19. At dawn the king got up and hurried to the pit.
20. When he got there, he called out anxiously, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was the God you serve so loyally able to save you from the lions?”
21. Daniel answered, “May Your Majesty live for ever!
22. God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. He did this because he knew that I was innocent and because I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23. The king was overjoyed and gave orders for Daniel to be pulled up out of the pit. So they pulled him up and saw that he had not been hurt at all, for he trusted God.
24. Then the king gave orders to arrest all the men who had accused Daniel, and they were thrown, together with their wives and their children, into the pit filled with lions. Before they even reached the bottom of the pit, the lions pounced on them and broke all their bones.
25. Then King Darius wrote to the people of all nations, races, and languages on earth:“Greetings!
26. I command that throughout my empire everyone should fear and respect Daniel's God.“He is a living God,and he will rule for ever.His kingdom will never be destroyed,and his power will never come to an end.
27. He saves and rescues;he performs wonders and miraclesin heaven and on earth.He saved Daniel from being killed by the lions.”
28. Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.