5. Then these men said, We shall never find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him in the law of his God.
6. Then these governors and presidents assembled together before the king and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7. All the presidents of the kingdom, magistrates, governors, great ones, and captains have agreed in common accord to promote a royal decree and to confirm it that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8. Now, O king, confirm the decree and sign the writing that it not be moved, according to the law of Media and of Persia, which does not change.
9. Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he entered into his house; and with the windows open toward Jerusalem in his dining chamber, he knelt three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he was used to doing before.
11. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12. Then they went and spoke before the king concerning the royal decree; Hast thou not confirmed a decree that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Media and Persia, which does not change.
13. Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the sons of the captivity of the Jews, has not regarded thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast confirmed, but makes his petition three times a day.
14. When the king, heard the matter, it weighed very heavy upon him, and he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured until the going down of the sun to deliver him.