Daniel 6 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Darius’ Officials Seek to Accuse Daniel

1 [fn]It seemed ^H8232 good ^H8232 to Darius ^H1868 that he set ^H6966 120 ^H3969 H6243 satraps ^H324 over ^H5922 the kingdom ^H4437, that they would be in charge of the whole ^H3606 kingdom ^H4437,

2 and over ^H5924 them three ^H8532 commissioners ^H5632 (of whom ^H1768 Daniel ^H1841 was one ^H2298), that these ^H459 satraps ^H324 might be accountable ^H2942 to them, and that the king ^H4430 might not suffer ^H5142 loss ^H5142. 3 Then ^H116 this ^H1836 Daniel ^H1841 began distinguishing ^H5330 himself [fn]among ^H5922 the commissioners ^H5632 and satraps ^H324 because ^H6903 H1768 an extraordinary ^H3493 spirit ^H7308 was in him, and the king ^H4430 planned ^H6246 to set ^H6966 him over ^H5922 the entire ^H3606 kingdom ^H4437. 4 Then ^H116 the commissioners ^H5632 and satraps ^H324 began seeking ^H1156 to find ^H7912 a ground ^H5931 of ^H5931 accusation ^H5931 against Daniel ^H1841 in regard ^H6655 to matters of the kingdom ^H4437; but they were not able ^H3202 to find ^H7912 any ^H3606 H3809 ground ^H5931 of ^H5931 accusation ^H5931 or evidence of corruption ^H7844, inasmuch ^H6903 H1768 as he was faithful ^H540, and no ^H3606 H3809 negligence ^H7960 or corruption ^H7844 was to be found ^H7912 in him. 5 Then ^H116 these ^H479 men ^H1400 said ^H560, “We will not find ^H7912 any ^H3606 ground ^H5931 of ^H5931 accusation ^H5931 against this ^H1836 Daniel ^H1841 unless ^H3861 we find ^H7912 it against ^H5922 him with regard to the law ^H1882 of his God ^H426.”

6 Then ^H116 these ^H459 commissioners ^H5632 and satraps ^H324 came ^H7284 [fn]by ^H7284 agreement ^H7284 to the king ^H4430 and said ^H560 thus ^H3652 to him: “King ^H4430 Darius ^H1868, live ^H2418 forever ^H5957! 7 All ^H3606 the commissioners ^H5632 of the kingdom ^H4437, the prefects ^H5460 and the satraps ^H324, the high ^H1907 officials ^H1907 and the governors ^H6347 have counseled ^H3272 together ^H3272 that the king ^H4430 should establish ^H6966 a statute ^H7010 and enforce ^H8631 an injunction ^H633 that anyone ^H3605 who ^H1768 seeks ^H1156 to make a petition ^H1159 [fn]to any ^H3606 god ^H426 or man ^H606 besides ^H3861 H4481 you, O king ^H4430, for thirty ^H8533 days ^H3118, shall be cast ^H7412 into the lions’ ^H744 [fn]den ^H1358. 8 Now ^H3705, O king ^H4430, establish ^H6966 the injunction ^H633 and [fn]sign ^H7560 the written ^H3792 document so ^H1768 that ^H1768 it may not be changed ^H8133, according to the law ^H1882 of the Medes ^H4076 and Persians ^H6540, which ^H1768 [fn]may not be revoked ^H5709.” 9 Therefore ^H6903 H1836 King ^H4430 Darius ^H1868 signed ^H7560 the written ^H3792 document, that is, the injunction ^H633.

10 Now when ^H1768 Daniel ^H1841 knew ^H3046 that the written ^H3792 document was signed ^H7560, he entered ^H5954 his house ^H1005 (now in ^H5954 his roof ^H5952 chamber ^H5952 he had windows ^H3551 open ^H6606 toward ^H5049 Jerusalem ^H3390); and he continued kneeling ^H1289 on his knees ^H1291 three ^H8532 times ^H2166 a day ^H3118, praying ^H6739 and giving ^H3029 thanks ^H3029 before ^H6925 his God ^H426, [fn]as he had been doing ^H5648 previously ^H6928. 11 Then ^H116 these ^H479 men ^H1400 came ^H7284 [fn]by ^H7284 agreement ^H7284 and found ^H7912 Daniel ^H1841 seeking ^H1156 to make a petition ^H1156 and making ^H2604 supplication ^H2604 before ^H6925 his God ^H426. 12 Then ^H116 they came ^H7127 near ^H7127 and said ^H560 before ^H6925 the king ^H4430 concerning ^H5922 the king’s ^H4430 injunction ^H633, “Did you not sign ^H7560 an injunction ^H633 that any ^H3606 man ^H606 who ^H1768 seeks ^H1156 to make a petition ^H1156 [fn]to any ^H3606 god ^H426 or man ^H606 besides ^H3861 H4481 you, O king ^H4430, for thirty ^H8533 days ^H3118, is to be cast ^H7412 into the lions’ ^H744 den ^H1358?” The king ^H4430 answered ^H6032 and said ^H560, “The word ^H4406 is certain ^H3330, according to the law ^H1882 of the Medes ^H4076 and Persians ^H6540, which ^H1768 [fn]may not be revoked ^H5709.” 13 Then ^H116 they answered ^H6032 and said ^H560 before ^H6925 the king ^H4430, “Daniel ^H1841, who ^H1768 is one of the [fn]exiles ^H1123 H1547 from Judah ^H3061, pays ^H7761 no ^H3809 attention ^H7761 to you, O king ^H4430, or to the injunction ^H633 which ^H1768 you signed ^H7560, but keeps seeking ^H1156 to make his petition ^H1159 three ^H8532 times ^H2166 a day ^H3118.”

