WEBVTT

00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700
Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740
taking this journey together to read the Bible

00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.919
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:13.140
Daniel, chapter 6. It pleased Darius to set over

00:00:13.140 --> 00:00:16.879
the kingdom 120 satraps to be over the whole

00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:19.980
kingdom, and over these three governors, of whom

00:00:19.980 --> 00:00:23.280
Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account

00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.019
to them so that the king would suffer no loss.

00:00:26.589 --> 00:00:29.289
Then this Daniel distinguished himself above

00:00:29.289 --> 00:00:32.189
the governors and satraps, because an excellent

00:00:32.189 --> 00:00:35.109
spirit was in him, and a king gave thought to

00:00:35.109 --> 00:00:37.689
setting him over the whole realm. So the governors

00:00:37.689 --> 00:00:40.789
and satraps sought to find some charge against

00:00:40.789 --> 00:00:43.270
Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could

00:00:43.270 --> 00:00:46.270
find no charge or fault, because he was faithful,

00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.670
nor was there any error or fault found in him.

00:00:49.850 --> 00:00:53.070
Then these men said, We shall not find any charge

00:00:53.070 --> 00:00:56.140
against this Daniel. unless we find it against

00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:59.479
him concerning the law of his god. So these governors

00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:02.479
and satraps thronged before the king and said

00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:05.819
thus to him, King Darius live forever. All the

00:01:05.819 --> 00:01:07.700
governors of the kingdom, the administrators

00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:10.760
and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have

00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:13.420
consulted together to establish a royal statute

00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:16.879
and to make a firm decree that whoever petitions

00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:20.200
any god or man for thirty days except you, O

00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:23.810
king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now

00:01:23.810 --> 00:01:26.629
O king, establish the decree and sign the writing,

00:01:26.790 --> 00:01:29.489
so that it cannot be changed according to the

00:01:29.489 --> 00:01:32.230
law of the Medes and Persians, which does not

00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:34.909
alter. Therefore king Darius signed the written

00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:37.689
decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing

00:01:37.689 --> 00:01:40.890
was signed, he went home, and in his upper room,

00:01:40.969 --> 00:01:43.930
with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt

00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.969
down on his knees three times that day and prayed,

00:01:47.170 --> 00:01:50.370
and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom

00:01:50.370 --> 00:01:53.439
since early days. Then these men assembled and

00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.519
found Daniel praying and making supplication

00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:57.980
before his God. And they went before the king

00:01:57.980 --> 00:02:00.780
and spoke concerning the king's decree. Have

00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:03.560
you not signed the decree that every man who

00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:07.140
petitions any god or man within thirty days except

00:02:07.140 --> 00:02:10.060
you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?

00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.280
The king answered and said, The thing is true,

00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:15.759
according to the law of the Medes and Persians,

00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:18.840
which does not alter. So they answered and said

00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:21.759
before the king, That Daniel, who is one of the

00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:24.800
captives from Judah, does not show due regard

00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.659
for you, O king, or for the decree that you have

00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:30.419
signed, but makes his petition three times a

00:02:30.419 --> 00:02:32.780
day. And the king, when he heard these words,

00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:35.599
was greatly displeased with himself, and set

00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.639
his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored

00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:41.020
till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

00:02:41.259 --> 00:02:43.699
Then these men approached the king and said to

00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:47.210
the king, No, O king. that it is the law of the

00:02:47.210 --> 00:02:49.689
Medes and Persians that no decree or statute

00:02:49.689 --> 00:02:53.090
which the king establishes may be changed. So

00:02:53.090 --> 00:02:55.229
the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel

00:02:55.229 --> 00:02:58.530
and cast him into the den of lions. But the king

00:02:58.530 --> 00:03:01.710
spoke, saying to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve

00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:04.569
continually, he will deliver you. Then a stone

00:03:04.569 --> 00:03:06.870
was brought and laid on the mouth of the den,

00:03:06.969 --> 00:03:09.530
and the king sealed it with his own signet ring

00:03:09.530 --> 00:03:12.569
and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose

00:03:12.569 --> 00:03:15.759
concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the

00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:18.080
king went to his palace and spent the night fasting,

00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:21.020
and no musicians were brought before him. Also

00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:23.599
his sleep went from him. Then the king arose

00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:26.080
very early in the morning and went in haste to

00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.400
the den of lions. And when he came to the den,

00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:30.879
he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel.

00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.500
The king spoke, saying to Daniel, Daniel, servant

00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:37.099
of the living God, has your God, whom you serve

00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:39.699
continually, been able to deliver you from the

00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:42.500
lions? Then Daniel said to the king, O king,

00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.659
live forever. My God sent his angel and shut

00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:48.840
the lion's mouth so that they have not hurt me

00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:51.580
because I was found innocent before him. And

00:03:51.580 --> 00:03:54.259
also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.

00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:57.259
Now the king was exceedingly glad for him and

00:03:57.259 --> 00:03:59.759
commanded that they should take Daniel up out

00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.919
of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the

00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:06.439
den and no injury whatever was found on him because

00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:09.039
he believed in his God. And the king gave the

00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:12.520
command and they brought those men who had accused

00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.270
Daniel. And they cast them into the den of lions,

00:04:15.509 --> 00:04:18.449
them, their children, and their wives. And the

00:04:18.449 --> 00:04:21.350
lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones

00:04:21.350 --> 00:04:24.050
in pieces before they ever came to the bottom

00:04:24.050 --> 00:04:27.389
of the den. Then King Darius wrote to all peoples,

00:04:27.529 --> 00:04:30.550
nations, and languages that dwell in all the

00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:34.050
earth, Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree

00:04:34.050 --> 00:04:37.089
that in every dominion of my kingdom, men must

00:04:37.089 --> 00:04:39.810
tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for

00:04:39.810 --> 00:04:42.529
he is the living God, and steadfast forever.

00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.879
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,

00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:49.259
and his dominion shall endure to the end. He

00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:52.139
delivers and rescues, and he works signs and

00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:55.500
wonders, in heaven and on earth, who has delivered

00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:58.839
Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel

00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.639
prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign

00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:09.560
of Cyrus the Persian. I hope you enjoyed today's

00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:11.750
reading as much as I did. And I look forward

00:05:11.750 --> 00:05:13.810
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our

00:05:13.810 --> 00:05:15.910
journey. God bless you and have a great day.