ThenthisDaniel was preferredabove the presidents and princes, because an excellentspirit was in him; and the kingthought to set him over the wholerealm.
Then the presidents and princessought to findoccasionagainstDanielconcerning the kingdom; but theycouldfindnoneoccasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or faultfound in him.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, haveconsultedtogether to establish a royalstatute, and to make a firmdecree, thatwhosoevershall ask a petition of any God or man for thirtydays, save of thee, O king, he shall be castinto the den of lions.
Now whenDanielknewthat the writing was signed, he wentinto his house; and his windowsbeingopen in his chambertowardJerusalem, he kneeledupon his kneesthreetimes a day, and prayed, and gavethanksbefore his God, as he did aforetime.
Thentheycamenear, and spakebefore the kingconcerning the king’sdecree; Hastthou not signed a decree, thatevery man thatshall ask a petition of any God or man withinthirtydays, save of thee, O king, shall be castinto the den of lions? The kinganswered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, whichaltereth not.
Thenansweredthey and saidbefore the king, ThatDaniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decreethatthouhastsigned, but maketh his petitionthreetimes a day.
Then the king, when he heardthesewords, was soredispleasedwithhimself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labouredtill the goingdown of the sun to deliver him.
Thenthese men assembledunto the king, and saidunto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statutewhich the kingestablisheth may be changed.
Then the kingcommanded, and theybroughtDaniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the kingspake and saiduntoDaniel, Thy God whomthouservestcontinually, he willdeliverthee.
And a stone was brought, and laidupon the mouth of the den; and the kingsealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purposemight not be changedconcerningDaniel.
And when he came to the den, he criedwith a lamentablevoiceuntoDaniel: and the kingspake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whomthouservestcontinually, able to delivertheefrom the lions?
My God hathsent his angel, and hathshut the lions’mouths, thattheyhave not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and alsobeforethee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Then was the kingexceedingglad for him, and commandedthattheyshouldtakeDaniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was foundupon him, because he believed in his God.
And the kingcommanded, and theybroughtthose men which had accusedDaniel, and theycasttheminto the den of lions, them, theirchildren, and theirwives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all theirbones in pieces or evertheycame at the bottom of the den.
I make a decree, That in everydominion of my kingdom men tremble and fearbefore the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdomthatwhichshall not be destroyed, and his dominionshall be evenunto the end.