Daniel 6

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.	1 It pleased Darius, and so he appointed over the kingdom one hundred twenty governors, to be placed throughout his whole kingdom.
2 It pleased Darius to appoint a hundred and twenty satraps over his kingdom for the various parts,	2 And over these, three leaders, of whom Daniel was one, so that the governors would be accountable to them and the king would have no trouble.
3 and over them three presidents -- of whom Daniel was one -- to whom the satraps were to beresponsible. This was to safeguard the king's interests.	3 And so Daniel excelled above all the leaders and governors, because a greater spirit of God was in him.
4 This Daniel, by virtue of the marvel ous spirit residing in him, was so evidently superior to the otherpresidents and satraps that the king considered appointing him to rule the whole kingdom.	4 Furthermore, the king considered setting him over the entire kingdom; whereupon the leaders and the governors sought to find a complaint against Daniel and in favor of the king. And they could find no case, or even suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault or suspicion was found in him.
5 The presidents and satraps, in consequence, started hunting for some affair of state by which theycould discredit Daniel; but they could find nothing to his discredit, and no case of negligence; he was sopunctilious that they could not find a single instance of maladministration or neglect.	5 Therefore, these men said, “We will not find any complaint against this Daniel, unless it is against the law of his God.”
6 These men then thought, 'We shal never find a way of discrediting Daniel unless we try something todo with the law of his God.'	6 Then the leaders and governors took the king aside privately and spoke to him in this way: “King Darius, live forever.
7 The presidents and satraps then went in a body to the king. 'King Darius,' they said, 'live for ever!	7 All the leaders of your kingdom, the magistrates and governors, the senators and judges, have taken counsel that an imperial decree and edict should be published, so that all who ask any petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, will be cast into the den of lions.
8 We are all agreed, presidents of the realm, magistrates, satraps, councillors and governors, that theking should issue an edict enforcing the fol owing regulation: Whoever within the next thirty days prays toanyone, divine or human, other than to yourself, Your Majesty, is to be thrown into the lions' den.	8 Now, therefore, O king, confirm this judgment and write the decree, so that what is established by the Medes and Persians may not be altered, nor will any man be allowed to transgress it.”
9 Your Majesty, ratify the edict at once by signing this document, making it unalterable, as befits the lawof the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.'	9 And so king Darius set forth the decree and established it.
10 King Darius accordingly signed the document embodying the edict.	10 Now when Daniel learned of this, namely, that the law had been established, he entered his house, and, opening the windows in his upper room towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and he adored and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do previously.
11 When Daniel heard that the document had been signed, he retired to his house. The windows of hisupstairs room faced towards Jerusalem. Three times each day, he went down on his knees, praying and givingpraise to God as he had always done.	11 Therefore, these men, inquiring diligently, discovered that Daniel was praying and making supplication to his God.
12 These men came along in a body and found Daniel praying and pleading with God.	12 And they approached and spoke to the king about the edict. “O king, did you not decree that every man who makes a request to any of the gods or men for thirty days, except to yourself, O king, would be cast into the den of lions?” To which the king replied, saying, “The sentence is true, and according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, it is not lawful to violate it.”
13 They then went to the king and reminded him of the royal edict, 'Have you not signed an edictforbidding anyone for the next thirty days to pray to anyone, divine or human, other than to yourself, YourMajesty, on pain of being thrown into the lions' den?' 'The decision stands', the king replied, 'as befits the law ofthe Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.'	13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, is not concerned about your law, nor about the decree that you have established, but three times a day he prays his supplication.”
14 They then said to the king, 'Your Majesty, this man Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, disregardsboth you and the edict which you have signed: he is at his prayers three times each day.'	14 Now when the king had heard these words, he was greatly grieved, and, on behalf of Daniel, he set his heart to free him, and he labored even until sunset to rescue him.
15 When the king heard these words he was deeply distressed and determined to save Daniel; he rackedhis brains until sunset to find some way to save him.	15 But these men, knowing the king, said to him, “You know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that every decree which the king has established may not be altered.”
16 But the men kept pressing the king, 'Your Majesty, remember that in conformity with the law of theMedes and the Persians, no edict or decree can be altered when once issued by the king.'	16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. And the king said to Daniel, “Your God, whom you always serve, he himself will free you.”
17 The king then ordered Daniel to be brought and thrown into the lion pit. The king said to Daniel, 'YourGod, whom you have served so faithful y, wil have to save you.'	17 And a stone was brought, and it was placed over the mouth of the den, which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, so that no one would act against Daniel.
18 A stone was then brought and laid over the mouth of the pit; and the king sealed it with his own signetand with that of his noblemen, so that there could be no going back on the original decision about Daniel.	18 And the king departed into his house, and he went to bed without eating, and food was not set before him, moreover, even sleep fled from him.
19 The king returned to his palace, spent the night in fasting and refused to receive any of hisconcubines. Sleep eluded him,	19 Then the king, getting himself up at first light, went quickly to the den of lions.
20 and at the first sign of dawn he got up and hurried to the lion pit.	20 And coming near to the den, he cried out with a tearful voice to Daniel and spoke to him. “Daniel, servant of the living God, your God, whom you serve always, do you believe he has prevailed to free you from the lions?”
21 As he approached the pit he cal ed in anguished tones to Daniel, 'Daniel, servant of the living God!Has your God, whom you serve so faithful y, been able to save you from the lions?'	21 And Daniel, answering the king, said, “O king, live forever.
22 Daniel answered the king, 'May Your Majesty live for ever!	22 My God has sent his angel, and he has closed the mouths of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because before him justice has been found in me, and, even before you, O king, I have committed no offense.”
23 My God sent his angel who sealed the lions' jaws; they did me no harm, since in his sight I amblameless; neither have I ever done you any wrong, Your Majesty.'	23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den. And Daniel was taken out of the den, and no wound was found in him, because he believed in his God.
24 The king was overjoyed and ordered Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was released from thepit and found to be quite unhurt, because he had trusted in his God.	24 Moreover, by order of the king, those men were brought who had accused Daniel, and they were cast into the lions’ den, they, and their sons, and their wives, and they did not reach the bottom of the den before the lions seized them and crushed all their bones.
25 The king then sent for the men who had accused Daniel and had them thrown into the lion pit, andtheir wives and children too; and before they reached the floor of the pit the lions had seized them and crushedtheir bones to pieces.	25 Then king Darius wrote to all peoples, tribes, and languages dwelling in all the land. “May peace be increased with you.
26 King Darius then wrote to al nations, peoples and languages dwel ing throughout the world: 'May youprosper more and more!	26 It is hereby established by my decree that, in all my empire and my kingdom, they shall begin to tremble and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God forever, and his kingdom will not be destroyed, and his power will last forever.
27 This is my decree: Throughout every dominion of my realm, let al tremble with fear before the God ofDaniel: He is the living God, he endures for ever, his kingdom wil never be destroyed and his empire nevercome to an end.	27 He is the liberator and the savior, performing signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”
28 He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth; he has saved Danielfrom the power of the lions.'	28 Thereafter, Daniel continued through the reign of Darius until the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.
29 This Daniel flourished in the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.