Daniel 2:12-18

At this the king flew into a violent rage and ordered all the wise men of Babylon to be executed. When the king’s decree was issued to have all the wise men killed, a search was also made for Daniel and his companions to have them put to death. As Arioch, captain of the royal bodyguard, set out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel cautiously and tactfully approached this royal official and asked him, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” When Arioch explained all that had transpired, Daniel immediately went off to plead with the king for more time so that he could seek the interpretation of the king’s dream. Daniel then went home and explained everything to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He urged them to beg the God of heaven for mercy to help them unravel the mysterious secret of the king’s dream so that Daniel and his friends would not be executed with the other Babylonian wise men.