1
It pleased[H6925]Darius[H1868] to set[H6966]over[H5922] the kingdom[H4437] an hundred[H3969] and twenty[H6243]princes[H324], which should be[H1934]over[H5922] the whole[H3606]kingdom[H4437];
2
And over[H5924]these[H4481]three[H8532]presidents[H5632]; of whom[H4481]Daniel[H1841] was first[H2298]: that[H459] the princes[H324]might[H1934]give[H3052]accounts[H2941] unto them, and the king[H4430] should have[H1934]no[H3809]damage[H5142].
3Then[H116]this[H1836]Daniel[H1841]was[H1934]preferred[H5330]above[H5922] the presidents[H5632] and princes[H324], because[H3606] an excellent[H3493]spirit[H7308]was[H1934] in him; and the king[H4430]thought[H6246] to set[H6966] him over[H5922] the whole[H3606]realm[H4437].
4Then[H116] the presidents[H5632] and princes[H324]sought[H1934] to find[H7912]occasion[H5931] against Daniel[H1841]concerning[H6655] the kingdom[H4437]; but[H3606] they could[H3202]find[H7912]none[H3809]occasion[H5931]nor[H3809]fault[H7844]; forasmuch[H6903] as he was faithful[H540], neither[H3809] was there any[H3606]error[H7960] or fault[H7844]found[H7912] in him[H5922].
5Then[H116]said[H560]these[H479]men[H1400], We shall not[H3809]find[H7912]any[H3606]occasion[H5931]against[H5922]this[H1836]Daniel[H1841], except[H3861] we find[H7912] it against[H5922] him concerning the law[H1882] of his God[H426].
6Then[H116]these[H459]presidents[H5632] and princes[H324] assembled together[H7284] to the king[H4430], and said[H560]thus[H3652] unto him[H5922], King[H4430]Darius[H1868], live[H2418] for ever[H5957].
7All[H3606] the presidents[H5632]of[H4481] the kingdom[H4437], the governors[H5460], and the princes[H324], the counsellors[H1907], and the captains[H6347], have consulted together[H3272] to establish[H6966] a royal[H4430]statute[H7010], and to make a firm[H8631]decree[H633], that whosoever shall ask[H1156] a petition[H1159]of[H4481]any[H3606]God[H426] or man[H606]for[H5705]thirty[H8533]days[H3118], save[H3861]of[H4481]thee[H4481], O king[H4430], he shall be cast[H7412] into the den[H1358]of[H4481]lions[H744].
8Now[H3705], O king[H4430], establish[H6966] the decree[H633], and sign[H7560] the writing[H3792], that it be not[H3809]changed[H8133], according to the law[H1882] of the Medes[H4076] and Persians[H6540], which altereth[H5709]not[H3809].
9Wherefore[H3606]king[H4430]Darius[H1868]signed[H7560] the writing[H3792] and the decree[H633].
10
Now when Daniel[H1841]knew[H3046] that the writing[H3792] was signed[H7560], he went[H5954] into his house[H1005]; and his windows[H3551] being open[H6606] in his chamber[H5952]toward[H5049]Jerusalem[H3390], he kneeled[H1289]upon[H5922] his knees[H1291]three[H8532]times[H2166] a day[H3118], and prayed[H6739], and gave thanks[H3029]before[H6925] his God[H426], as[H6903] he did[H1934]aforetime[H4481].
11Then[H116]these[H479]men[H1400]assembled[H7284], and found[H7912]Daniel[H1841]praying[H1156] and making supplication[H2604]before[H6925] his God[H426].
12Then[H116] they came near[H7127], and spake[H560]before[H6925] the king[H4430]concerning[H5922] the king[H4430]'s decree[H633]; Hast thou not[H3809]signed[H7560] a decree[H633], that every[H3606]man[H606] that shall ask[H1156] a petition of[H4481]any[H3606]God[H426] or man[H606]within[H5705]thirty[H8533]days[H3118], save[H3861]of[H4481]thee[H4481], O king[H4430], shall be cast[H7412] into the den[H1358]of[H4481]lions?[H744] The king[H4430]answered[H6032] and said[H560], The thing[H4406] is true[H3330], according to the law[H1882]of[H4481] the Medes[H4076] and Persians[H6540], which altereth[H5709]not[H3809].
13Then[H116]answered[H6032] they and said[H560]before[H6925] the king[H4430], That Daniel[H1841], which is of[H4481] the children[H1123]of[H4481] the captivity[H1547]of[H4481]Judah[H3061], regardeth[H7761]not[H3809]thee[H5922], O king[H4430], nor the decree[H633] that thou hast signed[H7560], but maketh[H1156] his petition[H1159]three[H8532]times[H2166] a day[H3118].
