13) Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.

14) Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, ?Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

15) Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands??

16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ?O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

17) If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.

18) But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.?

7) All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.?

9) Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

10) Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

11) Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12) And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king?s decree: ?Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, 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 does not alter.?

13) So they answered and said before the king, ?That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.?

14) And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15) Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, ?Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.?

16) So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, ?Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.?

17) Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

[9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

[9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

6) Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7) who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9) Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

10) and said, ?O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11) And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.?
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12) Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.