1It pleased Darius, the Mede, to set one hundred twenty satraps (princes) to rule over his kingdom; 2And Darius named three administrators to oversee them, and to whom these 120 satraps were accountable, so that the King Darius would suffer no loss. One of these three administrators was Daniel. 3And Daniel soon distinguished himself before the other two administrators and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and so, Darius made plans to set him over his entire realm. 4To try to thwart that plan, they (the other two administrators and the satraps) began looking for things regarding the kingdom that they could accuse Daniel of; but they could find no such fault; because he was faithful, and they could find no sign of corruption for which they could accuse him. 5Then they said, “We will never find any basis to accuse this Daniel, unless we find it regarding the law of his God.” 6So then they, as a group, appeared before the king, and said to him, “King Darius, live forever. 7All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, princes, counselors, and officers, have agreed that the king should establish a royal statute, and make it a firm decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man, except you, for thirty days, O king, that he shall be thrown into the den of lions. 8Now, O king, establish this decree, and sign the writing, that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9Therefore, King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10Now when Daniel knew that the decree was signed, he went into an upstairs room of his house; where his windows opened toward Jerusalem, and he knelt and prayed three times a day, giving thanks to his God, as was his custom. 11Then these men came, and found Daniel praying and asking his God for help. 12Then they went before the king and said, “Have you not signed a decree, that no man may ask a petition of any god or man except you for thirty days, or they will be thrown into the den of lions, O king?” The king replied, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 13Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is of the descendants of the captivity of Judah, shows no respect for you, O king, nor for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition to his God three times a day.”

14And when King Darius heard these words, he was very much distressed with himself, and set about to save Daniel; and he spent the rest of the day looking for a way to spare him. 15Then this cohort of men appeared again before the king, and said, “You know, O king, what the law of the Medes and Persians is, ‘That no decree nor edict which the king issues can be changed’”. 16So then the king gave the order to bring Daniel, and throw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “Your God, Whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 17And a stone was brought, and place over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose of his sentence upon Daniel might not be rescinded.

18Then King Darius went to his palace, and spent a sleepless night without eating or the usual entertainment. 19Then at daybreak, the king hurried to the den of lions. 20And when he got near to the den, he called to Daniel with an anguished voice. “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, Whom you serve so faithfully, been able to protect you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel answered, “O king, live forever. 22My God has sent His angel, to shut the mouths of the lions, so that they have not hurt me; because I was found innocent before Him; and also before you, O king, I committed no offense.” 23Then was King Darius exceedingly relieved for him, and ordered them to lift Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no sign of harm was on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24And at the king’s command, they brought those men who had falsely accused Daniel, and they threw them into the den of lions, along with their wives and children; and the lions overpowered them, and crushed all their bones to pieces even before they reached the bottom of the den.

25Then King Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages, in all the earth: “Peace and prosperity be unto you. 26I hereby decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom, men must show reverence to the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and endures forever, and His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and His dominion shall never end. 27He rescues and saves, and He performs signs and wonders in heavens and in earth, just as He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28And so Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, the Mede, and in the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.