Daniel 6 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Plot against Daniel

6 [a]It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom,(A)2 and over them three adminstrators, one of whom was Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss.(B)3 Soon Daniel distinguished himself above the other administrators and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.(C)4 So the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him.(D)5 The men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 So the adminstrators and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!(E)7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to any god or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions.(F)8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”(G)9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.(H)

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.(I)11 Then those men watched[b] and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to any god or human, within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”(J)13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”(K)

14 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him.(L)15 Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”(M)

16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!”(N)17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet ring of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.(O)

Daniel Saved from the Lions

19 Then at dawn, the king got up and at first light hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?”(P)21 Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.”(Q)23 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God.(R)24 The king gave a command, and those who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.(S)

25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity!(T)26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.(U)
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 6.16.2 in Aram
  2. 6.11Gk Theodotion Syr: Aram rushed in

Cross references

  1. 6.1 : Esth 1.1; Dan 5.31
  2. 6.2 : Ezra 4.22; Dan 2.48, 49
  3. 6.3 : Esth 10.3; Dan 1.20; 5.12, 14
  4. 6.4 : v 22; Gen 43.18
  5. 6.6 : v 21; Neh 2.3; Dan 2.4
  6. 6.7 : v 16; Ps 59.3; Dan 3.2, 6, 27
  7. 6.8 : vv 12, 15; Esth 1.19; 8.8
  8. 6.9 : Ps 118.9; 146.3
  9. 6.10 : 1 Kings 8.48, 49; Ps 55.17; 95.6; 1 Thess 5.17, 18
  10. 6.12 : Dan 3.8; Acts 16.19–21
  11. 6.13 : Esth 3.8; Dan 1.6; 3.12; 5.13; Acts 5.29
  12. 6.14 : Mk 6.26
  13. 6.15 : v 8; Esth 8.8
  14. 6.16 : vv 7, 20; Ps 37; 39; 40; Jer 38.5
  15. 6.18 : 2 Sam 12.16, 17; Esth 6.1; Dan 2.1
  16. 6.20 : vv 26, 27; Jer 32.17; Dan 3.17
  17. 6.22 : 1 Sam 24.10; Acts 12.11; 2 Tim 4.17; Heb 11.33
  18. 6.23 : vv 14, 18; Isa 26.3; Dan 3.25, 27; Heb 11.33
  19. 6.24 : 2 Kings 14.6; Ps 54.5; Isa 38.13
  20. 6.25 : Ezra 1.1, 2; Esth 3.12; 8.9; Dan 4.1; 1 Pet 1.2
  21. 6.26 : Ps 93.1, 2; 99.1; Dan 3.29; 4.3, 34; 7.14, 27
  22. 6.28 : Ezra 1.1, 2; Dan 1.21; 10.1

You Might Also Like:

Daniel 6 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

6 It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps -- a hundred and twenty -- that they may be throughout the whole kingdom, 2 and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel [is] first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss....
Read More

Daniel 6 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

6 It pleased Darius, and he ordained sixscore dukes over the realm, that they should be in all his realm. (And it pleased Darius, and he ordained one hundred and twenty governors over the kingdom, and that they should be throughout all his kingdom.) 2 And over them he ordained three princes, of whic...
Read More

Daniel 6 - World English Bible (WEB)

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel w...
Read More

Daniel 6 - The Voice (VOICE)

Belshazzar makes a promise he cannot keep. The night that he gives the order to reward Daniel for his service is his last night on earth. By sunrise a new king—even a new empire—rules Belshazzar’s kingdom. But Daniel doesn’t mind because the true King is with him. Darius, Belshazzar’s successor, wil...
Read More

Daniel 6 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

6 So Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62. Delivered from the Lions’ Den2 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the whole kingdom 3 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable to them so that the king would not ...
Read More

Daniel 6 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Plot against Daniel6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became...
Read More

Daniel 6 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Plot against Daniel6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became...
Read More

Daniel 6 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

6 It pleased Daryavesh to set over the malchut an hundred and twenty satraps, which should be over the whole malchut; 2 (6:3) And over these three overseers, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give accounts unto them, and that the king should suffer no loss. 3 (6:4) Then this Daniel dist...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Plot against Daniel6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Soon Daniel distinguished himse...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Plot against Daniel6 [a]It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom,(A)2 and over them three adminstrators, one of whom was Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss.(B)3 Soon Daniel distingui...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Daniel in the Lions’ Den6 [a]Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon prov...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New Life Version (NLV)

Daniel Is Thrown to the Lions6 It pleased Darius to choose 120 captains to rule over the people. They would rule over the whole nation. 2 And three leaders were to rule over them, and Daniel was one. The captains were to answer to them, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then Daniel showed t...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Plot Against Daniel6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel disting...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Daniel in the den of lions6 [a]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three chief ministers over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the ...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New International Version (NIV)

Daniel in the Den of Lions6 [a]It pleased Darius(A) to appoint 120 satraps(B) to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.(C) The satraps were made accountable(D) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself a...
Read More

Daniel 6 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Daniel Is Thrown Into a Den of Lions6 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 royal rulers over his entire kingdom. 2 He placed three leaders over them. One of the leaders was Daniel. The royal rulers were made accountable to the three leaders. Then the king wouldn’t lose any of his wealth. 3 Daniel did ...
Read More