7. All the officials, governors, satraps, advisers, and mayors agree that the king should make a statute and enforce a decree. The decree should state that for the next 30 days whoever asks for anything from any god or person except you, Your Majesty, will be thrown into a lions’ den.
8. Your Majesty, issue this decree, and sign it. According to the law of the Medes and Persians no one could change it or repeal it.”
9. So Darius signed the written decree.
10. When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. An upper room in his house had windows that opened in the direction of Jerusalem. Three times each day he got down on his knees and prayed to his God. He had always praised God this way.
11. One of those times the men came in as a group and found Daniel praying and pleading to his God.
12. Then they went and spoke to the king about his decree. ⌊They asked,⌋ “Didn’t you sign a decree which stated that for 30 days whoever asks for anything from any god or person except you, Your Majesty, will be thrown into a lions’ den?”The king answered, “That’s true. According to the law of the Medes and Persians the decree can’t be repealed.”
13. They replied, “Your Majesty, Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, refuses to obey your order or the decree that you signed. He prays three times each day.”
14. The king was very displeased when he heard this. He tried every way he could think of to save Daniel. Until sundown he did everything he could to rescue him.
15. Then Daniel’s accusers gathered in front of the king. They said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, the Medes and Persians have a law that no decree or statute the king makes can be changed.”
16. So the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought to him and thrown into the lions’ den. The king told Daniel, “May your God, whom you always worship, save you!”
17. A stone was brought and placed over the opening of the den. The king put his seal on the stone, using his ring and the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation could not be changed.
18. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night without food or company. He couldn’t get to sleep.
19. At dawn, as soon as it was light, the king got up and quickly went to the lions’ den.