And Artaxerxes of the Medes received the kingdom; and Darius was full of days and honoured in old age. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being sixty-two years old.
And he appointed a hundred and twenty-seven satraps over all his kingdom. And it seemed good before Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, that they should be throughout all his kingdom.
And over them three men as their leaders, and Daniel was one of the three men. And over them three prefects, of whom Daniel was one, so that the satraps should render account to them, that the king might not be troubled.
He had authority above them all in the kingdom; and Daniel was clothed in purple, and he was great and honoured before Darius the king, because he was honoured and knowledgeable and understanding, and a holy spirit was in him, and he prospered in the affairs of the king which he transacted. Then the king planned to set Daniel over all his kingdom, and the two men whom he had appointed with him, and the hundred and twenty-seven satraps. And Daniel was above them, because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king set him over all his kingdom.
But when the king planned to set Daniel over all his kingdom, then the two young men took counsel and formed a plan among themselves, saying to one another: Since we find no sin nor oversight in Daniel concerning which we may accuse him to the king. And the prefects and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel, and they found no pretext or transgression or fault against him, because he was faithful.
And they said: Come, let us establish a decree among ourselves that no man shall make any request nor pray any prayer to any god for thirty days, except to Darius the king; and if not, he shall die — so that they might overcome Daniel before the king and he might be thrown into the lions pit. For they knew that Daniel prays and petitions the Lord his God three times a day. And the prefects said: We shall not find any pretext against Daniel except in the ordinances of his God.
Then those men came forward and spoke before the king. Then the prefects and the satraps stood before the king and said to him: King Darius, live forever!
We have established a decree and a statute, that any man who prays a prayer or makes any request of any god for thirty days, except of Darius the king, shall be thrown into the lions pit. All the generals over your kingdom, and satraps, consuls and local governors have taken counsel together to establish by royal statute and to enforce a decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the lions pit.
And they asked the king to establish the decree and not to change it, because they knew that Daniel prays and petitions three times a day, so that he might be overcome by means of the king and be thrown into the lions pit. Now therefore, O king, establish the decree and publish a writing, so that the ordinance of the Medes and Persians may not be changed.
But when Daniel learned of the decree which he had established against him, he opened windows in his upper room facing Jerusalem, and three times a day he fell upon his face and made petition, just as he used to do before. And Daniel, when he knew that the ordinance had been inscribed, went into his house — and the windows in his upper rooms were open toward Jerusalem — and three times a day he was bending upon his knees and praying and giving thanks before his God, just as he had been doing before.
And they watched Daniel and caught him praying three times a day, every day. Then those men watched closely and found Daniel making request and petitioning his God.
Then these men approached the king and said: King Darius, did you not decree a decree that no man should pray a prayer nor make a request of any god for thirty days, but of you, O king; and if not, he shall be thrown into the lions pit? And the king answered and said to them: The word is exact, and the decree stands. And they said to him: We adjure you by the ordinances of the Medes and the Persians, that you do not change the command, nor show partiality to any face, nor diminish anything of what has been said, but that you punish the man who has not abided by this decree. And he said: I will do so, just as you say, and this stands settled for me. And coming forward they say to the king: O king, did you not appoint a decree that any man who asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the lions pit? And the king said: The word is true, and the ordinance of the Medes and the Persians shall not pass away.
And they said: Behold, we have found Daniel your friend praying and petitioning before the face of his God three times a day. Then they answered and say before the king: Daniel, who is of the sons of the captivity of Judea, has not submitted to your ordinance concerning the decree which you appointed, and three times a day he asks his petitions of his God.
And the king, grieving, ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lions pit, according to the decree which he had established against him. Then the king was exceedingly grieved over Daniel, and he was striving until sunset to rescue him out of the hands of the satraps. Then the king, when he heard the word, was greatly grieved over him, and he struggled on Daniel's behalf to rescue him, and until evening he was struggling to rescue him.
And he was not able to rescue him from them. Then those men say to the king: Know, O king, that it is an ordinance to the Medes and Persians that every decree and statute which the king establishes must not be altered.
And Darius the king cried aloud and said to Daniel: Your God, whom you serve continually three times a day, he himself will rescue you from the hand of the lions until morning. Take courage! Then the king gave the word, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the lions pit; and the king said to Daniel: Your God, whom you serve continually, he himself will rescue you.
Then Daniel was thrown into the lions pit, and a stone was brought and set upon the mouth of the pit, and the king sealed it with his own ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel might not be taken away by them, nor the king draw him up out of the pit. And they brought a stone and set it upon the mouth of the pit, and the king sealed it with his ring and with the ring of his nobles, so that nothing might be changed in the matter of Daniel.
Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting, and he was grieving over Daniel. Then the God of Daniel, taking care for him, shut the mouths of the lions, and they did not trouble Daniel. And the king went away to his house and slept without supper, and no food was brought in to him, and sleep departed from him. And God shut the mouths of the lions, and they did not trouble Daniel.
And King Darius rose early in the morning and took the satraps with him, and he went and stood at the mouth of the lions pit. Then the king rose in the morning at first light and came in haste to the lions pit.
Then the king called Daniel with a loud voice, weeping, and saying: O Daniel, are you then alive, and has your God whom you serve continually saved you from the lions, and have they not mauled you? And as he drew near to the pit he cried with a strong voice: Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve continually — has he been able to rescue you from the mouth of the lions?
And God has saved me from the lions, because righteousness was found in me before him; and before you also, O king, neither oversight nor sin was found in me. But you listened to men who lead kings astray, and you threw me into the lions pit for destruction. My God sent his angel and stopped the mouths of the lions, and they did not harm me, because uprightness was found in me before him; and before you also, O king, I have done no wrong.
Then all the forces gathered together and saw Daniel, how the lions had not troubled him. Then the king rejoiced greatly over him and ordered Daniel to be brought up out of the pit; and Daniel was brought up out of the pit, and no injury at all was found on him, because he had believed in his God.
Then those two men who had testified against Daniel, they and their wives and their children, were thrown to the lions; and the lions killed them and crushed their bones. And the king gave the word, and they brought the men who had slandered Daniel, and they were cast into the lions pit, they and their sons and their wives; and they had not reached the floor of the pit before the lions overpowered them and ground all their bones to pieces.
Then Darius wrote to all the nations and countries and tongues that dwell in all his land, saying: Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, tribes and tongues that dwell in all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you.
Let all the men who are in my kingdom be worshipping and serving the God of Daniel, for he is a God who endures and lives unto generations of generations, forever. From my presence an ordinance has been set, that in every dominion of my kingdom they be trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel; for he is a living God and endures forever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his dominion is to the end.
I, Darius, will be worshipping and serving him all my days; for the idols made with hands are not able to save, as the God of Daniel redeemed Daniel. He supports and delivers, and works signs and wonders in heaven and on the earth — he who rescued Daniel from the hand of the lions.
And King Darius was added to his kindred, and Daniel was appointed over the kingdom of Darius; and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. And Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.