Daniel was a special man. He had been taken from Israel to Babylon when he was young, and now, in his old age, he faithfully served King Darius, king of the Medes and Persians who had conquered Babylon.

King Darius had chosen a hundred and twenty satraps to govern the kingdom, and over them three presidents. Daniel was one of the three, and he stood out above them all, because an excellent spirit was in him. The king was even thinking of setting him over the whole kingdom, for Daniel was wise, honest, hardworking, and faithful — the best administrator he had.

This filled the other presidents and satraps with envy, and they wanted to be rid of Daniel. They searched for some accusation against him in the affairs of the kingdom, but they could find no fault at all, because he was faithful in everything. So they said among themselves:

"We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find it in the law of his God."

And those men went together to the king, with a plan already prepared:

"O King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, the satraps, the counselors, and the governors have agreed to propose a royal decree: whoever, for thirty days, makes a petition to any god or man other than you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den."

They knew that Daniel prayed to his God three times a day, every day. If he kept praying, he would break the law; if he stopped, he would be unfaithful to God. The whole decree was a trap set just for him.

King Darius signed the document and the decree. And once signed, a law of the Medes and Persians could never be changed — not even by the king himself.

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went home. In his upper room there were windows that opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he knelt there, prayed, and gave thanks before his God, just as he had always done.

Daniel did not hide, did not pray in secret, did not change his ways. With the windows open, where anyone could see, he went on praying. He knew he could die for it, but he chose to be faithful to God, whatever it cost.

Then those men came in a group and found Daniel praying and pleading before his God. They hurried to the king and reminded him of the decree:

"Did the king not sign a decree saying that any man who, within thirty days, made a petition to any god or man other than you would be thrown into the lions' den?"

"The thing is true," the king answered, "according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

"Well, Daniel, one of the captives of Judah, has no regard for you, O king, or for the decree you signed. Three times a day he says his prayers."

The king was deeply troubled when he heard this. He was fond of Daniel and did not want him to die, and he labored until sunset to save him. But he could not.

The men came back in a group and pressed him:

"Remember, O king: it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree of the king may be changed."

The king had no choice. With a heavy heart, he gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. But first the king said to him:

"Your God, whom you serve continually — he will deliver you."

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

The king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He wanted no entertainment, and sleep fled from him. He could not eat or rest, thinking of Daniel all night long, hoping that Daniel's God would save him.

Meanwhile, down in the den, Daniel was surrounded by lions — big lions, with sharp teeth and strong claws, hungry beasts that should have devoured him in an instant. But something extraordinary happened. The lions did not attack him. They lay down around him, gentle and quiet, because God had shut their mouths. And Daniel slept peacefully all night, kept safe by God in the middle of the beasts.

Very early in the morning, at the first light of day, the king rose and hurried to the lions' den. Coming close, he called out in a sorrowful voice:

"Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

Then Daniel answered:

The king was overjoyed and commanded that Daniel be lifted out of the den. When they brought him up, they found no injury on him at all — not a scratch, not a mark — because he had trusted in his God.

Then the king gave the order, and the men who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den with their families. Before they even reached the bottom, the lions overpowered them. The beasts were not tame — they had left Daniel untouched only because God had held them back.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages of all the earth:

A pagan king was now proclaiming the greatness of the God of Israel. What Daniel's enemies had planned for evil, God turned into good.

Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and afterward in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. He went on serving faithfully, and God went on caring for him. Daniel could have stopped praying for thirty days, could have prayed in hiding, could have found an excuse. But he chose faithfulness to God over his own safety, and God honored that choice: he not only saved Daniel, but used that night in the den to show his glory to the whole empire.