King James Version › Daniel › 6

Daniel

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12

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 ex­ceed­ing 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.