1. It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps--a hundred and twenty--that they may be throughout the whole kingdom,
2. and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel [is] first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss.
3. Then this Daniel hath been overseer over the presidents and satraps, because that an excellent spirit [is] in him, and the king hath thought to establish him over the whole kingdom.
4. Then the presidents and satraps have been seeking to find a cause of complaint against
5. Then these men are saying, `We do not find against this Daniel any cause of complaint, except we have found [it] against him in the law of his God.'
6. Then these presidents and satraps have assembled near the king, and thus they are saying to him: `O king Darius, to the ages live!
7. Taken counsel have all the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors, to establish a royal statute, and to strengthen an interdict, that any who seeketh a petition from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions.