ND king Astyages was gathered to his
fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.
2
And Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above
all his friends.
3
Now the Babylonians had an idol, called Bel, and there
were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine
flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.
4
And the king worshipped it, and went daily to adore it:
but Daniel worshipped his own God, And the king said unto
him, Why dost not thou worship Bel?
5
Who answered and said, Because I may not worship idols
made with hands, but the living God, who hath created the
heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh.
6
Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is
a living god? seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh
day?
7
Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, bo not deceived: for
this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never
eat or drink any thing.
8
So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and
said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth
these expences, ye shall die.
9
But if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then
Daniel shall die: for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel.
And Daniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy
word.
10
(Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside
their wives and children.) And the king went with Daniel
into the temple of Bel.
11
So Bel's priests said, Lo, we go out: but thou, O king,
set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door
fast, and seal it with thine own signet;
12
And to morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not
that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death; or else
Daniel, that speaketh falsely against us.
13
And they little regarded it: for under the table they had
made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually,
and consumed those things.
14
So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before
Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes,
and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the
presence of the king alone: then went they out, and shut the
door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed.
15
Now in the night came the priests with their wives and
children, (as they were wont to do,) and did eat and drink
up all.
16
In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with
him.
17
And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he
said, Yea, O king, they be whole.
18
And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked
upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou,
O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all.
19
Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not
go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well
whose footsteps are these.
20
And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and
children. And then the king was angry,
21
And took the priests with their wives and children, who
shewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed
such things as were upon the table.
22
Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into
Daniel's power, who destroyed him and his temple.
23
And in that same place there was a great dragon, which
they of Babylon worshipped.
24
And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that
this is of brass? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh;
thou canst not say that he is no living god: therefore
worship him.
25
Then said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord
my God: for he is the living God.
26
But give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon
without sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave.
27
Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe
them together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the
dragon's mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder: and
Daniel said, Lo, these are the gods ye worship.
28
When they of Babylon heard that, they took great
indignation, and conspired against the king, saying, The
king is become a Jew, and he hath destroyed Bel, he hath
slain the dragon, and put the priests to death.
29
So they came to the king, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or
else we will destroy thee and thine house.
30
Now when the king saw that they pressed him sore, being
constrained, he delivered Daniel unto them:
31
Who cast him into the lions' den: where he was six days.
32
And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given
them every day two carcases, and two sheep: which then were
not given to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel.
33
Now there was in Jewry a prophet, called Habbacuc who had
made pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going
into the field, for to bring it to the reapers.
34
But the angel of the Lord said unto Habbacuc, Go, carry
the dinner that thou hast into Babylon unto Daniel, who is
in the lions' den.
35
And Habbacuc said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do
I know where the den is.
36
Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and
bare him by the hair of his head, and through the vehemency
of his spirit set him in Babylon over the den.
37
And Habbacuc cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the
dinner which God hath sent thee.
38
And Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God: neither
hast thou forsaken them that seek thee and love thee.
39
So Daniel arose, and did eat: and the angel of the Lord
set Habbacuc in his own place again immediately.
40
Upon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel: and
when he came to the den, he looked in, and, behold, Daniel
was sitting.
41
Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great art
thou, O Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other beside
thee.
42
And he drew him out, and cast those that were the cause
of his destruction into the den: and they were devoured in a
moment before his face.
