#daniel 6

The Plot against Daniel

Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss. Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever! All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions. Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?”

The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”

Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.”

As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.

Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions.

The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed.

Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound. I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:

For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.

He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Nós administradores, oficiais, altos funcionários, conselheiros e governadores estamos todos de acordo que o rei deve decretar uma lei a ser cumprida rigorosamente. Dê ordens para que, nos próximos trinta dias, qualquer pessoa que orar a alguém, divino ou humano, exceto ao rei, seja lançada na cova dos leões. - Daniel 6:7

A lei que foi decretada seria de “apenas” trinta dias e Daniel, servo de Deus, que vivia nesse tempo e ocasião, poderia ficar trinta dias sem orar ao seu Deus, afinal, não é pra sempre, são só trinta dias, e sua vida corria perigo, literalmente, mas...

Quando Daniel soube que a lei tinha sido assinada, foi para casa e, como de costume, ajoelhou-se no quarto no andar de cima, com as janelas abertas na direção de Jerusalém. Orava três vezes por dia e dava graças a seu Deus. - Daniel 6:10

Pois é, Daniel continuou a confiar em Deus e render graças a Ele como de costume, sem medo de que os oficiais ou qualquer outra pessoa o visse orando a Deus, tudo isso sabendo o que poderia acontecer, ser lançado na cova dos leões; e hoje não tem cova dos leões, mas tem desafios parecidos, onde a nossa fé muitas vezes recebe a proposta de ser negociada, como em uma sala de aula em que o professor é ateu e vai perturbar e indagar a vida do cristão, então ele pensa “eu devo dizer que sou cristão, ou ficar calado nas aulas dele? Afinal, serão só nessas aulas” ou com um namorado (a) que não é cristão (ã), e você se vê, sendo outra pessoa perto dele (a) com vergonha de orar, se sujeitando a situações adversas a vontade de Deus, e indo à qualquer lugar juntos, menos a igreja, porque afinal... “é só enquanto estamos juntos, mas domingo eu vou, sozinho (a)”

Se você se vê assim, ore ao Senhor, ouça a vontade dEle e reflita sobre Sua decisão, pois o nosso Deus é fiel e não deixou Daniel ser atacado na cova dos leões, e pode nos livrar, mesmo que o professor ateu tente nos fazer mal, ou a pessoa do relacionamento ameace terminar, ainda assim, escolha a Deus. Se Daniel prestes a morrer pode se decidir e decidiu seguir a Deus, porque está tão difícil para nós tomarmos essa decisão?

Meu Deus enviou seu anjo para fechar a boca dos leões de modo que não me fizessem mal, pois fui considerado inocente aos olhos de Deus. Também não fiz coisa alguma contra o senhor, ó rei”. - Daniel 6:22

1   It pleased Darius to set up over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who would be throughout the whole kingdom;

2   And over them, three chief ministers — of whom Daniel was one — so that these satraps might give account to them and the king might not suffer loss.

3   Then this Daniel distinguished himself among the chief ministers and satraps because in him there was an excellent spirit, and the king considered setting him over the whole kingdom.

4   Then the chief ministers and satraps sought to find a ground for accusation against Daniel from the perspective of the kingdom, but they could find no ground for accusation or fault, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or fault was found related to him.

5   Then these men said, We will not find any ground for accusation against this Daniel unless we find something related to him due to the law of his God.

6   Then these chief ministers and satraps came to prevail upon the king and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever!

7   All the chief ministers of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have taken counsel together that the king should establish a statute and make firm an edict that anyone who makes a petition within the next thirty days to any god or man besides you, O king, shall be cast into the lions’ den.

8   Now, O king, establish the edict and sign the writing, so that it is not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot pass away.

9   Therefore King Darius signed the writing, that is, the edict.

10   Now when Daniel came to know that the writing had been signed, he went to his house (in his upper room he had windows open toward Jerusalem) and three times daily he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God, because he had always done so previously.

11   Then these men assembled and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.

12   Then they came near and spoke before the king concerning the king’s edict: Did you not sign an edict that anyone who petitions, within the next thirty days, any god or man besides you, O king, shall be cast into the lions’ den? The king answered and said, The thing is certain, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot pass away.

13   Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, has not respected you, O king, or the edict that you have signed, but three times daily makes his petition.

14   Then the king, when he heard the thing, was very displeased with himself and set his heart on delivering Daniel; and until the sun set, he made efforts to deliver him.

15   Then these men came to prevail upon the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or statute which the king establishes can be changed.

16   Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king responded and said to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.

17   And a stone was brought and set over the mouth of the den. And the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet rings of his lords that nothing might be changed regarding Daniel.

18   Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no entertainment was brought before him, and his sleep fled from him.

19   Then the king arose at dawn at the first light, and went in haste to the lions’ den.

20   And when he had come near the den, he shouted to Daniel with a sad voice; the king responded and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?

21   Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever!

22   My God has sent His angel and has shut the lions’ mouth, and they have not hurt me, inasmuch as before Him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.

23   Then the king was very pleased concerning him, and he commanded that they take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and he was found completely unhurt, because he had trusted in his God.

24   Then the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel and threw them into the lions’ den, them, their children, and their wives; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

25   Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole land: May your peace abound!

26   I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God / And enduring forever; / And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, / And His dominion will be unto the end.

27   He delivers and rescues, / And He does signs and wonders / In heaven and on earth; / It is He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.