Daniel in the Lions’ Den

In the glittering royal palace of Babylon, there lived a wise and faithful man named Daniel. King Darius trusted Daniel above all other leaders because of his honesty and gentle spirit. But some jealous officials wanted to get rid of him.

They tricked the king into signing a royal decree: for thirty days, no one could pray to any god or human, only to the king. Daniel heard the decree, but he did not waver. He went straight home, opened his windows toward Jerusalem, knelt down, and prayed to God three times a day just as he had always done.

The jealous leaders rushed to tell the king. Heartbroken and trapped by his own law, Darius had no choice but to have Daniel lowered into a deep stone pit filled with hungry lions. All night long, the king fasted and could not sleep a wink.

At the first light of dawn, the king ran to the pit and called out in anguish: "Daniel, has your God been able to rescue you?" Through the morning mist, Daniel’s voice rang out with joy: "My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions!" The great lions lay purring softly beside him. The king wept with relief, declaring that God is the living protector forever.