¹ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom;

² and over these, three presidents -- of whom Daniel was one -- to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.

³ Now this Daniel surpassed the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to appoint him over the whole realm.

⁴ Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

⁵ Then said these men, We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find [it] against him touching the law of his God.

⁶ Then these presidents and satraps came in a body to the king, and said thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever!

⁷ All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever 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, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.

⁹ Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

¹⁰ And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

¹¹ But those men came in a body, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

¹² Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask [anything] of any god or man within thirty days, except 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 Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.

¹³ Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore distressed thereby, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

¹⁵ Then these men came in a body unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast [him] into the den of lions. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will save thee.

¹⁷ And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his nobles, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were concubines brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then the king arose with the light at break of day, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

²⁰ And when he came near unto the den, he cried with a mournful voice unto Daniel: the king spoke and said unto Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God whom thou servest continually been able to save thee from the lions?

²¹ Then Daniel spoke unto the king, O king, live for ever!

²² My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

²³ Thereupon was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

²⁴ And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces ere they came to the bottom of the den.

²⁵ Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

²⁶ I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

²⁷ He saveth and delivereth, and he worketh signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth: who hath saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

²⁸ And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

¹ I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

² I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."

³ "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David, my servant,

⁴ 'I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah.

⁵ The heavens will praise your wonders, Yahweh; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh,

⁷ a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him?

⁸ Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.

⁹ You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.

¹⁰ You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

¹¹ The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours; the world and its fullness. You have founded them.

¹² The north and the south, you have created them. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.

¹³ You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.

¹⁵ Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you. They walk in the light of your presence, Yahweh.

¹⁶ In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.

¹⁷ For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.

¹⁸ For our shield belongs to Yahweh; our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Then you spoke in vision to your saints, and said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.

²⁰ I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,

²¹ with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.

²² No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.

²³ I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.

²⁴ But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.

²⁵ I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.

²⁶ He will call to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!'

²⁷ I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸ I will keep my loving kindness for him forevermore. My covenant will stand firm with him.

²⁹ I will also make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

³⁰ If his children forsake my law, and don't walk in my ordinances;

³¹ if they break my statutes, and don't keep my commandments;

³² then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

³³ But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.

³⁴ I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.

³⁵ Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.

³⁶ His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.

³⁷ It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah.

³⁸ But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.

³⁹ You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.

⁴⁰ You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

⁴¹ All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors.

⁴² You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.

⁴³ Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, and haven't supported him in battle.

⁴⁴ You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground.

⁴⁵ You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.

⁴⁶ How long, Yahweh? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷ Remember how short my time is! For what vanity have you created all the children of men!

⁴⁸ What man is he who shall live and not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

⁴⁹ Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?

⁵⁰ Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,

⁵¹ With which your enemies have mocked, Yahweh, with which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.

⁵² Blessed be Yahweh forevermore. Amen, and Amen. BOOK IV A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.