{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/apo/bel.htm","path":"chr/apo/bel.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/bel.htm","text":"Bel 1\nAnd king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of\nPersia received his kingdom.\n2\nAnd Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above\nall his friends.\n3\nNow the Babylons had an idol, called Bel, and there were\nspent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour,\nand forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.\n4\nAnd the king worshipped it and went daily to adore it: but\nDaniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why\ndost not thou worship Bel?\n5\nWho answered and said, Because I may not worship idols made\nwith hands, but the living God, who hath created the heaven and\nthe earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh.\n6\nThen said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a\nliving God? seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every\nday?\n7\nThen Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived: for\nthis is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or\ndrink any thing.\n8\nSo the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said\nunto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these\nexpences, ye shall die.\n9\nBut if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then\nDaniel shall die: for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel. And\nDaniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy word.\n10\nNow the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside\ntheir wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the\ntemple of Bel.\n11\nSo Bel's priests said, Lo, we go out: but thou, O king, set\non the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast and\nseal it with thine own signet;\n12\nAnd to morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not that\nBel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death\nthat speaketh falsely against us.\nBel 1\nAnd they little regarded it: for under the table they had\nmade a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and\nconsumed those things.\n14\nSo when they were gone forth, the king set meats before\nBel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and\nthose they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of\nthe king alone: then went they out, and shut the door, and\nsealed it with the king's signet, and so departed.\n15\nNow in the night came the priests with their wives and\nchildren, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drinck up\nall.\n16\nIn the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.\n17\nAnd the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he\nsaid, Yea, O king, they be whole.\n18\nAnd as soon as he had opened the dour, the king looked upon\nthe table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel,\nand with thee is no deceit at all.\n19\nThen laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not\ngo in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose\nfootsteps are these.\n20\nAnd the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and\nchildren. And then the king was angry,\n21\nAnd took the priests with their wives and children, who\nshewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed\nsuch things as were upon the table.\n22\nTherefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into\nDaniel's power, who destroyed him and his temple.\n23\nAnd in that same place there was a great dragon, which they\nof Babylon worshipped.\n24\nAnd the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that this\nis of brass? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh; thou canst\nnot say that he is no living god: therefore worship him.\n25\nThen said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord my\nGod: for he is the living God.\n26\nBut give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon\nwithout sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave.\n27\nThen Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe\nthem together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the\ndragon's mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder : and Daniel\nsaid, Lo, these are the gods ye worship.\n28\nWhen they of Babylon heard that, they took great\nindignation, and conspired against the king, saying, The king is\nbecome a Jew, and he hath destroyed Bel, he hath slain the\ndragon, and put the priests to death.\n29\nSo they came to the king, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or\nelse we will destroy thee and thine house.\n30\nNow when the king saw that they pressed him sore, being\nconstrained, he delivered Daniel unto them:\n31\nWho cast him into the lions' den: where he was six days.\n32\nAnd in the den there were seven lions, and they had given\nthem every day two carcases, and two sheep: which then were not\ngiven to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel.\n33\nNow there was in Jewry a prophet, called Habbacuc, who had\nmade pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into\nthe field, for to bring it to the reapers.\n34\nBut the angel of the Lord said unto Habbacuc, Go, carry the\ndinner that thou hast into Babylon unto Daniel, who is in the\nlions' den.\n35\nAnd Habbacuc said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do I\nknow where the den is.\n36\nThen the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and bare\nhim by the hair of his head, and through the vehemency of his\nspirit set him in Babylon over the den.\n37\nAnd Habbacuc cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the\ndinner which God hath sent thee.\n38\nAnd Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God: neither\nhast thou forsaken them that seek thee and love thee.\n39\nSo Daniel arose, and did eat: and the angel of the Lord set\nHabbacuc in his own place again immediately.\n40\nUpon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel:\nand when he came to the den, he looked in, and behold,\nDaniel was sitting.\n41\nThen cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great art\nLord God of Daniel, and there is none other beside thee.\n42\nAnd he drew him out, and cast those that were the cause of\nhis destruction into the den: and they were devoured\nin a moment before his face","title":"Bel and the Dragon (in Daniel)","type":"page"}