¹ It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps -- a hundred and twenty -- that they may be throughout the whole kingdom,

² and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel [is] first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss.

³ Then this Daniel hath been overseer over the presidents and satraps, because that an excellent spirit [is] in him, and the king hath thought to establish him over the whole kingdom.

⁴ Then the presidents and satraps have been seeking to find a cause of complaint against Daniel concerning the kingdom, and any cause of complaint and corruption they are not able to find, because that he [is] faithful, and any error and corruption have not been found in him.

⁵ Then these men are saying, `We do not find against this Daniel any cause of complaint, except we have found [it] against him in the law of his God.'

⁶ Then these presidents and satraps have assembled near the king, and thus they are saying to him: `O king Darius, to the ages live!

⁷ Taken counsel have all the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors, to establish a royal statute, and to strengthen an interdict, that any who seeketh a petition from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions.

⁸ Now, O king, thou dost establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it is not to be changed, as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.'

⁹ Therefore king Darius hath signed the writing and interdict.

¹⁰ And Daniel, when he hath known that the writing is signed, hath gone up to his house, and the window being opened for him, in his upper chamber, over-against Jerusalem, three times in a day he is kneeling on his knees, and praying, and confessing before his God, because that he was doing [it] before this.

¹¹ Then these men have assembled, and found Daniel praying and entreating grace before his God;

¹² then they have come near, yea, they are saying before the king concerning the king's interdict: `Hast thou not signed an interdict, that any man who seeketh from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions?' Answered hath the king, and said, `The thing [is] certain as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.'

¹³ Then they have answered, yea, they are saying before the king, that, `Daniel, who [is] of the sons of the Removed of Judah, hath not placed on thee, O king, [any] regard, nor on the interdict that thou hast signed, and three times in a day he is seeking his petition.'

¹⁴ Then the king, when he hath heard the matter, is greatly displeased at himself, and on Daniel he hath set the heart to deliver him, and till the going up of the sun he was arranging to deliver him.

¹⁵ Then these men have assembled near the king, and are saying to the king, `know, O king, that the law of Media and Persia [is]: That any interdict and statute that the king doth establish is not to be changed.'

¹⁶ Then the king hath said, and they have brought Daniel, and have cast [him] into a den of lions. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, `Thy God, whom thou art serving continually, Himself doth deliver thee.'

¹⁷ And a stone hath been brought and placed at the mouth of the den, and the king hath sealed it with his signet, and with the signet of his great men, that the purpose be not changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸ Then hath the king gone to his palace, and he hath passed the night fasting, and dahavan have not been brought up before him, and his sleep hath fled [from] off him.

¹⁹ Then doth the king rise in the early morning, at the light, and in haste to the den of lions he hath gone;

²⁰ and at his coming near to the den, to Daniel, with a grieved voice, he crieth. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, thy God, whom thou art serving continually, is He able to deliver thee from the lions?'

²¹ Then Daniel hath spoken with the king: `O king, to the ages live:

²² my God hath sent His messenger, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not injured me: because that before Him purity hath been found in me; and also before thee, O king, injury I have not done.'

²³ Then was the king very glad for him, and he hath commanded Daniel to be taken up out of the den, and Daniel hath been taken up out of the den, and no injury hath been found in him, because he hath believed in his God.

²⁴ And the king hath said, and they have brought those men who had accused Daniel, and to the den of lions they have cast them, they, their sons, and their wives; and they have not come to the lower part of the den till that the lions have power over them, and all their bones they have broken small.

²⁵ Then Darius the king hath written to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the land: `Your peace be great!

²⁶ From before me is made a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom they are trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for He [is] the living God, and abiding to the ages, and His kingdom that which [is] not destroyed, and His dominion [is] unto the end.

²⁷ A deliverer, and rescuer, and doer of signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth [is] He who hath delivered Daniel from the paw of the lions.'

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

¹ And it came to pass in Iconium, that they did enter together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spake, so that there believed both of Jews and Greeks a great multitude;

² and the unbelieving Jews did stir up and made evil the souls of the nations against the brethren;

³ long time, indeed, therefore, did they abide speaking boldly in the Lord, who is testifying to the word of His grace, and granting signs and wonders to come to pass through their hands.

⁴ And the multitude of the city was divided, and some were with the Jews, and some with the apostles,

⁵ and when there was a purpose both of the nations and of the Jews with their rulers to use [them] despitefully, and to stone them,

⁶ they having become aware, did flee to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe, and to the region round about,

⁷ and there they were proclaiming good news.

⁸ And a certain man in Lystra, impotent in the feet, was sitting, being lame from the womb of his mother -- who never had walked,

⁹ this one was hearing Paul speaking, who, having stedfastly beheld him, and having seen that he hath faith to be saved,

¹⁰ said with a loud voice, `Stand up on thy feet upright;' and he was springing and walking,

¹¹ and the multitudes having seen what Paul did, did lift up their voice, in the speech of Lycaonia, saying, `The gods, having become like men, did come down unto us;'

¹² they were calling also Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the leader in speaking.

¹³ And the priest of the Zeus that is before their city, oxen and garlands unto the porches having brought, with the multitudes did wish to sacrifice,

¹⁴ and having heard, the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having rent their garments, did spring into the multitude, crying

¹⁵ and saying, `Men, why these things do ye? and we are men like-affected with you, proclaiming good news to you, from these vanities to turn unto the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them;

¹⁶ who in the past generations did suffer all the nations to go on in their ways,

¹⁷ though, indeed, without witness He did not leave himself, doing good -- from heaven giving rains to us, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness;'

¹⁸ and these things saying, scarcely did they restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ And there came thither, from Antioch and Iconium, Jews, and they having persuaded the multitudes, and having stoned Paul, drew him outside of the city, having supposed him to be dead;

²⁰ and the disciples having surrounded him, having risen he entered into the city, and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe.

²¹ Having proclaimed good news also to that city, and having discipled many, they turned back to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch,

²² confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting to remain in the faith, and that through many tribulations it behoveth us to enter into the reign of God,

²³ and having appointed to them by vote elders in every assembly, having prayed with fastings, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ And having passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia,

²⁵ and having spoken in Perga the word, they went down to Attalia,

²⁶ and thence did sail to Antioch, whence they had been given by the grace of God for the work that they fulfilled;

²⁷ and having come and gathered together the assembly, they declared as many things as God did with them, and that He did open to the nations a door of faith;

²⁸ and they abode there not a little time with the disciples.