Study Desk

Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him regarding the law of his God."

Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously.

Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor before his God.

Then they responded and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps offering his prayer three times a day."

Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him.

Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "Your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you."

And a stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed regarding Daniel.

And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?"

Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever!

Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they threw them, their children, and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

"I issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever.

"He rescues, saves, and performs signs and miracles In heaven and on earth, He who has also rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and told the following summary of it.

Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

"As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

"At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face became pale, but I kept the matter to myself."

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously.

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man.