Daniel in the Lion's Den

Daniel 6

     The people of Judah were captured by the armies of Babylon. One of the people captured was Daniel, who was a prince of Judah and God's prophet.

     When King Darius of Persia conquered the kingdom of Babylon, he chose a hundred and twenty men to help him govern. Then he set three men up as presidents of the huge kingdom. One of these was Daniel.

     The other officials became jealous because Daniel did better work. They planned a way to get rid of him. They convinced Darius to send out word to all his kingdom that nobody could pray to anyone except the king for thirty days. For that whole month nobody was supposed to pray to God.

     Daniel learned about this order. Nevertheless every morning and every noon and every night he went to a room upstairs in his house. As usual, he got on his knees and bowed to God and prayed.  

     The jealous men spied on Daniel. Through an upstairs window they saw him praying. Then they rushed to Darius. O, king," they said, "didn't you say that anyone who broke this rule would be thrown into a pit full of lions?" The king agreed. "Well, we saw Daniel praying!"

     The king was very upset. He loved Daniel, and tried to find a way out of the rule. But the same men who spied came and said, "O king, you know that the Persian law can't be changed.

     So Darius called Daniel and told him he had to go into the lions' den. "Your God, whom you are so faithful to, will have to save you," he said. "You are a good man. I do not want you to be killed. But the law is the law."

     Then at sunset the king had his soldiers throw Daniel into the lions' cave. A huge stone had been rolled in front of the door, so Daniel could not escape. Then the king went to his room, but he couldn't sleep.

     At sunrise Darius ran to the lions' cave. As he got close, he cried, "O Daniel, God's servant! You have never stopped serving you God! Has God been able to save you from the lions?"

     Daniel called, "Live forever, O good king Darius! God shut the lions' mouths so they could not hurt me. God knew I had done no wrong to God or to you."

     Darius was full of joy. He had Daniel taken out of the lions' den, and the soldiers who pulled him out saw that he didn't have even a scratch on him.

     Then the king sent a message to every city in his kingdom, saying, "In my kingdom people should fear and respect the Lord God whom Daniel worships. God's kingdom will last forever! God does miracles and saves people. God has saved Daniel from lions."