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It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom,
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and over them three commissioners (of whom aDaniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer bloss.
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Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an aextraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the bentire kingdom.
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Then the commissioners and satraps began atrying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find bno ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.
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Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the alaw of his God."
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Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, alive forever!
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"All the acommissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have bconsulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall cbe cast into the lions' den.
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"Now, O king, aestablish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the blaw of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked."
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Therefore King Darius asigned the document, that is, the injunction.
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Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open atoward Jerusalem); and he continued bkneeling on his knees three times a day, cpraying and dgiving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
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Then these men came aby agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.
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Then they approached and aspoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the blaw of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked."
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Then they answered and spoke before the king, "aDaniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays bno attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day."
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Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply adistressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him.
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Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Recognize, O king, that it is a alaw of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed."
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Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and acast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "bYour God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you."
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A astone was brought and laid 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 would be changed in regard to Daniel.
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Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night afasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his bsleep fled from him.
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Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den.
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When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has ayour God, whom you constantly serve, been bable to deliver you from the lions?"
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Then Daniel spoke to the king, "aO king, live forever!
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"My God asent His angel and bshut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."
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Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and ano injury whatever was found on him, because he had btrusted in his God.
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The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they acast them, their bchildren and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
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Then Darius the king wrote to all the apeoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: "bMay your peace abound!
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"I amake a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;