So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that whoever makes petition to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. The conspirators present their trap as a flattery of the king: they propose a law that everyone must petition only the king (not to any god or human) for thirty days. The proposal frames this exclusively as honoring the king's authority. By using formal diplomatic language (O King Darius, live forever) and claiming unanimous agreement of all officials, they make the proposal appear to have universal support. They do not explicitly mention Daniel, but they have carefully crafted a law that they know Daniel will not obey because his religious practice includes daily prayer to the God of Israel.

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