Thenthey answeredand spokebeforethe king,"Daniel,whois one of the exilesfrom Judah,paysnoattentionto you, O king,or to the injunctionwhichyou signed,but keeps makinghis petitionthreetimesa day."
Then Hamansaidto KingAhasuerus,"Thereis a certainpeoplescatteredand dispersedamongthe peoplesin allthe provincesof your kingdom;their lawsare differentfrom [those] of all[other] peopleand they do not observethe king'slaws,so it is not in the king'sinterestto let them remain.
Now among them from the sonsof Judahwere Daniel,Hananiah,Mishaeland Azariah.
ThenAriochhurriedlybroughtDanielinto the king'spresenceand spoketo him as follows:"I have founda manamongthe exilesfrom Judahwhocan makethe interpretationknownto the king!"
"But whoeverdoes not falldownand worshipshall be castinto the midstof a furnaceof blazingfire.
"Thereare certainJewswhomyou have appointedoverthe administrationof the provinceof Babylon,[namely] Shadrach,Meshachand Abed-nego.Thesemen,O king,have disregardedyou; they do not serveyour godsor worshipthe goldenimagewhichyou have setup."
For thisreasonat that timecertainChaldeanscameforwardand broughtchargesagainstthe Jews.
ThenDanielwas broughtin beforethe king.The kingspokeand saidto Daniel,"Are you that Danielwhois one of the exilesfrom Judah,whommy fatherthe kingbroughtfrom Judah?
and Jasonhas welcomedthem, and they allactcontraryto the decreesof Caesar,sayingthat there is anotherking,Jesus."
But Peterand the apostlesanswered,"We mustobeyGodratherthanmen.
