¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; ^(A)no diversions were brought to him, and ^(B)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of ^(C)the living God, ^(D)has your God, whom you serve continually, ^(E)been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, ^(F)“O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(G)sent his angel ^(H)and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^(I)before him; ^(J)and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 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 ^(K)no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁴ And the king commanded, and ^(L)those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.