Dan 6 | NASB2020 | STEP | It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom , to be in charge of the whole kingdom ,

Daniel 6

Daniel Serves Darius

1 ^{▼▼Ch 6:2 in Aram}It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, to be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2 and over them, three commissioners (of whom ^bDaniel was one), so that these satraps would be accountable to them, and that the king would not ^{▼▼Or come to grief}suffer ^dloss. 3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ^{▼▼Lit above}among the commissioners and satraps because ^{▼▼Lit there was in him}he possessed an ^gextraordinary spirit, and the king intended to appoint him over the ^hentire kingdom. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began ⁱtrying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel regarding ^{▼▼Lit the kingdom}government affairs; but they could find ^kno ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him regarding the ^llaw of his God.”

6 Then these commissioners and satraps came ^{▼▼Or as a group}by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, ⁿlive forever! 7 All the ^ocommissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have ^pconsulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ^qbe thrown into the lions’ ^{▼▼Or pit, and so throughout the ch}den. 8 Now, O king, ^sestablish the injunction and sign the document so that it will not be changed, according to the ^tlaw of the Medes and Persians, which ^{▼▼Lit does not pass away}may not be revoked.” 9 Thereupon, King Darius ^vsigned the document, that is, the injunction.

10 Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open ^wtoward Jerusalem); and he continued ^xkneeling on his knees three times a day, ^ypraying and ^zoffering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously. 11 Then these men came ^{▼▼Or as a group
,} ^abby agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor before his God. 12 Then they approached and ^acspoke before the king about the king’s injunction: “Did you not sign an injunction that any person who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^adlaw of the Medes and Persians, which ^{▼▼Lit does not go away}may not be revoked.” 13 Then they responded and spoke before the king, “ ^afDaniel, 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 offering his prayer three times a day.”

14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^aidistressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him. 15 Then these men came ^{▼▼Or as a group}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

16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ^althrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “ ^{▼▼Or May your God...Himself rescue you
,} ^anYour God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you.” 17 And a ^aostone was brought and placed 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 regarding Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night ^apfasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ^aqsleep fled from him.

19 Then the king got up at dawn, at the break of day, and went in a hurry to the lions’ den. 20 And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^aryour God, whom you continually serve, been ^asable to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke ^{▼▼Lit with}to the king, “ ^auO king, live forever! 22 My God ^avsent His angel and ^awshut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, since ^{▼▼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.” 23 Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and ^azno injury whatever was found on him, because he had ^batrusted in his God. 24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^{▼▼Lit eaten the pieces of Daniel}maliciously accused Daniel, and they ^bcthrew 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.

25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the ^bepeoples, nations, and populations of all ^{▼▼Lit tongues}languages who were living in all the land: “ ^bgMay your ^{▼▼Or welfare; or prosperity}peace be great! 26 ^{▼▼Lit From me a decree is issued}I ^bjissue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear 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 rescues, saves, and performs ^bosigns and miracles
In heaven and on earth,
He who has also rescued Daniel from the ^{▼▼Lit hand}power of the lions.”
28 So this ^bqDaniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of ^brCyrus the Persian.