was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these
men, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we
find it against him concerning the law of his God."

Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and
said thus unto him: "King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of
the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the
governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and
to make a strong decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any
god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast
into the den of lions. 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 altereth not."

Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. And when
Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now
his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled
upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before
his God, as he did before. Then these men assembled together, and
found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 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 make
petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O
king, shall be cast into the den of lions?"

{208}

The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law
of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

Then answered they and said before the king, "That Daniel, which 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."

Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set
his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down
of the sun to rescue him. Then these men assembled together unto the
king, and said unto the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the
Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king
establisheth may be changed."

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into
the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said unto Daniel, "Thy God
whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee."

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 sign