¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the ·opening [^Lmouth] of the lions’ den. Then the king used his signet ring and the rings of his ·royal [noble; important] officers to put special seals on the rock [^Crings with personal identification symbols that could be pressed into soft clay]. This ensured that ·no one would move the rock and bring Daniel out [^Lnothing would be changed with Daniel]. ¹⁸ Then King Darius went back to his palace. He ·did not eat [fasted] that night, ·he did not have any entertainment [^Lnothing was; ^Creferring to food and/or women] brought to him, and he could not sleep.

¹⁹ The next morning King Darius got up at dawn and ·hurried [or in agitation went] to the lions’ den.