Daniel 6

The 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, will recognize Daniel’s obvious talents and one day promote him to the same rank Belshazzar promised.

Belshazzar’s story is a great reminder that people—regardless of their rank—who insult God or try to render God irrelevant are doomed to fall. They may not fall as quickly as Belshazzar, but they will fall.

6 Darius decided to rule by stationing 120 officers strategically over the entire empire. ²Over the officers he appointed 3 governors, including Daniel, and required each officer to report directly to them. This way the new king hoped not to lose any territories from his recent conquests or the revenue they provided. ³Because of Daniel’s exceptional abilities, it wasn’t long before he distinguished himself over the other governors and officers. So the king decided to appoint him as head over the entire realm. ⁴This appointment did not sit well with the other leaders, so the governors and officers tried to find reasons to level charges against Daniel for the way he supervised the kingdom. Though they tried, they could find no basis for charges or any corruption in his office. Daniel was loyal and attentive in his duties.

Conspirators: ⁵We will never find any credible basis for charges against Daniel for how he conducts his office. Perhaps we can uncover some suitable charge in regard to the law of his God.

⁶The governors and officers agreed and went to the king with what they thought would be a way to entrap Daniel.

Conspirators (to the king): May King Darius live forever! ⁷All the leaders of the empire—the governors, prefects, officers, advisors, and other administrators—have consulted together and are in complete agreement that the king should issue an edict and enforce it strictly to the effect that anyone who prays to another—whether divine or human—except for you, of course, good king, for a period of 30 days, will be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸Now, O king, we ask that you establish such an ordinance and sign it into law, so that it cannot be changed. For the laws enacted by the Medes and Persians cannot be rescinded.

⁹After considering their proposal, King Darius signed the ordinance and made it law. ¹⁰Even though Daniel was aware the king had signed the ordinance into law, he continued to do what he always did. He would go home, ascend the stairs to the upper room—which had windows facing toward Jerusalem—and get down on his knees three times a day and pray to his God and praise Him. ¹¹One day the conspirators came to his house and found Daniel on his knees praying and seeking God’s help. ¹²So they went back to the king and asked to speak to him about the edict he had made.

Conspirators: O king! Did you not sign an edict expressly forbidding anyone, regardless of his nationality, to pray to another—whether divine or human—except for you, of course, good king, for a period of 30 days or else he would be thrown into the lion’s den?

Darius: Indeed. I did sign it, and I intend to enforce it according to the laws of the Medes and Persians. It cannot be rescinded. Why do you ask?

Conspirators (to the king): ¹³Well, recently we found your servant, Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, kneeling and praying at his home three times a day to his God. He is ignoring you, O king, and the edict you signed into law.

¹⁴When the king heard the charge, he was very upset. He thought a great deal of Daniel, so he tried to figure out a way to help him. All day long until evening he looked for some loophole in the law to keep Daniel from falling victim to his edict. ¹⁵The conspirators returned to press the matter further.

Conspirators (to the king): We have no need to remind the king that according to the law of the Medes and Persians, no edict established by the king can be revoked, changed, or ignored.

¹⁶With his honor at stake, the king had no choice. He gave the order for Daniel to be captured. Before Daniel was thrown into the pit with the lions, the king spoke to him.

Darius: May your God, the God you have served so faithfully, rescue you!

¹⁷Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den and a stone was brought in and placed over the opening to shut the mouth of the den. The king himself sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his nobles. That way no one could tamper with the pit and nothing could happen to change Daniel’s fate. ¹⁸The king retired to his palace and spent the night fasting. That evening he stayed to himself, turning down his regular evening musical entertainment. When he finally went to bed, he could not sleep.

¹⁹When first light of morning finally arrived, the king got up and didn’t waste any time returning to the lions’ den.

Darius can hardly wait to see what has happened to Daniel, who has become indispensable to the king.

²⁰As he drew near the den, with anguish in his voice he called out to Daniel, hoping somehow he was still alive.

Darius: Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, the One you have served so faithfully, been able to rescue you from these hungry lions?

Daniel (to the king): ²¹Long live the king! ²²As soon as you shut the mouth of this den, My God sent His heavenly representative to shut the mouths of these hungry lions so that they could not hurt me. He has rescued me because I am as innocent before Him as I am before you, O king. I have done you no harm.

²³The king could hardly contain his excitement and joy. He ordered that Daniel be taken up out of the lions’ den. He was removed and examined carefully, but not even a scratch was found on him—all because he put his trust in His God. ²⁴The king gave yet another order; this time he demanded that those who accused Daniel of wrongdoing be captured and thrown into the lions’ den—but not only them—their wives and children too. As they were being pushed into the den, before they even hit the bottom, the lions jumped on them, overpowered them, and crushed their bones in their powerful jaws.

²⁵Afterward King Darius sent a message to all the peoples through the world, regardless of their heritage, nationality, or language.

Message: May peace and prosperity be yours! ²⁶I decree that all people everywhere who live under my sovereign rule ought to tremble before and fear the God of Daniel.

    For He is the living God,
        and He will endure forever.
    His kingdom will never be overthrown;
        His reign will know no end.
²⁷    He saves and rescues those who fear Him,
        performing signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
    For He has rescued His servant Daniel
        from the power of the lions.

²⁸With his enemies defeated, Daniel continued to thrive during the reign of Darius and into the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel 6

New International Version

Daniel in the Den of Lions

6 ^[a]It pleased Darius^(A) to appoint 120 satraps^(B) to rule throughout the kingdom, ²with 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. ³Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.^(E) ⁴At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^(F) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^(G)

⁶So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^(H) ⁷The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(I) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^(J) ⁸Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^(K) ⁹So King Darius put the decree in writing.

¹⁰Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward^(L) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees^(M) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.^(N) ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.^(O) ¹²So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^(P)

¹³Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,^(Q) pays no attention^(R) to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” ¹⁴When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;^(S) he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

¹⁵Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”^(T)

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.^(U) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue^(V) you!”

¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed^(W) it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. ¹⁸Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating^(X) and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.^(Y)

¹⁹At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”^(Z)

²¹Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!^(AA) ²²My God sent his angel,^(AB) and he shut the mouths of the lions.^(AC) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.^(AD) Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound^(AE) was found on him, because he had trusted^(AF) in his God.

²⁴At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,^(AG) along with their wives and children.^(AH) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.^(AI)

²⁵Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language^(AJ) in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!^(AK)

²⁶“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence^(AL) the God of Daniel.^(AM)

“For he is the living God^(AN)
    and he endures forever;^(AO)
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.^(AP)
²⁷He rescues and he saves;^(AQ)
    he performs signs and wonders^(AR)
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”^(AS)

²⁸So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus^[b]^(AT) the Persian.^(AU)

Footnotes

Daniel 6:1 In Aramaic texts 6:1-28 is numbered 6:2-29.
Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus

The Voice (VOICE)

New International Version (NIV)

Daniel 6

The Voice

Daniel 6

New International Version

Daniel in the Den of Lions

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Daniel 6 The Voice

Daniel 6 New International Version

Daniel in the Den of Lions

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Daniel 6

The Voice

Daniel 6

New International Version