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b'ESV \\xa0Daniel 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;\\xa02 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.\\xa03 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.\\xa04 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.\\xa05 Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."\\xa06 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever!\\xa07 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.\\xa08 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked."\\xa09 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.\\xa010 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.\\xa011 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.\\xa012 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."\\xa013 Then they answered and said before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."\\xa014 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.\\xa015 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."\\xa016 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!"\\xa017 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.\\xa018 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.\\xa019 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.\\xa020 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"\\xa021 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!\\xa022 My God sent his angel and shut the lions\' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm."\\xa023 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in'