1It was pleasing before Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, that they might be throughout all the kingdom.2And above them three officials, of whom Daniel was one, so that these satraps might give account to them, and the king might suffer no harm.3Then this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the officials and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king set him over all the kingdom.4Then the officials and the satraps sought to find an occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was found against him.5Then those men said, 'We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him in the law of his God.'6Then the officials and the satraps came by agreement to the king and said thus to him: 'O King Darius, live forever.'7All the officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, consulted together to establish a statute for the king and to enforce an interdict, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.8Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the writing, that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not pass away.9Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the interdict.10When Daniel knew that the writing had been signed, he went up to his house; his windows were open toward Jerusalem in his upper chamber, and three times a day he knelt upon his knees, prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before this.11Then those men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.12Then they approached and said before the king concerning the king's interdict: 'Did you not sign an interdict that every man who makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?' The king answered and said, 'The matter is certain according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not pass away.'13Then they answered and said before the king, 'Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no regard to you, O king, nor to the interdict that you signed, but makes his petition three times a day.'14Then the king, when he heard the matter, was greatly displeased with himself, and he set his heart on delivering Daniel; and until the going down of the sun he was striving to rescue him.15Then those men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, 'Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and the Persians that no interdict or statute that the king establishes may be changed.'16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, 'Your God whom you serve continually, may he deliver you.'17A stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his signet and with the signet of his nobles, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought before him, and his sleep fled from him.19Then at dawn the king arose with the light and went in haste to the den of lions.20As he drew near the den, he cried out to Daniel with a troubled voice. The king said to Daniel, 'Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions?'21Then Daniel spoke with the king: 'O king, live forever.'22My God sent his messenger and shut the mouths of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because innocence was found in me before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.23Then the king was greatly pleased concerning him, and he commanded that Daniel be brought up from the den. So Daniel was brought up from the den, and no harm was found in him, because he had trusted in his God.24The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them, their sons, and their wives into the den of lions; they did not reach the bottom of the den before the lions had power over them and crushed all their bones.25Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth: 'May your peace increase.'26I have made a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and endures forever; his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.27He delivers and rescues and works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has delivered Daniel from the hand of the lions.28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.