Daniel 6:11-17

6:11 Then those officials who had gone to the king ¹  came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God. 6:12 So they approached the king and said to him, ²  “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct, ³  according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.” 6:13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives ⁴  from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.” ⁵ 

6:14 When the king heard this, ⁶  he was very upset and began thinking about ⁷  how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoon ⁸  he was struggling to find a way to rescue him. 6:15 Then those men came by collusion to the king and ⁹  said to him, ¹⁰  “Recall, ¹¹  O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed.” 6:16 So the king gave the order, ¹²  and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den ¹³  of lions. The king consoled ¹⁴  Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!” 6:17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening ¹⁵  to the den. The king sealed ¹⁶  it with his signet ring and with those ¹⁷  of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel.

[6:11]  ¹ tn Aram “those men”; the referent (the administrative officials who had earlier approached the king about the edict) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:12]  ² tc The MT also has “about the edict of the king,” but this phrase is absent in the LXX and the Syriac. The present translation deletes the expression.

[6:12]  ³ tn Aram “the word is true.”

[6:13]  ³ tn Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”

[6:13]  ⁴ tn Aram “prays his prayer.”

[6:14]  ⁴ tn Aram “the word.”

[6:14]  ⁵ tn Aram “placed his mind on.”

[6:14]  ⁶ tn Aram “the entrances of the sun.”

[6:15]  ⁵ tc Theodotion lacks the words “came by collusion to the king and.”

[6:15]  ⁶ tn Aram “the king.”

[6:15]  ⁷ tn Aram “know”; NAB “Keep in mind”; NASB “Recognize”; NIV, NCV “Remember.”

[6:16]  ⁶ tn Aram “said.” So also in vv. 24, 25.

[6:16]  ⁷ sn The den was perhaps a pit below ground level which could be safely observed from above.

[6:16]  ⁸ tn Aram “answered and said [to Daniel].”

[6:17]  ⁷ tn Aram “mouth.”

[6:17]  ⁸ sn The purpose of the den being sealed was to prevent unauthorized tampering with the opening of the den. Any disturbance of the seal would immediately alert the officials to improper activity of this sort.

[6:17]  ⁹ tn Aram “the signet rings.”