14 Then ^H116, as soon ^H1768 as the king ^H4430 heard ^H8086 this word ^H4406, he was greatly ^H7690 distressed ^H888 within ^H5922 himself and set ^H7761 his mind ^H1079 on saving ^H7804 Daniel ^H1841; and even until ^H5705 sunset ^H4606 H8122 he kept exerting ^H7712 himself to deliver ^H5338 him. 15 Then ^H116 these ^H479 men ^H1400 came ^H7284 [fn]by ^H7284 agreement ^H7284 to the king ^H4430 and said ^H560 to the king ^H4430, “Know ^H3046, O king ^H4430, that it is a law ^H1882 of the Medes ^H4076 and Persians ^H6540 that no ^H3606 H3809 injunction ^H633 or statute ^H7010 which ^H1768 the king ^H4430 establishes ^H6966 may be changed ^H8133.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

16 Then ^H116 the king ^H4430 said ^H560 the word, and Daniel ^H1841 was brought ^H858 in and cast ^H7412 into the lions’ ^H744 den ^H1358. The king ^H4430 answered ^H6032 and said ^H560 to Daniel ^H1841, “[fn]Your God ^H426 whom ^H1768 you constantly ^H8411 serve ^H6399 will Himself ^H1932 save ^H7804 you.”

17 And a stone ^H69 was brought ^H858 and placed ^H7761 over ^H5922 the mouth ^H6433 of the den ^H1358; and the king ^H4430 sealed ^H2857 it with his own signet ^H5824 ring ^H5824 and with the signet ^H5824 rings ^H5824 of his nobles ^H7261 so ^H1768 that ^H1768 nothing ^H3809 H6640 would be changed ^H8133 in regard to Daniel ^H1841. 18 Then ^H116 the king ^H4430 went ^H236 off ^H236 to his palace ^H1965 and spent ^H956 the ^H956 night ^H956 fasting ^H2908, and no ^H3809 entertainment ^H1761 was brought ^H5954 before ^H6925 him; and his sleep ^H8139 fled ^H5075 from him.

19 Then ^H116 the king ^H4430 arose ^H6966 at dawn ^H8238, at the break ^H5053 of ^H5053 day ^H5053, and hurriedly ^H927 went ^H236 to the lions’ ^H744 den ^H1358. 20 When he had come ^H7127 near ^H7127 the den ^H1358 to Daniel ^H1841, he cried ^H2200 out ^H2200 with a troubled ^H6088 voice ^H7032. The king ^H4430 answered ^H6032 and said ^H560 to Daniel ^H1841, “Daniel ^H1841, servant ^H5649 of the living ^H2417 God ^H426, has your God ^H426, whom ^H1768 you constantly ^H8411 serve ^H6399, been ^H3202 able ^H3202 to save ^H7804 you from the lions ^H744?” 21 Then ^H116 Daniel ^H1841 spoke ^H4449 [fn]to the king ^H4430, “O king ^H4430, live ^H2418 forever ^H5957! 22 My God ^H426 sent ^H7972 His angel ^H4398 and shut ^H5463 the lions’ ^H744 mouths ^H6433, and they have not harmed ^H2255 me, inasmuch ^H6903 H1768 as [fn]I was found ^H7912 innocent ^H2136 before ^H6925 Him; and also ^H638 [fn]toward ^H6925 you, O king ^H4430, I have done ^H5648 no ^H3809 harm ^H2248.” 23 Then ^H116 the king ^H4430 was greatly ^H7690 pleased ^H2868 and said ^H560 for Daniel ^H1841 to be taken ^H5559 up ^H5559 out of the den ^H1358. So Daniel ^H1841 was taken ^H5559 up ^H5559 out of the den ^H1358, and no ^H3606 H3809 harm ^H2257 whatsoever ^H3606 was found ^H7912 on him because ^H1768 he had believed ^H540 in his God ^H426. 24 The king ^H4430 then said ^H560 the word, and they brought ^H858 those ^H479 men ^H1400 who ^H1768 had [fn]brought ^H399 H7170 charges ^H399 H7170 against Daniel ^H1841, and they cast ^H7412 them, their children ^H1123, and their wives ^H5389 into the lions’ ^H744 den ^H1358; and they had not reached ^H4291 the bottom ^H773 of the den ^H1358 before ^H5705 H1768 the lions ^H744 overpowered ^H7981 them and crushed ^H1855 all ^H3606 their bones ^H1635.

25 Then ^H116 Darius ^H1868 the king ^H4430 wrote ^H3790 to all ^H3606 the peoples ^H5972, nations ^H524, and men of every tongue ^H3961 who ^H1768 were inhabiting ^H1753 all ^H3606 the land ^H772: “May your [fn]peace ^H8001 abound ^H7680! 26 [fn]I make ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 that in all ^H3606 the [fn]dominion ^H7985 of my kingdom ^H4437, men are to fear ^H1763 and be in dread ^H2112 before ^H4481 H6925 the God ^H426 of Daniel ^H1841;

For He is the living ^H2417 God ^H426 and enduring ^H7011 forever ^H5957,

And His kingdom ^H4437 is one which ^H1768 will not be destroyed ^H2255,

And His [fn]dominion ^H7985 will be unto the end ^H5491.

27 “He saves ^H7804 and delivers ^H5338 and does ^H5648 signs ^H852 and wonders ^H8540

In heaven ^H8065 and on earth ^H772,

Who ^H1768 has also saved ^H7804 Daniel ^H1841 from the [fn]power ^H3028 of the lions ^H744.”

28 So this ^H1836 Daniel ^H1841 enjoyed ^H6744 success ^H6744 in the kingdom ^H4437 of Darius ^H1868 and in the kingdom ^H4437 of Cyrus ^H3567 the Persian ^H6543.