6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and 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 unto them, and that the king should have no damage. 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.

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⁴ Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. ⁵ Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except 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 unto him, King Darius, live for ever. ⁷ All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. ⁹ Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict.

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¹⁰ And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. ¹¹ Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. ¹² Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. ¹³ Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. ¹⁴ Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

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¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. ¹⁷ And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; ^‍that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.

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¹⁹ Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? ²¹ Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. ²² My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. ²³ Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.

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²⁴ And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

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²⁵ Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. ²⁶ I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end. ²⁷ He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

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²⁸ So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

3 This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; ² that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: ³ knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. ⁵ For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; ⁶ by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: ⁷ but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

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⁸ But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the ^‍elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹ Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, ¹² looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³ But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

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¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; ¹⁶ as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and ^‍for ever. Amen.

פ Pe.

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¹²⁹ Thy testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore doth my soul keep them.
¹³⁰ The opening of thy words giveth light;
It giveth understanding unto the simple.
¹³¹ I opened wide my mouth, and panted;
For I longed for thy commandments.
¹³² Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me,
As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
¹³³ Establish my footsteps in thy word;
And let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of man:
So will I observe thy precepts.
¹³⁵ Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;
And teach me thy statutes.
¹³⁶ Streams of water run down mine eyes,
Because they observe not thy law.

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צ Tsadhe.

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¹³⁷ Righteous art thou, O Jehovah,
And upright are thy judgments.
¹³⁸ Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness
And very faithfulness.
¹³⁹ My zeal hath ^‍consumed me,
Because mine adversaries have forgotten thy words.
¹⁴⁰ Thy word is very ^‍pure;
Therefore thy servant loveth it.
¹⁴¹ I am small and despised;
Yet do I not forget thy precepts.
¹⁴² Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And thy law is truth.
¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have ^‍taken hold on me;
Yet thy commandments are my delight.
¹⁴⁴ Thy testimonies are righteous for ever:
Give me understanding, and I shall live.

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ק Qoph.

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¹⁴⁵ I have called with my whole heart; answer me, O Jehovah:
I will keep thy statutes.
¹⁴⁶ I have called unto thee; save me,
And I shall observe thy testimonies.
¹⁴⁷ I anticipated the dawning of the morning, and cried:
I hoped in thy words.
¹⁴⁸ Mine eyes anticipated the night-watches,
That I might meditate on thy word.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness:
Quicken me, O Jehovah, ^‍according to thine ordinances.
¹⁵⁰ They draw nigh that follow after wickedness;
They are far from thy law.
¹⁵¹ Thou art nigh, O Jehovah;
And all thy commandments are truth.
¹⁵² Of old have I known from thy testimonies,
That thou hast founded them for ever.

²¹ To have respect of persons is not good;
Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.
²² He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches,
And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.