I. Daniel and the Kings of Babylon

Chapter 1

The Food Test. ¹ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim,^[a] king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came and laid siege to Jerusalem.^{(A) 2 (B)}The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the temple of God, which he carried off to the land of Shinar^[b] and placed in the temple treasury of his god.

³ The king told Ashpenaz,^[c] his chief chamberlain, to bring in some of the Israelites, some of the royal line and of the nobility. ⁴ They should be young men without any defect, handsome, proficient in wisdom, well informed, and insightful, such as could take their place in the king’s palace; he was to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans. ⁵ The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine from the royal table. After three years’ training they were to enter the king’s service. ⁶ Among these were Judeans, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ^7 [d]The chief chamberlain changed their names: Daniel to Belteshazzar, Hananiah to Shadrach, Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah to Abednego.

⁸ But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or wine; so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement.^{[e] 9} Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, ¹⁰ he said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who allotted your food and drink. If he sees that you look thinner in comparison to the other young men of your age, you will endanger my life with the king.” ¹¹ Then Daniel said to the guardian whom the chief chamberlain had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men who eat from the royal table, and treat your servants according to what you see.” ¹⁴ He agreed to this request, and tested them for ten days; ¹⁵ after ten days they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table. ¹⁶ So the steward continued to take away the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and wisdom, and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams. ¹⁸ At the end of the time the king had specified for their preparation, the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ When the king had spoken with all of them, none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In any question of wisdom or understanding which the king put to them, he found them ten times better than any of the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. ^21 (C)Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.^[f]

Chapter 2

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.^{[g] 1} In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which left his spirit no rest and robbed him of his sleep. ² So he ordered that the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans^[h] be summoned to interpret the dream for him. When they came and presented themselves to the king, ³ he said to them, “I had a dream which will allow my spirit no rest until I know what it means.” ⁴ The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic:^[i] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream and we will give its meaning.” ⁵ The king answered the Chaldeans, “This is what I have decided: unless you tell me the dream and its meaning, you shall be cut to pieces and your houses made into a refuse heap. ⁶ But if you tell me the dream and its meaning, you shall receive from me gifts and presents and great honors. Therefore tell me the dream and its meaning.”

⁷ Again they answered, “Let the king tell his servants the dream and we will give its meaning.” ⁸ But the king replied: “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, since you know what I have decided. ⁹ If you do not tell me the dream, there can be but one decree for you. You have conspired to present a false and deceitful interpretation to me until the crisis is past. Tell me the dream, therefore, that I may be sure that you can also give its correct interpretation.”

¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered the king: “There is not a man on earth who can do what you ask, O king; never has any king, however great and mighty, asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or Chaldean. ¹¹ What you demand, O king, is too difficult; there is no one who can tell it to the king except the gods, who do not dwell among people of flesh.” ¹² At this the king became violently angry and ordered all the wise men^[j] of Babylon to be put to death. ¹³ When the decree was issued that the wise men should be slain, Daniel and his companions were also sought out.

¹⁴ Then Daniel prudently took counsel with Arioch, the chief of the king’s guard, who had set out to kill the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁵ He asked Arioch, the officer of the king, “What is the reason for this harsh order from the king?” When Arioch told him, ¹⁶ Daniel went and asked for time from the king, that he might give him the interpretation.

¹⁷ Daniel went home and informed his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹⁸ that they might implore the mercy of the God of heaven in regard to this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven:

²⁴ So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not put the wise men of Babylon to death. Bring me before the king, and I will tell him the interpretation of the dream.” Arioch quickly brought Daniel to the king and said, ²⁵ “I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can give the interpretation to the king.” ²⁶ The king asked Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Can you tell me the dream that I had and its meaning?” ²⁷ In the king’s presence Daniel made this reply:

“The mystery about which the king has inquired, the wise men, enchanters, magicians, and diviners could not explain to the king. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in the last days; this was your dream, the visions^[k] you saw as you lay in bed. ²⁹ To you in your bed there came thoughts about what should happen in the future, and he who reveals mysteries showed you what is to be. ³⁰ To me also this mystery has been revealed; not that I am wiser than any other living person, but in order that its meaning may be made known to the king, that you may understand the thoughts of your own mind.

