Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Here is the rewritten chapter:

King Darius decided to appoint 120 officials over the kingdom, with three presidents in charge. These presidents were responsible for overseeing the entire kingdom and reporting directly to the king.

Daniel was highly respected among these officials because he possessed an exceptional spirit, and the king considered appointing him as ruler of the entire kingdom. However, the presidents and governors sought to find fault with Daniel, but they couldn't because he was a faithful and blameless man.

The men searched for any reason to accuse Daniel, and finally, they decided that his devotion to God's law would be their grounds for complaint. They gathered together and told King Darius, "Your Majesty, live forever! All the officials of the kingdom, governors, and princes have consulted with each other and established a royal decree. Anyone who petitions any god or man within thirty days without your permission will be cast into the den of lions."

The king signed the decree and sealed it with his own signet ring. When Daniel learned about the decree, he went home and knelt in his chamber with the windows open towards Jerusalem, praying three times a day as he always had, giving thanks to God.

But the men who had conspired against Daniel gathered again and found him praying before his God. They reported this to King Darius, saying, "Your Majesty, remember the decree you signed? Anyone who petitions any god or man within thirty days without your permission will be cast into the den of lions." The king confirmed that the law was true and unchangeable.

The men told the king that Daniel had disobeyed his decree by praying to God three times a day. The king was deeply disturbed and tried to find a way to rescue Daniel, but he knew that no decree established by the king could be changed. That night, King Darius couldn't sleep; he went to his palace and spent the evening fasting.

The next morning, the king rushed to the den of lions and called out in anguish, "O Daniel, servant of the living God! Is your God able to deliver you from the lions?" Daniel replied, "Your Majesty, live forever! My God has sent his angel, and he has shut the lions' mouths. They haven't harmed me because I trust in my God."

The king was overjoyed when he heard this news. He ordered that Daniel be lifted out of the den, but to their surprise, no harm had been done to him. Then King Darius had those who had accused Daniel brought back to the den, along with their families, and they were torn apart by the lions.

The king wrote a letter to all the people, nations, and languages on earth, wishing them peace multiplied. He decreed that in every dominion of his kingdom, men should tremble before the God of Daniel, who is the living God, steadfast forever, with a kingdom that will never be destroyed. This God delivers and rescues people from danger, working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He has saved Daniel from the lions' power.

Daniel prospered during King Darius's reign and even continued to thrive under Cyrus the Persian.