1. Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province.
2. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests.
3. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.
5. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
6. So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius!