Daniel 6:1-13

11It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2and over them three commissioners (of whom 2Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer 3loss. 3Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself 4among the commissioners and satraps because 5he possessed an 6extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the 7entire kingdom. 4Then the commissioners and satraps began 8trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to 9government affairs; but they could find 10no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the 11law of his God.”

6Then these commissioners and satraps came 12by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, 13live forever! 7All the 14commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have 15consulted 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 16be cast into the lions’ 17den. 8Now, O king, 18establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the 19law of the Medes and Persians, which 20may not be revoked.” 9Therefore King Darius 21signed the document, that is, the injunction.

10Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open 22toward Jerusalem); and he continued 23kneeling on his knees three times a day, 24praying and 25giving thanks before his God, 26as he had been doing previously. 11Then these men came 2728by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12Then they approached and 29spoke 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 30law of the Medes and Persians, which 31may not be revoked.” 13Then they answered and spoke before the king, “32Daniel, who is one of the 33exiles from Judah, pays 34no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”