Daniel 6

6It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,H6925H8232H1868H6966H5922H4437H3969H6243H324H1934H3606H44372with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.H5924H4481H8532H5632H4481H1841H2298H459H324H1934H3052H2941H4430H1934H3809H51423Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.H116H1836H1841H1934H5330H5922H5632H324H3606H6903H3493H7308H4430H6246H6966H5922H3606H44374At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.H116H5632H324H1934H1156H7912H5931H1841H6655H4437H3606H3202H7912H3809H5931H3809H7844H6903H540H3809H3606H7960H7844H7912H59225Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."H116H560H479H1400H3809H7912H3606H5931H5922H1836H1841H3861H7912H1882H4266So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: "May King Darius live forever!H116H459H5632H324H7284H4430H560H3652H5922H4430H1868H2418H59577The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den.H3606H5632H4437H5460H324H1907H6347H3272H6966H4430H7010H8631H633H1156H1159H4481H3606H426H606H5705H8533H3118H3861H4481H4430H7412H1358H7448Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."H3705H4430H6966H633H7560H3792H3809H8133H1882H4076H6540H5709H38099So King Darius put the decree in writing.H3606H1836H6903H4430H1868H7560H3792H63310Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.H1841H3046H3792H7560H5954H1005H3551H6606H5952H5049H3390H1289H5922H1291H8532H2166H3118H6739H3029H6925H426H6903H3606H1934H5648H4481H1836H692811Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.H116H479H1400H7284H7912H1841H1156H2604H6925H42612So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."H116H7127H560H6925H4430H5922H4430H633H3809H7560H633H3606H606H1156H4481H3606H426H606H5705H8533H3118H3861H4481H4430H7412H1358H744H4430H6032H560H4406H3330H1882H4076H6540H5709H380913Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day."H116H6032H560H6925H4430H1841H4481H1123H1547H3061H7761H2942H3809H5922H4430H633H7560H1156H1159H8532H2166H311814When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.H116H4430H8086H4406H7690H888H7761H1079H5922H1841H7804H1934H7712H5705H4606H8122H533815Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, "Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed."H116H479H1400H7284H5922H4430H560H4430H3046H4430H1882H4076H6540H3606H633H7010H4430H6966H813316So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"H116H4430H560H858H1841H7412H1358H744H4430H6032H560H1841H426H607H6399H8411H780417A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed.H2298H69H858H7761H5922H6433H1358H4430H2857H5824H5824H7261H6640H3809H8133H184118Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.H116H4430H236H1965H956H2908H3809H1761H5954H6925H8139H5075H592219At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den.H116H4430H6966H8238H5053H236H927H1358H74420When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"H7127H1358H2200H6088H7032H1841H4430H6032H560H1841H1841H5649H2417H426H426H6399H8411H3202H7804H4481H74421Daniel answered, "May the king live forever!H116H4449H1841H5974H4430H4430H2418H595722My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty."H426H7972H4398H5463H744H6433H3809H2255H3606H6903H6925H2136H7912H638H6925H4430H5648H3809H224823The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.H116H4430H7690H2868H5922H560H5267H1841H5267H4481H1358H1841H5267H4481H1358H3809H3606H2257H7912H540H42624At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.H4430H560H858H479H1400H399H7170H1841H7412H1358H744H581H1123H5389H744H5705H7981H1855H3606H1635H1855H3809H4291H773H135825Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: "May you prosper greatly!H116H4430H1868H3790H3606H5972H524H3961H1753H3606H772H8001H768026"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.H4481H6925H7761H2942H3606H7985H4437H1934H2112H1763H4481H6925H426H1841H2417H426H7011H5957H4437H3809H2255H7985H5705H549127He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."H7804H5338H5648H852H8540H8065H772H7804H1841H4481H3028H74428So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.H1836H1841H6744H4437H1868H4437H3567H6543