Daniel 6

¹IT pleased Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom governers an hundred twenty to be in all his kingdom.

²And over them three princes, of whom Daniel was one: that the governers might render account to them, & the king might sustain no trouble.

³Daniel therefore passed all the princes, and governers: because there was the spirit of God more ample in him.

⁴Moreover the king thought to appoint him over all the kingdom, whereupon the princes, & the governers sought to find occasion against Daniel on the behalf of the king: and they could find no cause, nor suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him.

⁵Those men therefore said: We shall not find against this same Daniel any occasion, unless perhaps in the law of his God.

⁶Then the princes, and the governers by surreption suggested to the king, and spake thus unto him: King Darius, for ever live:

⁷All the princes of the kingdom, the magistrates, and governers, the senators and judges have taken counsel, that there go forth an imperial decree, and an edict: That every one, which shall ask any petition of whatsoever god, or man, until thirty days, but of thee o king, he be cast into the lake of lions.

⁸Now therefore o king confirm the sentence, and write the decree: that it may not be changed, which is decreed by the Medes and the Persians, nor be lawful for any man to transgress it.

⁹Moreover king Darius put forth the edict, and decreed it.

¹⁰Which when Daniel had perceived, that is to say, the law determined, he went into his house: and the windows being opened in his upper chamber, three times in a day toward Jerusalem bowed he his knees, and adored, and confessed before his God, as also he had accustomed to do before.

¹¹Those men therefore searching curiously, found Daniel praying, and beseeching his God.

¹²And coming they spake to the king upon the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that every man which should ask any of the gods, & men until thirty days, but thyself o king, he should be cast into the lake of lions? To whom the king answering, said: The word is true according to the decree of the Medes, and Persians, which it is not lawful to transgress.

¹³Then they answering said before the king: Daniel of the children of the captivity of Juda, hath not cared for thy law, and for the edict, that thou madest: but three times in a day he prayeth with his prayer.

¹⁴Which word when the king had heard, he was strucken very sad: and for Daniel he set his heart to deliver him, and even until sun set he laboured to deliver him.

¹⁵But those men perceiving the king said to him: know thou o king, that the law of Medes and Persians is, that every decree, which the king hath determined, is not lawful to be changed.

¹⁶Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the lake of lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou doest worship always, he will deliver thee.

¹⁷And there was a stone brought, and laid upon the mouth of the lake: which the king sealed with his ring, and with the ring of his nobles, that nothing should be done against Daniel.

¹⁸And the king went into his house, and slept unsupped, and meats were not brought before him, moreover also sleep departed from him.

¹⁹Then the king rising in the very first break of day, went in haste to the lake of the lions:

²⁰and approaching to the lake, cried on Daniel with a weeping voice, and spake unto him: Daniel servant of the living God, thy God whom thou servest always, hath he been able thinkest thou, to deliver thee from the lions?

²¹And Daniel answering the king said: King for ever live.

²²My God hath sent his Angel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me: because before him justice hath been found in me: yea and before thee, o king, I have done no offence.

²³Then was the king exceeding glad upon him, & he commanded Daniel to be brought out of the lake: and Daniel was brought out of the lake, and no hurt was found in him, because he believed his God.

²⁴And by the king's commandment, those men were brought that had accused Daniel: and they were cast into the lake of the lions, themselves, and their children, and their wives: and they came not to the pavement of the lake, till the lions caught them, & brake all their bones in pieces.

²⁵Then Darius the king wrote to all peoples, tribes, and tongues dwelling in the whole earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

²⁶By me a decree is made, that in all mine empire, and my kingdom they dread and fear the God of Daniel. for he is the living and eternal God for ever: and his kingdom shall not be dissipated, & his power even for ever.

²⁷He is the deliverer, and saviour, doing sign, & marvels in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lake of the lions.

²⁸Moreover Daniel continued unto the kingdom of Darius, and the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.