The Plot against Daniel 1 UDB King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province. BSB BSB: Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
2 UDB The king also appointed three administrators, one of whom was Daniel. These chief administrators were to supervise the provincial governors, give oversight so that the king's orders were followed, and ensure that the king would not have anything stolen from his treasuries. BSB BSB: and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss.
3 UDB Daniel was a very capable leader and an exceptional person, and he distinguished himself among the chief administrators. The king made plans to appoint Daniel over his entire kingdom. BSB BSB: Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 UDB Then the other administrators and the governors became jealous. So they began to search to find some way that they could criticize the work Daniel did when he was working for the king. But he always did his work faithfully and honestly. They could not find anything to criticize. He was honest and worked hard. BSB BSB: Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
5 UDB They began their plot against Daniel: "The only way we can find a reason to criticize Daniel will be to use his obedience to the law of his God against him." BSB BSB: Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
6 UDB So the administrators and governors put their plan in place by going as a group to the king and saying, "Your Majesty, may you live forever! BSB BSB: So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
7 UDB All of the chief administrators and regional governors and provincial governors and advisors and other governors have agreed that you should make a law that everyone must obey. We want you to command that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you and to no god or person other than you. If anyone prays to anyone else, he must be thrown into a pit filled with lions. BSB BSB: All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.
8 UDB Because laws made in the lands of Media and Persia cannot be changed, we want you, the king, to issue the law and sign your name on the document." BSB BSB: Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
9 UDB So King Darius issued the law and signed the document. BSB BSB: Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den 10 UDB When Daniel found out that the king had written and signed that law, he went home, knelt in his upstairs room, and prayed. The room had a window that looked toward Jerusalem and the windows were open. Anyone could see that he was praying. This is what he did every day, three times a day. BSB BSB: Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
11 UDB The officials followed their plot against Daniel, and they found him praying and asking God for help. BSB BSB: Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.
12 UDB So they returned to the king and said to him, "Is it true that you wrote a law stating that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you and that if anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he will be thrown into a pit of lions?" The king replied, "Yes, that is the law that I wrote. It is a law in the lands of Media and Persia that cannot be changed." BSB BSB: So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”
13 UDB Then they said to the king, "That man Daniel, one of the men who was brought from Judah, is not paying any attention to you or the law that you signed. He prays to his God three times each day!" BSB BSB: Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.”
14 UDB When the king heard that, he was very upset about it. He tried to find a way to save Daniel. He worked hard for the rest of that day until the sun set, trying to find a way to save Daniel. BSB BSB: As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.
15 UDB In the evening, many of those who formed the plot against Daniel spoke to the king, "You know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that no one can change the king's commands." BSB BSB: Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”
16 UDB Hearing this, the king gave the order, and his servants brought Daniel and threw him into a pit where the lions were. Before they threw him in, the king said to Daniel, "I hope your God, whom you worship all the time, will rescue you!" BSB BSB: So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
17 UDB They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the pit. Then the king sealed the entrance with his signet ring, and the other officials also sealed the entrance with their signet rings, so that nothing could be done for Daniel. BSB BSB: A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed.
18 UDB The king returned to his palace. That night he refused to eat any food. He would not allow anyone to entertain him, and that night he was unable to sleep. BSB BSB: Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
19 UDB At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were. BSB BSB: At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.
20 UDB When he came near it, he was very worried. He called out, fearing the worst: "Daniel, you who serve the living God! Was your God—whom you worship always—able to save you from the lions?" BSB BSB: When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 UDB Daniel answered, "O king, may you live forever! BSB BSB: Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!
22 UDB Yes, my God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths and they have not hurt me! He knows that I have done nothing wrong, and you know, O king, I never did anything wrong to you either!" BSB BSB: My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”
23 UDB The king was extremely happy, and he commanded his servants to lift Daniel out of the pit. When they did that, they saw that the lions had not wounded him at all. God had protected him because he trusted in him. BSB BSB: The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 UDB Then the king commanded that the men who had accused Daniel be seized and thrown into the pit of lions—along with their wives and children. When they were thrown into the pit, the lions leaped on them and crushed their bones before they fell to the bottom of the pit. BSB BSB: At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God 25 UDB Then King Darius wrote this message and sent it throughout his kingdom to all people, every nation, and every person no matter what language they spoke: "I wish that all things go very well with you! BSB BSB: Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound.
26 UDB I command that everyone in my kingdom should fear and revere the God that Daniel worships. He is the living God, and he will live forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; he will rule until the end. BSB BSB: I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.
27 UDB He rescues and saves his people; he performs all kinds of signs and wonders in heaven and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!" BSB BSB: He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 UDB So Daniel was very successful all during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, the king of Persia, ruled. BSB BSB: So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.