14Then[H116] the king[H4430], when he heard[H8086] these words[H4406], was sore[H7690]displeased[H888] with himself, and set[H7761] his heart[H1079]on[H5922]Daniel[H1841] to deliver[H7804] him: and he laboured[H1934]till[H5705] the going down[H4606] of the sun[H8122] to deliver[H5338] him.
15Then[H116]these[H479]men[H1400]assembled[H7284]unto[H5922] the king[H4430], and said[H560]unto[H5922] the king[H4430], Know[H3046], O king[H4430], that the law[H1882] of the Medes[H4076] and Persians[H6540] is, That no[H3606]decree[H633] nor statute[H7010] which the king[H4430]establisheth[H6966] may be changed[H8133].
16Then[H116] the king[H4430]commanded[H560], and they brought[H858]Daniel[H1841], and cast[H7412] him into the den[H1358] of lions[H744]. Now the king[H4430]spake[H6032] and said[H560] unto Daniel[H1841], Thy God[H426] whom thou[H607]servest[H6399]continually[H8411], he will deliver[H7804] thee.
17
And a[H2298]stone[H69] was brought[H858], and laid[H7761]upon[H5922] the mouth[H6433] of the den[H1358]; and the king[H4430]sealed[H2857] it with his own signet[H5824], and with the signet[H5824] of his lords[H7261]; that the purpose[H6640] might not[H3809] be changed[H8133] concerning Daniel[H1841].
18Then[H116] the king[H4430]went[H236] to his palace[H1965], and passed the night[H956]fasting[H2908]: neither[H3809] were instruments[H1761] of musick brought[H5954]before[H6925]him[H5922]: and his sleep[H8139]went[H5075] from him[H5922].
19Then[H116] the king[H4430]arose[H6966] very early[H8238] in the morning[H5053], and went[H236] in haste[H927] unto the den[H1358] of lions[H744].
20
And when he came[H7127] to the den[H1358], he cried[H2200] with a lamentable[H6088]voice[H7032] unto Daniel[H1841]: and the king[H4430]spake[H6032] and said[H560] to Daniel[H1841], O Daniel[H1841], servant[H5649] of the living[H2417]God[H426], is thy God[H426], whom thou servest[H6399]continually[H8411], able[H3202] to deliver[H7804] thee from[H4481] the lions?[H744]
21Then[H116]said[H4449]Daniel[H1841]unto[H5974] the king[H4430], O king[H4430], live[H2418] for ever[H5957].
22
My God[H426] hath sent[H7972] his angel[H4398], and hath shut[H5463] the lions[H744]' mouths[H6433], that they have not[H3809]hurt[H2255] me: forasmuch as[H3606]before[H6925] him innocency[H2136] was found[H7912] in me; and also[H638]before[H6925] thee, O king[H4430], have I done[H5648]no[H3809]hurt[H2248].
23Then[H116] was the king[H4430]exceeding[H7690]glad[H2868] for him[H5922], and commanded[H560] that they should take[H5267]Daniel[H1841]up[H5267] out of[H4481] the den[H1358]. So Daniel[H1841] was taken up[H5267] out of[H4481] the den[H1358], and no[H3809]manner[H3606]of[H4481]hurt[H2257] was found[H7912] upon him[H5922], because he believed[H540] in his God[H426].
24
And the king[H4430]commanded[H560], and they brought[H858]those[H479]men[H1400] which had accused[H399]Daniel[H1841], and they cast[H7412]them[H581] into the den[H1358] of lions[H744], them[H581], their children[H1123], and their wives[H5389]; and the lions[H744] had the mastery[H5705] of them[H581], and brake[H1855]all[H3606] their bones[H1635] in pieces[H1855] or ever[H3809] they came[H4291] at the bottom[H773] of the den[H1358].
25Then[H116]king[H4430]Darius[H1868]wrote[H3790] unto all[H3606]people[H5972], nations[H524], and languages[H3961], that dwell[H1753] in all[H3606] the earth[H772]; Peace[H8001] be multiplied[H7680] unto you.
26I[H4481]make[H7761] a decree[H2942], That in every[H3606]dominion[H7985] of my kingdom[H4437] men tremble[H1934] and fear[H1763]before[H4481] the God[H426] of Daniel[H1841]: for he is the living[H2417]God[H426], and stedfast[H7011] for ever[H5957], and his kingdom[H4437] that which shall not[H3809] be destroyed[H2255], and his dominion[H7985] shall be even unto[H5705] the end[H5491].
27
He delivereth[H7804] and rescueth[H5338], and he worketh[H5648]signs[H852] and wonders[H8540] in heaven[H8065] and in earth[H772], who hath delivered[H7804]Daniel[H1841]from[H4481] the power[H3028] of the lions[H744].
28
So this[H1836]Daniel[H1841]prospered[H6744] in the reign[H4437] of Darius[H1868], and in the reign[H4437] of Cyrus[H3567] the Persian[H6543].