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1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning 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.

5 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.

6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, 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, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 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.

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

13 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.

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

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

17 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 signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

<html><b>And Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two</b> Why does he count his years? To tell you that on the day that Nebuchadnezzar entered the Heichal in the days of Jehoiachin, his adversary, Darius, was born (Seder Olam ch. 28). From the exile of Jeconiah until now were sixty-two years, and the master said: They were exiled in the days of Jehoiachin in the seventh year counting from the conquest of Jehoiakim, which is eight years after the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. There remained to Nebuchadnezzar’s reign thirty-seven years, for he reigned forty-five years, and twenty-three of Evil-merodach’s, as our Sages stated in Tractate Megillah (11b), and the two years of Belshazzar that passed, totaling sixty-two.</html>

<html><b>And over them</b> [as translated,] and over them. <b>that these satraps should give them counsel</b> that these satraps should give counsel to the three viziers. <b>and the king should not suffer any injury</b> And the king should not suffer any loss in any royal matter that is incumbent upon them to perform.</html>

<html><b>this Daniel</b> [as translated,] this Daniel. <b>surpassed</b> [as translated,] surpassed. <b>and the king contemplated</b> The king was thinking in his heart to set him up over all of them.</html>

<html><b>sought to find a pretext</b> They were seeking a pretext to find about Daniel in matters of the kingdom so that they could inform on him.</html>

<html><b>No pretext can be found</b> They said among themselves, “No pretext can be found about this Daniel.” <b>but we shall find [a pretext] against him</b> but we shall find a pretext against him through the law of his God if we ask the king to issue some decree to cause him to transgress His law, and he will not fulfill the king’s command; and this is the pretext.</html>

<html><b>assembled</b> Aram. הַרְגִּישׁוּ, they approached the king.</html>

<html><b>have taken counsel</b> [as translated,] have taken counsel. <b>to preserve the king’s law</b> to preserve the king’s law with power because you have recently ascended the throne. [Moreover], you are from another country and are in need of support. <b>make any request</b> [as translated,] make any request. <b>except from you, O King</b> [as translated,] except from you, O King. <b>into a pit of lions</b> into the pit where the king’s lions were [kept].</html>

<html><b>you shall issue a decree</b> lit. you shall put up this decree. <b>that will not be amended</b> that will not be amended, like the law of Media and Persia. <b>which will not be repealed</b> which will not pass.</html>

<html><b>when he knew</b> and when he found out. <b>where there were open windows in his upper chamber</b> Aram. בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ, in his upper story. <b>opposite Jerusalem</b> toward the side of the Temple, and although it was in ruins, he did as Solomon said (I Kings 8:48): “and pray to You toward their land.” <b>and three times</b> the evening prayer, the morning prayer and the afternoon prayer. <b>kneeled on his knees</b> [as translated,] kneeled on his knees. <b>as he had done prior to this</b> just as all that he had done before this.</html>

<html><b>searched</b> Aram. הַרְגִישּׁוּ, tapped and searched.</html>

<html><b>concerning the king’s decree</b> concerning the infraction of the king’s decree, about which they had come to inform. <b>the thing is true</b> [as translated,] the thing is true.</html>

<html><b>did not pay heed to you, O king</b> He did not pay heed or counsel to care about your decrees. <b>he offers up his prayer</b> Aram. בָּעֵא בָּעוּתֵה, he prays his prayer.</html>

<html><b>when…heard the thing</b> [as translated,] when he heard the thing. <b>he became very displeased</b> It was very bad in his eyes because he loved Daniel, and his death would be painful to him. <b>and he gave Daniel a reprieve to save him</b> He gave Daniel a reprieve to push off the matter to save him, and he said to them, “I don’t believe you.” <b>a reprieve</b> Aram. בָּל. I do not know of any word like it, but its context shows its meaning. <b>and until sunset</b> and until sunset he tried to save him, but when the time of his prayer arrived, he prayed his prayer, and the king had no longer had a pretext to save him.</html>

<html><b>that the king establishes</b> What the king decrees and ratifies, no man can alter.</html>

<html><b>And a stone was brought</b> lit. and one stone was brought. Throughout the entire land of Babylon there are no stones but bricks, as it is written: (Gen 11:3): “Let us make bricks.” We learn that there are no stones in Babylon, but for the occasion, angels brought it [a stone] from the land of Israel. If God stipulated with the Creation on the sea that it should split for the Children of Israel, and on the fire that it cool off for Hananiah and his colleagues, and on the lions that they should not hurt Daniel, He did not stipulate about casting stones or weapons that they should not hurt any man. So the king said, “From the lions I cannot take him away. I shall be careful with him that no man hurt him, and if the miracle comes, let it come.” This does not appear in some editions. <b>and placed on the mouth of the pit</b> [as translated,] and placed on the mouth of the pit. <b>with his signet ring</b> with his signet ring so that no one could move it from its place and cast stones upon him to kill him. <b>that his will about Daniel not be altered</b> so that his will should not be changed; i.e., so that they should not harm him against his [the king’s] will.</html>

<html><b>and retired while fasting</b> [as translated,] and retired while fasting. <b>table</b> Aram. וְּדַּחֲוָן, and a table, in the Mishnah (Tosefta Kelim, B.M. 5:1). So did Dunash explain (p. 58). They did not bring before him a table upon which to eat. <b>and his sleep wandered from him</b> [as translated,] his sleep wandered.</html>

<html><b>at dawn</b> Aram. בִּשְׁפַרְפָרָה, at the rise of dawn, and there are many [examples of this] in Targum Jonathan. <b>arose to the light of morning</b> He arose at the light of morning, not after three hours, like other kings. <b>and in haste went to the pit of the lions</b> [as translated,] and in haste went to the pit of the lions.</html>

<html><b>I have done no harm</b> No unseemly or false act have I committed.</html>

<html><b>it pleased…exceedingly</b> It was very good in his eyes. <b>and…Daniel</b> and he ordered that Daniel be lifted up out of the pit. <b>because he believed in his God</b> [as translated,] because he believed in his God.</html>

<html><b>who had informed on Daniel</b> [as translated,] who had informed on Daniel. <b>and they did not reach the bottom of the pit</b> They did not reach the bottom of the pit before the lions overwhelmed them and crushed their bones to powder.</html>

<html><b>Then King Darius…that lived in all the land, May your peace increase!</b> [as translated,] that lived in all the land, May your peace increase!</html>

<html><b>and in the kingdom of Cyrus</b> who reigned after Darius, for Darius reigned only one year, and he was slain in battle, as it is written in the book of Joseph ben Gurion, and they crowned Cyrus his son- in-law in the midst of the battle.</html>