Daniel 6
Daniel Serves Darius
1 ▼▼ Ch 6:2 in Aram
It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2and over them three commissioners (of whom bDaniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer closs. 3Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ▼▼ Lit above
among the commissioners and satraps because ▼▼ Lit there was in him
he possessed an fextraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the gentire kingdom. 4Then the commissioners and satraps began htrying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to ▼▼ Lit the kingdom
government affairs; but they could find jno ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the klaw of his God.” 6Then these commissioners and satraps came ▼▼ Or thronging
by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, mlive forever! 7“All the ncommissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have oconsulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall pbe cast into the lions’ ▼▼ Or pit, and so throughout the ch
den. 8“Now, O king, restablish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the slaw of the Medes and Persians, which ▼▼ Lit does not pass away
may not be revoked.” 9Therefore King Darius usigned the document, that is, the injunction. 10Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open vtoward Jerusalem); and he continued wkneeling on his knees three times a day, xpraying and ygiving thanks before his God, ▼▼ Or because
as he had been doing previously. 11Then these men came ▼▼ Or thronging
,
abby agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12Then they approached and acspoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the adlaw of the Medes and Persians, which ▼▼ Lit does not pass away
may not be revoked.” 13Then they answered and spoke before the king, af“Daniel, who is one of the ▼▼ Lit sons of the exile
exiles from Judah, pays ahno attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.” 14Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply aidistressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. 15Then these men came ▼▼ Or thronging
by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a aklaw of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” Daniel in the Lions’ Den
16Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and alcast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ▼▼ Or May your God...Himself deliver you
,
an“Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” 17A aostone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. 18Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night apfasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his aqsleep fled from him. 19Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 20When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has aryour God, whom you constantly serve, been asable to deliver you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel spoke ▼▼ Lit with
to the king, au“O king, live forever! 22“My God avsent His angel and awshut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as ▼▼ Lit innocence was found for me
I was found innocent before Him; and also ▼▼ Lit before
toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” 23Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and azno injury whatever was found on him, because he had batrusted in his God. 24The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ▼▼ Lit eaten the pieces of Daniel
maliciously accused Daniel, and they bccast them, their bdchildren and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 25Then Darius the king wrote to all the bepeoples, nations and men of every ▼▼ Lit tongue
language who were living in all the land: bg“May your ▼▼ Or welfare or prosperity
peace abound! 26 ▼▼ Lit From me a decree is made
“I bjmake a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the bkliving God and blenduring forever,And bmHis kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,
And His dominion will be ▼
▼ Lit to the end
forever.27“He delivers and rescues and performs bosigns and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has also delivered Daniel from the ▼
▼ Lit hand
power of the lions.”28So this bqDaniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of brCyrus the Persian.
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