Daniel 6
6
The Den of Lions
1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2and over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 13Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. 18Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
24And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
25Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
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Daniel 6: KJV
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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Learn More About King James VersionDaniel 6
6
Daniel and the Lions’ Den
1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom #[Esth. 1:1] 120 #See ch. 3:2satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2and over them #[ch. 5:7, 16, 29] three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these #[See ver. 1 above]satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3Then this Daniel became #[Esth. 3:1] distinguished above all #[See ver. 2 above] the other high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] satraps, because #ch. 5:12 an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned #[Gen. 41:40; Esth. 10:3]to set him over the whole kingdom. 4Then #[See ver. 2 above] the high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] the satraps #[Eccles. 4:4] sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, #[Ezek. 14:14, 20]but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, #[Ezek. 14:14, 20]and no error or fault was found in him. 5Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6Then these #[See ver. 2 above] high officials and #[See ver. 1 above] satraps came by agreement#6:6 Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15 to the king and said to him, “O #ver. 21; See ch. 2:4King Darius, live forever! 7All the #[See ver. 2 above] high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the #ch. 3:24; 4:36 counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an #ver. 12, 13, 15injunction, 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 #[See ver. 7 above] the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to #ver. 12, 15; Esth. 1:19 the law of #[ch. 8:20] the Medes and the Persians, #[ver. 15; Esth. 8:8]which cannot be revoked.” 9Therefore King Darius signed the document and #[See ver. 7 above]injunction.
10When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where #[Ps. 137:5] he had windows in his upper chamber open #[Ps. 28:2; 138:2]; See 1 Kgs. 8:48 toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees #Ps. 55:17 three times a day and prayed and #[ch. 2:23]gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12Then they #ch. 3:8 came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign #ver. 7, 8, 9 an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of #[See ver. 8 above] the Medes and Persians, #[See ver. 8 above]which cannot be revoked.” 13Then they answered and said before the king, #ch. 1:6 “Daniel, who is one #See ch. 2:25 of the exiles #ch. 1:6 from Judah, #ch. 3:12 pays no attention to you, O king, or #[See ver. 12 above] the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition #[See ver. 10 above]three times a day.”
14Then #[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26]the king, when he heard these words, #[Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:26]was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no #[See ver. 12 above]injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared#6:16 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20 to Daniel, “May #[Acts 27:23]your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17#[Lam. 3:53] And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, #Matt. 27:66; Rev. 20:3 and the king sealed it #[Esth. 3:12] with his own signet and with the signet of his #ch. 4:36; 5:1lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; #[Prov. 25:20] no diversions were brought to him, and #Esth. 6:1; [ch. 2:1]sleep fled from him.
19Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of #ver. 26 the living God, #[See ver. 16 above] has your God, whom you serve continually, #[ch. 3:15]been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel said to the king, #See ch. 2:4“O king, live forever! 22My God #ch. 3:28 sent his angel #Heb. 11:33; [Ps. 22:21; 2 Tim. 4:17] and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless #[ver. 4]before him; #[ver. 4]and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and #[ch. 3:25]no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24And the king commanded, and #[Deut. 19:19]those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25Then King Darius wrote to all #See ch. 3:4 the peoples, nations, and languages #ch. 4:1 that dwell in all the earth: #See ch. 4:1“Peace be multiplied to you. 26#See ch. 3:10 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion #[ch. 5:19; Ps. 99:1; Eccles. 12:13] people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for #ver. 20 he is #See ch. 4:34 the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
# See ch. 4:34 and his dominion shall be #ch. 7:26to the end.
27He delivers and rescues;
he works #ch. 4:2 signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has #[ch. 3:28, 29]saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and #[ch. 1:21] the reign of #2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:2; 4:3, 5; 6:3, 14; Isa. 44:28; 45:1; [ch. 1:21; 10:1]Cyrus the Persian.
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