1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;

2. and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss.

3. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4. Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn't any error or fault found in him.

5. Then these men said, "We won't find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

6. Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, "King Darius, live forever!

7. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.