Daniel 6:1-13

1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom;

2and over these, three presidents — of whom Daniel was one — to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.

3Now this Daniel surpassed the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to appoint him over the whole realm.

4Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

5Then said these men, We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find [it] against him touching the law of his 1God.

6Then these presidents and satraps came in a body to the king, and said thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever!

7All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any 2god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.

9Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his 3God, as he did aforetime.

11But those men came in a body, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his 4God.

12Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask [anything] of any 5god or man within thirty days, except 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 may not be revoked.

13Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who 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.