Daniel 6 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

Daniel Serves Darius

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

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came ^[e]by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, ^(H)live forever! ⁷ All the ^(I)commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have ^(J)consulted 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 ^(K)be cast into the lions’ ^[f]den. ⁸ Now, O king, ^(L)establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the ^(M)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[g]may not be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius ^(N)signed the document, that is, the injunction.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open ^(O)toward Jerusalem); and he continued ^(P)kneeling on his knees three times a day, ^(Q)praying and ^(R)giving thanks before his God, ^[h]as he had been doing previously. ¹¹ Then these men came ^[i](S)by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. ¹² Then they approached and ^(T)spoke 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 ^(U)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[j]may not be revoked.” ¹³ Then they answered and spoke before the king, “^(V)Daniel, who is one of the ^[k]exiles from Judah, pays ^(W)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^(X)distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then these men came ^[l]by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a ^(Y)law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁶ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ^(Z)cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “^[m](AA)Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” ¹⁷ A ^(AB)stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night ^(AC)fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ^(AD)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. ²⁰ When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^(AE)your God, whom you constantly serve, been ^(AF)able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel spoke ^[n]to the king, “^(AG)O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(AH)sent His angel and ^(AI)shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as ^[o]I was found innocent before Him; and also ^[p]toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” ²³ Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and ^(AJ)no injury whatever was found on him, because he had ^(AK)trusted in his God. ²⁴ The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^[q]maliciously accused Daniel, and they ^(AL)cast them, their ^(AM)children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the ^(AN)peoples, nations and men of every ^[r]language who were living in all the land: “^(AO)May your ^[s]peace abound! ^{26 [t]}I ^(AP)make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;

For He is the ^(AQ)living God and ^(AR)enduring forever,
And ^(AS)His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,
And His dominion will be ^[u]forever.
²⁷ “He delivers and rescues and performs ^(AT)signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has also delivered Daniel from the ^[v]power of the lions.”

²⁸ So this ^(AU)Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of ^(AV)Cyrus the Persian.

Footnotes

1. Daniel 6:1 Ch 6:2 in Aram
2. Daniel 6:3 Lit above
3. Daniel 6:3 Lit there was in him
4. Daniel 6:4 Lit the kingdom
5. Daniel 6:6 Or thronging
6. Daniel 6:7 Or pit, and so throughout the ch
7. Daniel 6:8 Lit does not pass away
8. Daniel 6:10 Or because
9. Daniel 6:11 Or thronging
10. Daniel 6:12 Lit does not pass away
11. Daniel 6:13 Lit sons of the exile
12. Daniel 6:15 Or thronging
13. Daniel 6:16 Or May your God...Himself deliver you
14. Daniel 6:21 Lit with
15. Daniel 6:22 Lit innocence was found for me
16. Daniel 6:22 Lit before
17. Daniel 6:24 Lit eaten the pieces of Daniel
18. Daniel 6:25 Lit tongue
19. Daniel 6:25 Or welfare or prosperity
20. Daniel 6:26 Lit From me a decree is made
21. Daniel 6:26 Lit to the end
22. Daniel 6:27 Lit hand

Cross references

1. Daniel 6:2 : Dan 2:48, 49; 5:16, 29
2. Daniel 6:2 : Ezra 4:22; Esth 7:4
3. Daniel 6:3 : Dan 5:12, 14; 9:23
4. Daniel 6:3 : Gen 41:40; Esth 10:3
5. Daniel 6:4 : Gen 43:18; Judg 14:4; Jer 20:10; Dan 3:8; Luke 20:20
6. Daniel 6:4 : Dan 6:22; Luke 20:26; 23:14, 15; Phil 2:15; 1 Pet 2:12; 3:16
7. Daniel 6:5 : Acts 24:13-16, 20, 21
8. Daniel 6:6 : Neh 2:3; Dan 2:4; 5:10; 6:21
9. Daniel 6:7 : Dan 3:2, 27
10. Daniel 6:7 : Ps 59:3; 62:4; 64:2-6; 83:1-3
11. Daniel 6:7 : Ps 10:9; Dan 3:6; 6:16
12. Daniel 6:8 : Esth 3:12; 8:10; Is 10:1
13. Daniel 6:8 : Esth 1:19; 8:8; Dan 6:12, 15
14. Daniel 6:9 : Ps 118:9; 146:3
15. Daniel 6:10 : 1 Kin 8:44, 48, 49; Ps 5:7; Jon 2:4
16. Daniel 6:10 : Ps 55:17; 95:6
17. Daniel 6:10 : Dan 9:4-19
18. Daniel 6:10 : Ps 34:1; Phil 4:6; 1 Thess 5:17, 18
19. Daniel 6:11 : Ps 37:32, 33; Dan 6:6
20. Daniel 6:12 : Dan 3:8-12; Acts 16:19-21
21. Daniel 6:12 : Esth 1:19; Dan 6:8, 15
22. Daniel 6:13 : Dan 2:25; 5:13
23. Daniel 6:13 : Esth 3:8; Dan 3:12; Acts 5:29
24. Daniel 6:14 : Mark 6:26
25. Daniel 6:15 : Esth 8:8; Ps 94:20, 21; Dan 6:8, 12
26. Daniel 6:16 : 2 Sam 3:39; Jer 38:5; Dan 6:7
27. Daniel 6:16 : Job 5:19; Ps 37:39, 40; Is 41:10; Dan 3:17, 28; 6:20; 2 Cor 1:10
28. Daniel 6:17 : Lam 3:53; Matt 27:66
29. Daniel 6:18 : 2 Sam 12:16, 17
30. Daniel 6:18 : Esth 6:1; Ps 77:4; Dan 2:1
31. Daniel 6:20 : Dan 6:16, 27
32. Daniel 6:20 : Gen 18:14; Num 11:23; Jer 32:17; Dan 3:17
33. Daniel 6:21 : Dan 2:4; 6:6
34. Daniel 6:22 : Num 20:16; Is 63:9; Dan 3:28; Acts 12:11; Heb 1:14
35. Daniel 6:22 : Ps 91:11-13; 2 Tim 4:17; Heb 11:33
36. Daniel 6:23 : Dan 3:25, 27
37. Daniel 6:23 : 1 Chr 5:20; 2 Chr 20:20; Ps 118:8, 9; Is 26:3; Dan 3:17, 28
38. Daniel 6:24 : Deut 19:18, 19; Esth 7:10
39. Daniel 6:24 : Deut 24:16; 2 Kin 14:6; Esth 9:10
40. Daniel 6:25 : Ezra 1:1, 2; Esth 3:12; 8:9; Dan 4:1
41. Daniel 6:25 : Ezra 4:17; 1 Pet 1:2
42. Daniel 6:26 : Ezra 6:8-12; 7:13, 21; Dan 3:29
43. Daniel 6:26 : Dan 4:34; 6:20; Hos 1:10; Rom 9:26
44. Daniel 6:26 : Ps 93:1, 2; Mal 3:6
45. Daniel 6:26 : Dan 2:44; 4:3; 7:14, 27; Luke 1:33
46. Daniel 6:27 : Dan 4:2, 3
47. Daniel 6:28 : Dan 1:21
48. Daniel 6:28 : 2 Chr 36:22, 23; Dan 10:1