| 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. |
