1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, who should be over the whole kingdom;
2. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts to 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 no 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 to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live for ever.
7. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whoever 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.