In the Lion’s Den

Daniel 6:1-23     

It pleased King Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty officers, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, and over them three administrators, one of whom was Daniel; to these the officers gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Soon Daniel distinguished himself above the other administrators and officers because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the administrators and the officers 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.  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.”

So the administrators and officers conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!  All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects and the officers, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish and enforce a decree, that whoever prays to any god or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions.  Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”   Therefore King Darius signed the document and decree.

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 and praise his God, just as he had done previously.  Then those men watched and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God.  Then they approached the king and said, “O king! Did you not sign a decree, that anyone who prays to any god or human, except to you, for thirty days, shall be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The decree stands, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”

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.  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 decree or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

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!”  A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Then at dawn, the king got up and at first light hurried to the den of lions.  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?”  Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent an angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before God; also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.”  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.