. |
| 6:26 |
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. |
| 6:27 |
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. |
| 6:28 |
So this Daniel prospered
in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the
Persian. |