The Plot against Daniel 1 UST King Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps to govern the different parts of his kingdom. BSB BSB: Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
2 UST He also appointed three sareks to supervise those satraps. To make sure that none of them cheated the king, those satraps had to give them regular accounts of their work. Daniel was one of the sareks. BSB BSB: and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss.
3 UST Daniel had very good character, so he soon showed that he was more capable than all the satraps and the other sareks. As a result, the king planned to put him in charge of the whole 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 UST Then the satraps and other sareks tried to find something they could accuse Daniel of doing wrong in his work for the king. But Daniel was very reliable, so he had not done anything negligent or corrupt. So the other royal officials could not find anything they could accuse him of doing wrong. 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 UST So they concluded,“The only thing we will find to accuse Daniel about will be something that he has to do to obey his God.” 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 UST So the sareks and satraps went together to the king and told him,“King Darius, we hope that you will live for a very long time! BSB BSB: So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
7 UST All of your sareks, rulers satraps, counselors, and governors have agreed that you should make a law and enforce it strictly. Your Majesty, the law would be that for the next 30 days, no one may ask any god or man except you for anything. If anyone does that, your servants will throw him into a pit full of 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 UST So, Your Majesty, please make this law. Have one of your scribes write it out, and then sign it. No one will then be able to change it, because the laws of the Medes and Persians are permanent.” 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 UST So King Darius made the law, and when one of his scribes wrote it out, he signed it. BSB BSB: Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den 10 UST When Daniel learned that the king had made that law and signed it, he went home. He went to his upstairs room and opened the windows so that he could look toward Jerusalem. He knelt down and prayed and gave thanks to God. He did that three times each day, just as he had done before. 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 UST Then the royal officials came to his house together, and they saw that he was praying to God and asking him to help him. BSB BSB: Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.
12 UST So they went back to the king and talked with him about the law he had made. They said,“Your Majesty, you signed a law that for the next 30 days, no one may ask any god or man except you for anything. The law said that if anyone did that, your servants would throw him into a pit full of lions.” The king replied,“Yes, I made that law. And the laws of the Medes and Persians are permanent.” 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 UST Then they told the king,“Your Majesty, that man Daniel, who is one of the Judeans whom our soldiers brought here as prisoners, is disregarding you. He is not obeying the law that you signed. He is still praying 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 UST When the king heard that, it distressed him greatly. He determined to save Daniel. For the rest of that day, he tried hard to find a way to rescue him. 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 UST But in the evening, those royal officials went back to the king together and told him,“Your Majesty, you know what our Median and Persian laws require. If the king makes any rule or law, no one can change it.” 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 UST So the king gave a command, and his servants brought Daniel to him. The king told him,“I hope that your God, whom you obey so faithfully, will rescue you!” Then the servants threw Daniel into a pit full of lions. 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 UST They put a large stone across the top of the pit. Then the king sealed the stone with the ring he wore that had his royal seal on it. His nobles also sealed it with their rings. That kept anyone from removing the stone and rescuing 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 UST Then the king returned to his palace.{ To show how sorry he was for Daniel,} he did not eat any food that evening, and he did not have anyone play music for him. He did not sleep that night. 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 UST As soon as it became light the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit of lions. BSB BSB: At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.
20 UST As he arrived at the pit where Daniel was, he cried out in distress. He said,“Daniel, the God whom you worship is really alive! Has your God, whom you obey so faithfully, been 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 UST Daniel responded,“Your Majesty, I hope that you will live for a very long time! BSB BSB: Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!
22 UST Yes, my God sent an angel to keep the lions from harming me. They did not hurt me at all. God rescued me because he knows that I did not do anything sinful. He also knows that I have not done anything that hurt you, Your Majesty!” 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 UST This made the king very happy. He commanded his servants to lift Daniel up out of the pit. When they did that, they saw that the lions had not wounded him at all. Daniel had trusted God, and so God had protected 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 UST Then the king commanded his soldiers to arrest the men who had said bad things about Daniel. They threw them into the pit where the lions were. They also threw in their wives and children. While they were still tumbling toward the bottom of the pit, the lions leaped on them and tore them apart. 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 UST Then King Darius sent a letter to the people who lived in his empire. They were from many different nations and groups, and they spoke many different languages. He wrote,“I hope that all is 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 UST I am making a decree that throughout my empire, people should show great respect to the God whom Daniel worships. He is the God who is really alive, and he lives forever. No one will ever destroy his kingdom; he will rule forever. 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 UST He certainly rescues{ people who trust him}. He performs great miracles in heaven and on earth. He rescued Daniel by keeping the lions from attacking him!” 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 UST After this, Daniel was successful for the rest of the time that Darius was king. He was also successful during the time when Cyrus the Persian was king. 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.