Daniel 6:1-13 ▼

1 It was acceptable before Darius, and he established over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who would be over all the kingdom;

2 and over them three administrators, of whom Daniel was one, that these satraps should be giving an account of themselves, so that the king should not be suffering loss.

3 Then this Daniel came to be distinguished over the administrators and the satraps, because that an extraordinary spirit was in him; and the king was planning to establish him over all of the kingdom.

4 Then the administrators and the satraps were looking for a matter to find against Daniel regarding the kingdom, and any matter or corruption they were not able to find, all because that he was trustworthy, and there was not found any neglect or corruption in him.

5 Then these men said that, “We shall not find against this Daniel any charge, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

6 Then these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king, and thus they said to him: “O King Darius, may you live forever!

7 Have consulted together all the administrators of the kingdom—the administrators and the satraps, the counselors and the advisors—to establish a statute of the king and to make firm a decree that anyone who makes a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, may you establish this decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Mede and Persian, which shall not pass away!”

9 All because of this, King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10 And Daniel, when he came to know that the writing was signed, he went to his house, and the windows were opened unto him in his upper room toward Jerusalem; and three times in a day he would kneel down on his knees and pray and give thanks before his God, as was his custom from before this.

11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they went and spoke before the king concerning the decree of the king: “Did you not sign a decree that every man who makes a petition of any god or man up to thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “Certain is the word, according to the law of the Mede and Persian, which shall not pass away.”

13 Then they answered and said before the king that, “Daniel, who is from the sons of the captivity of Judah, he does not set on you, O king, regard, or on the decree that you have signed, and three times in a day he makes his petition.”