³¹ “In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you. ³² Its head was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs bronze, ³³ its legs iron, its feet partly iron and partly clay.^{[l] 34} While you watched, a stone was hewn from a mountain without a hand being put to it, and it struck its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. ³⁵ The iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once, fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer, and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

^36 [m]“This was the dream; the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence. ³⁷ You, O king, are the king of kings; to you the God of heaven has given dominion and strength, power and glory; ³⁸ human beings, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell, he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all; you are the head of gold. ³⁹ Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours, then a third kingdom, of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth. ⁴⁰ There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others, just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else. ⁴¹ The feet and toes you saw, partly of clay and partly of iron, mean that it shall be a divided kingdom, but yet have some of the hardness of iron. As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile, ⁴² and the toes partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. ⁴³ The iron mixed with clay means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage, but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay. ⁴⁴ In the lifetime of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever. ^45 (E)That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain without a hand being put to it, which broke in pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down and worshiped Daniel and ordered sacrifice and incense offered to him. ⁴⁷ To Daniel the king said, “Truly your God is the God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries; that is why you were able to reveal this mystery.” ⁴⁸ He advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents, made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ At Daniel’s request the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators of the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the king’s court.

Chapter 3

The Fiery Furnace. ¹ King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, which he set up in the plain of Dura^[n] in the province of Babylon. ² He then ordered the satraps,^[o] prefects, and governors, the counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the officials of the provinces to be summoned to the dedication of the statue which he had set up. ³ The satraps, prefects, and governors, the counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the officials of the provinces came together for the dedication and stood before the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ A herald cried out: “Nations and peoples of every language, ^5 [p]when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, you must fall down and worship the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be instantly cast into a white-hot furnace.” ⁷ Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, the nations and peoples of every language all fell down and worshiped the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At that point, some of the Chaldeans came and accused the Jews ⁹ to King Nebuchadnezzar: “O king, live forever! ¹⁰ O king, you issued a decree that everyone who heard the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, and double-flute, and all the other musical instruments should fall down and worship the golden statue; ¹¹ whoever did not was to be cast into a white-hot furnace. ¹² There are certain Jews whom you have made administrators of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have paid no attention to you; they will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”

¹³ Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and sent for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were promptly brought before the king. ¹⁴ King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? ¹⁵ Now, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I made, whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, then all will be well;^[q] if not, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?” ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If our God, whom we serve, can save us^[r] from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! ¹⁸ But even if he will not, you should know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”

¹⁹ Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual ²⁰ and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. ²¹ They were bound and cast into the white-hot furnace with their trousers, shirts, hats and other garments, ²² for the king’s order was urgent. So huge a fire was kindled in the furnace that the flames devoured the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into it. ²³ But these three fell, bound, into the midst of the white-hot furnace.

Prayer of Azariah.^{[s] 24} They walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord. ²⁵ Azariah^[t] stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud:

⁴⁶ Now the king’s servants who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brush. ⁴⁷ The flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, ⁴⁸ and spread out, burning the Chaldeans that it caught around the furnace. ⁴⁹ But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, ⁵⁰ and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. ⁵¹ Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:

Deliverance from the Furnace. ⁹¹ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and rose in haste, asking his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Certainly, O king,” they answered. ⁹² “But,” he replied, “I see four men unbound and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” ⁹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar came to the opening of the white-hot furnace and called: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out.” Thereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. ⁹⁴ When the satraps, prefects, governors, and counselors of the king came together, they saw that the fire had had no power over the bodies of these men; not a hair of their heads had been singed, nor were their garments altered; there was not even a smell of fire about them. ⁹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ⁹⁶ Therefore I decree for nations and peoples of every language that whoever blasphemes the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut to pieces and his house made into a refuse heap. For there is no other God who can rescue like this.” ⁹⁷ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

^98 [u]King Nebuchadnezzar to the nations and peoples of every language, wherever they dwell on earth: May your peace abound! ⁹⁹ It has seemed good to me to publish the signs and wonders which the Most High God has accomplished in my regard.

