Daniel

¹It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty satraps, which should be throughout the whole kingdom; ²and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. ³Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. ⁴Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. ⁵Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. ⁶Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. ⁷All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, 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.