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Daniel 6:1-28 — Daniel in the Lions' Den

Dan.6.1-28

¹And Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. ²It pleased Darius to appoint one hundred and twenty satraps over the kingdom, to be stationed throughout the whole kingdom; ³and over them three administrators, of whom Daniel was one, so that these satraps might give an account to them, and the king would not suffer loss. ⁴Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and the satraps, because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁵Then the administrators and the satraps sought to find 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. ⁶Then these men said, “We will not find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” ⁷Then these administrators and satraps thronged before the king and said to him: "King Darius, live forever! ⁸All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to enforce a decree, that whoever makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions. ⁹Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." ¹⁰Therefore King Darius signed the document and the decree. ¹¹Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows in his upper room were open toward Jerusalem. And three times a day he got down on his knees, praying and giving thanks before his God, just as he had done before. ¹²Then these men thronged together and found Daniel making petition and imploring before his God. ¹³Then they approached the king and spoke before him concerning the royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that any man who makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The matter is certain, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ¹⁴Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, but he makes his petition three times a day.” ¹⁵Then the king, when he heard the matter, was deeply displeased, and he set his mind on delivering Daniel; and he was striving until sundown to rescue him. ¹⁶Then these men thronged to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes can be changed.” ¹⁷Then the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” ¹⁸A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing could be changed concerning Daniel. ¹⁹Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought before him, and his sleep fled from him. ²⁰Then the king arose at the break of dawn and went in haste to the den of lions. ²¹As he came near to the den, he cried out to Daniel with an anguished voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²²Then Daniel spoke to the king: "O king, live forever! ²³My God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because I was found innocent before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." ²⁴Then the king was exceedingly glad, and he commanded that Daniel be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and no harm whatsoever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁵At the king's command, they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they threw them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. ²⁶Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "May your peace abound! ²⁷I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, and his dominion will last to the end. ²⁸He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; for he has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions ."

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4/11/2026

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