Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 ... ... satraps - - to rule throughout the kingdom ,
and over them ... three ... administrators , including Daniel - , ... ... ... these satraps ... were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss.
Soon , by ... his extraordinary spirit , Daniel - ... ... distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps . So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Thus the administrators and satraps sought ... ... a charge against Daniel - concerning the kingdom , but they could find no ... charge or corruption , because ... he ... was trustworthy , and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
Finally these men said , ... “ We will never find any charge against this Daniel - , unless we find (something) against him concerning the law of his God. ”
So the administrators and satraps ... went together to the king ... and said “ O King Darius , may you live forever !
All the royal administrators , prefects , satraps , advisers , and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions ... ... any god or man except you , ... O king , will be thrown into the den of lions.
Therefore , O king , establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed — in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians , which cannot be repealed. ”
Therefore ... ... King Darius signed the written decree.
Now when Daniel - learned that the document had been signed , he went into his house , where the windows upper room opened toward Jerusalem , and three times a day he got down on his knees , prayed , and gave thanks to his God , ... just as ... ... he had done before ... ....
Then these men went as a group and found Daniel - petitioning and imploring ... his God.
So they approached the king and asked ... about his royal decree : “ Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions ... any god or man except you , ... O king , will be thrown into the den of lions ? ” The king ... replied , “ According to the law of the Medes and Persians ... the order stands , and it cannot be repealed. ”
Then they told ... ... the king , “ Daniel - , one of vvv the exiles ... from Judah , shows no regard for you , O king , or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day. ”
- As soon as the king heard this , he was deeply distressed ... and set (his) mind on delivering Daniel - , and he labored until sundown ... ... to rescue him.
Then the men approached ... the king {together} and said to him , “ Remember , O king , that by the law of the Medes and Persians ... no decree or ordinance ... established by the king can be changed. ”
So the king gave the order , and they brought Daniel - and threw him into the den of lions. The king ... said to Daniel - , “ May your God , whom you serve continually , ... deliver you ! ”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den , and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles , so that nothing ... concerning Daniel - could be changed.
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him , and sleep fled from him.
- At the first light of dawn , the king got up and hurried ... to the den of lions.
When he reached the den , he cried out - in a voice of anguish - - - vvv , “ O Daniel - , servant of the living God , has your God , whom you serve continually , been able to deliver you from the lions ? ”
Then Daniel - replied - - , “ O king , may you live forever !
My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me , ... for ... I was found innocent in His sight , and I have done no wrong against you , O king. ”
- The king was overjoyed ... ... and gave orders to lift Daniel - out of the den , and when Daniel - was lifted out of the den , - no wounds whatsoever were found because he had trusted in his God.
At the command of the king , the men who had falsely accused ... ... Daniel - were brought and thrown into the den of lions — they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den , - - the lions overpowered and crushed all their bones.
Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language - throughout ... the land : “ May your prosperity abound.
- I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom , (men are to) tremble in fear ... before the God of Daniel - : For He is the living God , and He endures forever ... ; His kingdom ... will never be destroyed , and His dominion ... will never end.
He delivers and rescues ; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth , for He has rescued Daniel - from the power of the lions. ”
So Daniel - ... prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.