| Chapter 6 |
| 1 | It pleased Darius to set over
the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole
kingdom; |
| 2
| And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was
first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have
no damage. |
| 3
| Then 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. |
|
4 | Then 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. |
|
5 | Then said these men, We shall not find
any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the
law of his God. |
|
6 | Then these presidents and princes assembled together
to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. |
| 7 |
All 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. |
| 8
| Now, 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. |
|
9 | Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the
decree. |
| 10
| Now 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. |
|
11 | Then these men assembled, and found
Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. |
| 12 | Then 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. |
|
13 | Then 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. |
| 14 | Then 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. |
| 15 |
Then 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. |
| 16 | Then 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. |
| 17 | And 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. |
| 18
| Then 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. |
|
19 | Then the king arose very early in the morning, and
went in haste unto the den of lions. |
| 20 | And 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? |
| 21 | Then said
Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. |
|
22 | My 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. |
|
23 | Then was the king exceedingly 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. |
| 24 | And 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. |
| 25 |
Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and
languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
|
| 26 | I 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. |
| 27 | He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh
signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the
power of the lions. |
| 28 | So this Daniel prospered in the reign of
Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. |
