Daniel 6

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province.H6925H8232H1868H6966H5922H4437H3969H6243H324H1934H3606H44372The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests.H5924H4481H8532H5632H4481H1841H2298H459H324H1934H3052H2941H4430H1934H3809H51423Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.H116H1836H1841H1934H5330H5922H5632H324H3606H6903H3493H7308H4430H6246H6966H5922H3606H44374Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.H116H5632H324H1934H1156H7912H5931H1841H6655H4437H3606H3202H7912H3809H5931H3809H7844H6903H540H3809H3606H7960H7844H7912H59225So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”H116H560H479H1400H3809H7912H3606H5931H5922H1836H1841H3861H7912H1882H4266So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius!H116H459H5632H324H7284H4430H560H3652H5922H4430H1868H2418H59577We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.H3606H5632H4437H5460H324H1907H6347H3272H6966H4430H7010H8631H633H1156H1159H4481H3606H426H606H5705H8533H3118H3861H4481H4430H7412H1358H7448And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”H3705H4430H6966H633H7560H3792H3809H8133H1882H4076H6540H5709H38099So King Darius signed the law.H3606H1836H6903H4430H1868H7560H3792H63310But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.H1841H3046H3792H7560H5954H1005H3551H6606H5952H5049H3390H1289H5922H1291H8532H2166H3118H6739H3029H6925H426H6903H3606H1934H5648H4481H1836H692811Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.H116H479H1400H7284H7912H1841H1156H2604H6925H42612So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”H116H7127H560H6925H4430H5922H4430H633H3809H7560H633H3606H606H1156H4481H3606H426H606H5705H8533H3118H3861H4481H4430H7412H1358H744H4430H6032H560H4406H3330H1882H4076H6540H5709H380913Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”H116H6032H560H6925H4430H1841H4481H1123H1547H3061H7761H2942H3809H5922H4430H633H7560H1156H1159H8532H2166H311814Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.H116H4430H8086H4406H7690H888H7761H1079H5922H1841H7804H1934H7712H5705H4606H8122H533815In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”H116H479H1400H7284H5922H4430H560H4430H3046H4430H1882H4076H6540H3606H633H7010H4430H6966H813316So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”H116H4430H560H858H1841H7412H1358H744H4430H6032H560H1841H426H607H6399H8411H780417A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel.H2298H69H858H7761H5922H6433H1358H4430H2857H5824H5824H7261H6640H3809H8133H184118Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.H116H4430H236H1965H956H2908H3809H1761H5954H6925H8139H5075H592219Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den.H116H4430H6966H8238H5053H236H927H1358H74420When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”H7127H1358H2200H6088H7032H1841H4430H6032H560H1841H1841H5649H2417H426H426H6399H8411H3202H7804H4481H74421Daniel answered, “Long live the king!H116H4449H1841H5974H4430H4430H2418H595722My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”H426H7972H4398H5463H744H6433H3809H2255H3606H6903H6925H2136H7912H638H6925H4430H5648H3809H224823The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.H116H4430H7690H2868H5922H560H5267H1841H5267H4481H1358H1841H5267H4481H1358H3809H3606H2257H7912H540H42624Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.H4430H560H858H479H1400H399H7170H1841H7412H1358H744H581H1123H5389H744H5705H7981H1855H3606H1635H1855H3809H4291H773H135825Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you!H116H4430H1868H3790H3606H5972H524H3961H1753H3606H772H8001H768026“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.H4481H6925H7761H2942H3606H7985H4437H1934H2112H1763H4481H6925H426H1841H2417H426H7011H5957H4437H3809H2255H7985H5705H549127He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”H7804H5338H5648H852H8540H8065H772H7804H1841H4481H3028H74428So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian

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