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.