16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared¹ to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, ^bdeliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and ^csleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went ^din haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the ^eliving God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God ^fsent his angel and ^gshut the lions’ mouths, and they have ^hnot harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had ⁱtrusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote ^jto all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 ^kI make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of ⁿCyrus the Persian.