¹⁷ Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the king’s^[a] command.

¹⁸ Daniel^[a] was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors^[b] of Babylon.

Daniel in the Lions’ Pit

¹⁶ At this point, the king ordered Daniel brought in and thrown into the lions’ pit. The king spoke to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve constantly, will deliver you himself.”