Chapter 4

Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness. ¹ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, content and prosperous. ² I had a terrifying dream as I lay in bed, and the images and my visions frightened me. ³ So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me to give the interpretation of the dream. ⁴ When the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners had come in, I related the dream before them; but none of them could tell me its meaning. ⁵ Finally there came before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god,^[v] and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods.^(H) I repeated the dream to him: ⁶ “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you; this is the dream that I saw, tell me its meaning.

⁷ “These were the visions I saw while in bed: I saw a tree of great height at the center of the earth. ⁸ It was large and strong, with its top touching the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the earth. ⁹ Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, providing food for all. Under it the wild beasts found shade, in its branches the birds of the air nested; all flesh ate of it. ¹⁰ In the vision I saw while in bed, a holy watcher^[w] came down from heaven ¹¹ and cried aloud in these words:

¹⁵ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning. None of the wise men in my kingdom can tell me the meaning, but you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

¹⁶ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a time, dismayed by his thoughts. “Belteshazzar,” the king said to him, “do not let the dream or its meaning dismay you.” “My lord,” Belteshazzar replied, “may this dream be for your enemies, and its meaning for your foes. ¹⁷ The tree that you saw, large and strong, its top touching the heavens, that could be seen by the whole earth, ¹⁸ its leaves beautiful, its fruit abundant, providing food for all, under which the wild beasts lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air dwelt— ¹⁹ you are that tree, O king, large and strong! Your majesty has become so great as to touch the heavens, and your rule reaches to the ends of the earth. ²⁰ As for the king’s vision of a holy watcher, who came down from heaven and proclaimed: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump in the earth. Bound with iron and bronze, let him be fed with the grass of the field, and bathed with the dew of heaven; let his lot be with wild beasts till seven years pass over him’— ²¹ here is its meaning, O king, here is the sentence that the Most High has passed upon my lord king: ^22 (J)You shall be cast out from human society and dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to eat like an ox and be bathed with the dew of heaven; seven years shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingship and gives it to whom he will. ²³ The command that the stump of the tree is to be left means that your kingdom shall be preserved for you, once you have learned that heaven is sovereign. ²⁴ Therefore, O king, may my advice be acceptable to you; atone for your sins by good deeds,^[x] and for your misdeeds by kindness to the poor; then your contentment will be long lasting.”

²⁵ All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁶ Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, ²⁷ the king said, “Babylon the great! Was it not I, with my great strength, who built it as a royal residence for my splendor and majesty?” ²⁸ While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice spoke from heaven, “It has been decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingship is taken from you! ²⁹ You shall be cast out from human society, and shall dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to eat like an ox, and seven years shall pass over you, until you learn that the Most High is sovereign over human kingship and gives it to whom he will.” ^30 [y]At once this was fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar was cast out from human society, he ate grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle, and his nails like the claws of a bird.

³¹ When this period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes to heaven; my reason was restored to me, and I blessed the Most High, I praised and glorified the One who lives forever,

³³ At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles sought me out; I was restored to my kingdom and became much greater than before. ³⁴ Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, all of whose works are right and ways just; and who is able to humble those who walk in pride.

Chapter 5

The Writing on the Wall. ¹ King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank. ² Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,^[z] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ When the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, had been brought in, and while the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines were drinking ⁴ wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

⁵ Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote, ⁶ his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. ⁷ The king shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought in. “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means,” he said to the wise men of Babylon, “shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around his neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.” ⁸ But though all the king’s wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified; his face became pale, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.

¹⁰ When the queen heard of the discussion between the king and his nobles, she entered the banquet hall and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face become so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; during the lifetime of your father he showed brilliant insight and god-like wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. ¹² Because this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has shown an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight in interpreting dreams, explaining riddles and solving problems, let him now be summoned to tell you what this means.”

¹³ Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you have shown brilliant insight and extraordinary wisdom. ¹⁵ The wise men and enchanters were brought in to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning, but they could not say what the words meant. ¹⁶ But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems; now, if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means. ¹⁸ The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, splendor, and majesty. ¹⁹ Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he willed, he would kill or let live; whomever he willed, he would exalt or humble. ²⁰ But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory; ^21 (L)he was cast out from human society and his heart was made like that of a beast; he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingship and sets over it whom he will. ²² You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; ²³ you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. ²⁴ By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down.

²⁵ “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Tekel, and Peres.^[aa] These words mean: ^26 [ab]Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; ²⁷ Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed him third in governing the kingdom. ³⁰ That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain:

Chapter 6

¹ And Darius the Mede^[ac] succeeded to the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

The Lions’ Den. ² Darius decided to appoint over his entire kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps. ³ These were accountable to three ministers, one of whom was Daniel; the satraps reported to them, so that the king should suffer no loss. ⁴ Daniel outshone all the ministers and satraps because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king considered setting him over the entire kingdom. ⁵ Then the ministers and satraps tried to find grounds for accusation against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could not accuse him of any corruption. Because he was trustworthy, no fault or corruption was to be found in him. ⁶ Then these men said to themselves, “We shall find no grounds for accusation against this Daniel except in connection with the law of his God.” ⁷ So these ministers and satraps stormed in to the king and said to him, “King Darius, live forever! ^8 [ad](M)All the ministers of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors agree that the following prohibition ought to be put in force by royal decree: for thirty days, whoever makes a petition to anyone, divine or human, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. ⁹ Now, O king, let the prohibition be issued over your signature, immutable and irrevocable^[ae] according to the law of the Medes and Persians.” ¹⁰ So King Darius signed the prohibition into law.

¹¹ Even after Daniel heard that this law had been signed, he continued his custom of going home to kneel in prayer and give thanks to his God in the upper chamber three times a day, with the windows open toward Jerusalem. ¹² So these men stormed in and found Daniel praying and pleading before his God. ¹³ Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition: “Did you not sign a decree, O king, that for thirty days, whoever makes a petition to anyone, divine or human, except to you, O king, shall be cast into a den of lions?” The king answered them, “The decree is absolute, irrevocable under the law of the Medes and Persians.” ¹⁴ To this they replied, “Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, has paid no attention to you, O king, or to the prohibition you signed; three times a day he offers his prayer.” ¹⁵ The king was deeply grieved at this news and he made up his mind to save Daniel; he worked till sunset to rescue him. ¹⁶ But these men pressed the king. “Keep in mind, O king,” they said, “that under the law of the Medes and Persians every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.” ¹⁷ So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.^[af] To Daniel he said, “Your God, whom you serve so constantly, must save you.” ¹⁸ To forestall any tampering, the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.

¹⁹ Then the king returned to his palace for the night; he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers. Since sleep was impossible for him, ²⁰ the king rose very early the next morning and hastened to the lions’ den. ²¹ As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve so constantly been able to save you from the lions?” ²² Daniel answered the king: “O king, live forever! ²³ My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me.^(N) For I have been found innocent before him; neither have I done you any harm, O king!” ²⁴ This gave the king great joy. At his order Daniel was brought up from the den; he was found to be unharmed because he trusted in his God. ²⁵ The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel, along with their children and their wives, to be cast into the lions’ den. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁶ Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language, wherever they dwell on the earth: “May your peace abound! ²⁷ I decree that throughout my royal domain the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

²⁹ So Daniel fared well during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.^(O)